So happy to be featuring all of these great artists, authors, and designers on the blog, and there are definitely more to come! As always, feel free to email me if you would like your work to be featured!Today, the spotlight is on Irish pop/rock band, The Enemies! Founding members Ronan McQuillan (lead vocals/guitar) and actor Colin O’Donoghue (vocals/guitar) started the band back in 2003, adding along members John Boy Berkley (bass), Johnny Crean (guitar), and Dazzy Oglesby (drums) along the way. In 2010, the guys finally buckled down and got serious about their music career, getting in the studio to record together! “You have to have a passion for music to pursue it as a career. Like any career really. Being surrounded by creative and talented people makes it an easy decision. There has to be a belief in what you do to continue through the bad times. And lots of sacrifice,” the band said of their career. That strong passion is definitely clear in their music!
Check out more about The Enemies below!
Inspired by the likes of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, John Mayer, and Bob Dylan, just to name a few, The Enemies perfectly blends pop and rock for their awesome sound! The music scene in their home country of Ireland is thriving as well and serves as inspiration on the band’s road to success! “There are the big league guys like U2 and The Script who we all admire,” said Ronan, also naming Kodaline as a band to watch out for! “While we look up to these bands we tend to concentrate on our own sound that hopefully sets us apart from the rest,” he added.
Currently, The Enemies are signed to L.A. based agency A&R Worldwide, which is behind the success of artists like Adele, LMFAO, Muse, Coldplay, and more! Working to get global recognition, the band is finishing up their debut album Sounds Big on the Radio, which is sure to be a big success. “Hearing one of our songs, “Perfect Stranger,” on Irish national radio last year, and how big it sounded through FM stereo prompted the album title,” the band said on the inspiration behind the project. “That rush when it we heard it on radio mixed with the realization that potentially thousands of other people are hearing it at the same time in their car or their kitchen or wherever is very exciting. We decided that all the album tracks should have the same impact.”
The album is a combination of tracks that the band has been working on and playing live for the past two years along with new music! Though Colin isn’t currently a full fledged member of the band anymore (he can presently be seen as the bad boy Captain Hook on ABC’s Once Upon a Time!), he has contributed vocals and instruments on the album as well. A contemporary rock pop record, Sounds Big on the Radio will be released sometime next year. “We’re hoping to get a label to put it out, so shopping for potential labels begins soon as the masters are delivered to us,” Ronan said.
In addition to finishing up the album, The Enemies are always composing music for major brands like Chevy and ESPN. In fact, they just finished Playstation 4’s launch music, and have also composed for advertisements for Durex! Their song "Sustain" was featured on Direct TV's 3D surfing documentary series Gone Until December in the U.S. and they've also co-written and recorded the theme tune for the 2012 animated global TV show Max Adventures. They've also recorded the music for major ice-cream brand Cornetto’s new global ad which was inspired by their own song “Dark Light”.In the future, the band hopes to be recording music for years to come, becoming a timeless band that people will love, and touring places around the world! With their talent and ambition, the future is very bright for this group!
You can learn more about The Enemies on their official website, as well as connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr. They love to connect with their fans, so definitely hit them up! And be on the lookout for Sounds Big on the Radio when it hits--I’ll be rocking out to it for sure!
It's a very cute video...I just wasn't feeling her flicking that fan all over the place! But it was cute. I still hope that, for her next album, Ariana turns away from the Nick vibe a little bit. She's definitely a girly girl, and I'm sure we'll always get that from her, but with her talent, I want her to give a little more with visuals and performance. I love this song though!
What did you think of the video?
Image via DirectLyrics
Today, the spotlight is on British electro-folk singer Samuel Gough! Born to an artistic family in London (his father was a writer, and his mother and grandfather were actors), music was introduced in his childhood relatively early, mostly classical. At seven years old, he began singing in a “very strict, terrifying school choir,” but at 14 he branched out and put a band together with friends called STUBBLE, as his boarding school. He was in boarding school at the time, but got permission to hit the local country pubs on Saturday night to play covers of old Cream, B.B. King and Allman Brothers songs. He ended up starting another band at 16 with his sister and cousins once based in Spain, on the island of Mallorca, playing the local summer fiestas!
Read more about Samuel below!
Yet what Samuel calls the “lighting bolt” moment of knowing he wanted to pursue music was at the age of 17, as he was on a train to London to start training in opera. While reading an old Allman Brothers article in Rolling Stone, and the imagery of Duane Allman pulling out his motorcycle from the tour bus and taking off on the open road inspired Samuel. “Something just lit me up,” he said. Inspired by artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Queen, Mozart, as well as Ry Cooder, Paco de Lucia, and, of course, the Allman Brothers, Samuel has a pretty eclectic taste in music. The London music scene also sparked his creativity. “My sister ran a little kind of “speakeasy” in town, The Asylum, filled every night with all the local musicians who’d come down and let off steam after a show,” he said. Close by, were blues and country music clubs, all of which had great musicians that just played from the heart. Samuel was even inspired from visiting different flamenco bars. “I guess this gave me a sense of no limits in my music,” he said of the various styles he heard, “not following any one style, and sticking it in a box.”
Samuel recently released his LP Day Broken on September 30, 2013. The singer worked with producers Sleep Deez and Aidan Clarke, which he calls a “humbling experience.” “[They are] two guys who give so effortlessly--passion, creativity, understanding, and, above all, no bulls**t,” he said. When asked what his favorite tracks are from the EP, Samuel chose lead single “Morning Light,” and the title track “Day Broken, “both for how easily they were written. Both [were] created at day break.” Samuel added, “Words and music flew out as if they'd always been there. They lift me up, these tracks.”
Currently, the singer is in Paris, working on an electro-folk project for French TV with French jazz composer and maestro horn player Gnowee. He’s also writing new songs and arranging old tracks for a re-release of Day Broken. This artist is truly fearless, and doesn’t want to put any limits on his music and creativity! “Coming from a classical background, being deeply influenced by Flamenco and also albums like A Meeting By The River [by Ry Cooder and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt], I feel things cinematically, and every visual has a different soundtrack to it,” he said. “As the long as the music is TRUE, there is nothing that cannot be done.” In the future, Samuel would love to branch away from the norm for his career. He wants to play around the world, but in unexpected expected places. “Ancient ruins, Greek temples, out in the desert,” the creative artists is thinking, “using local sounds and players to color my brand of cinematic country-folk, in so giving the music new life at every turn.”
You can check out more about Samuel on his official website. He is truly a talented artist with a unique voice, beautiful lyrics, and amazing sound! Definitely an artist that you want to check out for those who love electro and folk, and even those who want to branch away from their typical genres!
Image via Samuel Gough
Looks like Kim Kardashian has another ring to flaunt. At Kim's 33rd birthday celebration last night at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Kanye West reportedly popped the question in a huge way!After asking Kris Jenner for her daughter’s hand in marriage, Kanye supposedly gave Kim a huge 15-carat diamond ring from Lorraine Schwarts, while the field’s jumbo screen flashed, “PLEEEASE MARRY MEEE!!!”
A 50-piece orchestra played Lana Del Rey‘s “Young and Beautiful,” followed by Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo and Kanye’s ”Knock You Down. Then a display of fiireworks hit the sky! Really really grand, as only could be expected.
This will be Kim's third marriage. Her first was from 2000-2003 to music producer Damon Thomas. Her second, which was just finalized in April, was to Brooklyn Nets player Kris Humphries and lasted only 72 days after their lavish wedding in August 2011. All power to her for wanting to get married again. I just hope that this time it lasts for her!
Images via Getty/Splash/E!
I'll admit. I was VERY NERVOUS when this was announced. I respect both Drew and KeKe as actresses, but I wasn't sure they could pull something like this off honestly. I REALLY wasn't sure about Lil Mama. However, after seeing one of the trailers, I quickly changed my mind! Lil Mama looked so much like Left Eye, it was ridiculous. The trio captured TLC's chemistry and mannerisms to a tee! So it was definitely a movie that I had to check out and review!
Check out my thoughts and sound off about the movie below!
The movie starts off with the group's individual humble beginnings. T-Boz started off just really kicking it and dancing at Jellybeans, a skating rink in Atlanta. Left Eye spent her time rapping on the streets of the ATL to get a little money, while Chili was a background dancer and in school. We see original TLC member Crystal Jones for all of five minutes as she approaches T-Boz with the idea to get signed to LaFace Records, which, back then, was the hottest label around down in Atlanta, and was run by L.A. and Babyface. Pebbles owned her own management company, Pebbitone, within LaFace. As T-Boz already had a strong connection with Left Eye and knew her skills, the girls quickly scored an audition at LaFace. However, Crystal didn't cut it, leaving Pebbles to have to find another girl. Chili impressed her with her vocals at a rehearsal and was quickly added to the group. Left Eye gives her the nickname "Chilli" and they keep their original name of TLC. That's how it all starts.
Throughout the movie, we see the ups and the downs of TLC's career, including Pebbles' hard hand on the girls. In two hours and thirty minutes, we get the story that many of us already knew. We see just how the girls were treated horribly with their contracts (though, to be fair, they were a little too eager in signing in the first place). Even after millions of albums sold, TLC wasn't really making money like that (Left Eye broke down the music industry formula towards the end when the group filed for
bankruptcy). We even see the girls breaking into Clive Davis' office with a crew of girls, demanding their money! It was a real insight into how the music industry really can be, which is why a lot of artists are staying or going independent. You can be a huge mainstream artist, and, due to label and management fees, as well as touring, lawyers, and all of that, not really see a dime. Pebbles is possibly looking to sue for defamation, but she has to prove that this movie (which held a lot of facts that we already knew anyway) is really damaging her reputation. I don't think she'll win if she does try to sue, but hey, she can try I guess. TLC's perception is their perception.We also saw the girls' own personal individual struggles. Chilli, of course, had an up and down relationship with producer and songwriter Dallas Austin (played by Evan Ross). She became pregnant early on in the group's beginning, and actually got an abortion. Later, they had a son, but eventually Chilli broke it off after being tired of dealing with his player ways. We see T-Boz's struggle with sickle-cell anemia, as she is frequently hospitalized and has to be checked out during touring. It was said that she would never have children, but she has a daughter now from her relationship with rapper Mack 10.
Of course, Left Eye's story line was the most complex of all. We watch her get into various relationships, including her infamous one with footballer Andre Rison (and yes, we saw her light a match to those sneakers and burn his house down!). More than likely it had to do with her own relationship with her father We also see her wanting to branch out from TLC and really get into her s
Her alcohol and depression problems were also highlighted. However, in spite of it all, it could be seen that Left Eye was "crazy creative," as T-Boz put it towards the end. We see Left Eye's spiritual journey in Honduras, and her untimely death is peeked into a bit.
Sorry to disappoint, but there is NO discussion of Usher and Chilli's relationship, which I was actually fine with. I don't think that really would've added to the overall story of the group. People just wanted to know what happened more so than anything, but I guess that will be left for folks to debate about (Chilli did make it known that she was NOT the inspiration behind "Confessions," though and that he never cheated!).
I HAVE to give it up to Lil Mama for this role! In all honesty, she was the one that I was most worried about in the casting, especially since Left Eye is no longer here. Everybody was looking to her to see what she would bring to the table, and SHE KILLED IT! I mean, from Left Eye's appearance to her voice and mannerisms, Lil Mama really got it down pat! It was very impressive to watch. KeKe and Drew were very impressive too, though sometimes Drew faded in and out to me as T-Boz at times. However, I loved their chemistry together, and think that they were indeed the best actresses to pull this off. Shout out to T-Boz and Chilli for creating this movie with VH1, and giving us a new possible VH1 classic to watch. RIP Left Eye!
What did you think of Crazy Sexy Cool?
Image via VH1/Fan Pop
Born Dan Sultanov, he grew up in the mix of two cultures, Russian and Azerbaijani, both strong, yet very different walks of life. Sultanov grew up in a very artistic family, which fueled his own artistic side. His grandfather is internationally known Azerbaijani painter and draughtsman, Tahir Salakhov, a leader in Russian art. Sultanov’s mother is a painter and dancer, and his father has been playing music all of his life. The singer was always With that in his blood, it was only natural that Sultanov himself would break out into the arts, and he chose to dive headfirst into music!
Check out more from Sultanov below!
Sultanov went to jazz music school, and studied the saxophone between the ages of seven and sixteen, but eventually gave it up. He also played guitar, and was even in a band during his time at the International Relations University, covering bands like Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies. However, after getting involved into advertising business after graduation, he realized he wanted to seriously pursue a musical career. “I understood that if I wouldn`t go into music seriously and professionally and devote myself to it, I would regret for the rest of my life,” Sultanov admitted. “I didn’t want to just be in a band playing covers in clubs. I wanted to do something serious with my music,” he said.
Sultanov actively sought producers overseas to work with and came across producer Andy Wright. “The process with Andy started with me playing him my first song now called "What lies beneath,” he said. “Then I showed him other melodies, [and] we together added onto them [and] worked on different musical arrangements,” he said of working with Andy. “We worked in a small room, playing different instruments, trying different tempos, rhythms, giving ideas. I was singing mostly all of the lead and backing vocals during this sketching.”
The result of their work is the singer’s debut self-titled album, Sultanov, which is on the way for listeners here in the U.S (Europe listeners can buy the album now on iTunes)! Of course the project reflects his Azerbaijani heritage, as well as his Russian life, plus American and English rock and pop--truly a multicultural project! Influenced by a wide variety of artists from Tchaikovsky and Beethoven to the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Sultanov focuses on combining energy, romance, rhythm, and melody for his debut. “For me, melody is the key component to any song. So I’ve focused on this and worried less about what genre it fits into,” he said of the project. He’s been steadily working on it for the last four years, and the album is sure to showcase the singer’s great talent and creativity! Catch a sample below!
You can learn more about Sultanov on his official website, and connect with him on Facebook, VEVO, and Soundcloud!
Today must be the day for my favorite songs to finally get their music videos! Melanie Fionadropped her video today for "Cold Piece," a song that she previously released earlier in the summer. It's a fun song, but it speaks a real message about falling for somebody whose heart is cold and unaccessible to love. She has parted ways from Universal Music and is now indie, teaming up with Pepsi and Complex Media for the visual.
“I’m at a place where I can make music very creatively free, and working with Pepsi was just very easy,” she says. “With labels, there’s a whole plan and everybody’s talking about all these different things at once. But with Pepsi and Complex, it was just, ‘here’s some of our ideas, what are yours, and we’ll see you on the day of the shoot.’ It was very relaxed and wasn’t stressful at all. And to know that they wanted to create a visual for it was so cool – I wouldn’t have had my own ice cream truck with my name on it had I done this myself! It’s like, wild.”
Check out the video below!
After looking at the video, this would have been perfect if it was released in the summer. Melanie's cruising with her girls in an ice cream truck and jams with the rest of the neighborhood (shout out to Luke James who made a little cameo as well). The entire video has that NY summer time feel all throughout! I still love it though, and this song is one of the best that I've heard from her! It makes me excited to hear more music from her hopefully soon!
Check out the video below!
Image via
Sad news Gleeks! Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has confirmed that Glee will be ending after Season 6, which has been rumored for quite some time.He's been planning how to end the show for a while, and had originally wanted it to end with a focus on Cory Monteith and Lea Michele's characters, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry. However, after Cory's tragic death in July, he had to re-think things. "The whole [last] year of the show -- which will be next year -- was really designed around Rachel-Cory/Finn story," Ryan said, according to EW. "I always knew that. I always knew how it would end. I knew what the last shot was -- he was in it. I knew what the last line was; she said it to him. So when a tragedy like that happens you sort of have to pause and figure out what you want to do." However, Ryan thinks that the new ending is "very satisfactory" and still honors Cory.
I'm a little sad, but it was to be expected. All good things must come to end. Plus, I'll be honest and say that the new Glee kids on the block have not had as great of a connection as their predecessors. That might be a little bias talking since I've been watching the show since the very beginning, but it's true. I'm interested to see how the show will end, but I have until 2015 to think about that.
What do you think of Glee coming to an end?
Image via Fox
Ashley is also starting her own fashion blog, Style House Mob, which will hit the web in November. With this upcoming designer planning to get video interviews with various members of the fashion industry, as well as painters, rappers, and more, this new blog is definitely going to be one to be on the look out for! She's also steadily working on her own brand, Odd Century by Vane For Decades, which I can't wait to see more of!
The photos were all taken by Seifer Films. Check them out below!
 |
| SoCiaL Rejectx |
 |
| Crop Top--Cake & Company by Ashley Rae Skirt by Target |
 |
| Crop Top--Cake & Company by Ashley Rae Skirt by Target |
Wale has officially dropped his video for "Simple Man," track 13 from his third album, The Gifted. Shot in Toronto back in August after Drake’s 4th annual OVO Fest, the video shows Wale performing for the people, as well as rolling through the city. Nothing grand or flashy, and it was better that it wasn't. It was a pretty chill video, as Wale raps on his career and life now that he's signed and making his way up in this industry. Drake and J. Cole also make small cameos in the visual as well. Check out the video below!
What do you think of the video for "Simple Man?"
Image via Rap Up
.jpg)
Sunday night was the season finale of Hollywood Exes and it definitely wasn't one to miss! Picking up from last week, Nicole takes her mom Ellen out for drinks with Mayte and Jessica for a night of fun. Jessica asks how Shamicka's party went, and, of course, the "hood rat" thing is brought up. Jessica automatically goes off because Sheree was the only one who knew about and said that she wasn't going to say anything. Jessica explains herself, saying basically that she didn't mean it in a mean way. Now, she's mad at Sheree, which I can understand. Of course, Shamicka plans to talk to Jessica, but Jessica feels betrayed by Sheree. All in all thought, this is a whole bunch of unnecessary drama right before Vegas for Nicole's bachelorette party!The next day, Mayte and Nelly prep for the final hearing for Gia's adoption. They're all dressed up and a little nervous, obviously, because they see Gia as theirs now! Even though there's a lot of traffice (which only heighten Mayte's stress), they get to court for the hearing. Though the cameras aren't allowed in, the ladies come out afterwards and it's official! Gia Janelle Garcia is Mayte's daughter forever! Mayte is a mom and I'm so happy for her! She's wanted to be a mom for so long after suffering the loss of her baby years ago. Gia is definitely in great hands!
Later, Shamicka and Sheree go get their nails done before Vegas. Shamicka is nervous to go on the trip because of the Jessica situation. She doesn't know how she's going to address it, but it will definitely be addressed. Sheree tells her to just watch the approach and not be condescending. Sheree hasn't seen or talked to Jessica since their dinner, so she doesn't know what to expect either.
The next scene shows Nicole, Mayte, Andrea, and Jessica making it to the Palms Casino in Vegas!!! Shamicka and Sheree plan to come on another flight later. The ladies are showed to their suite, which is absolutely amazing! Jessica really did it up for them! While they talk, eat and drink, Jessica admits that she's not all too thrilled about Shamicka and Sheree coming because of the whole "hood rat" thing. The ladies break it down to her, that black women don't want to be called hood rats. In Jessica's mind, strippers on a pole are hood rats, which is what she jokingly thought of seeing Shamicka on the pole.. Mayte calls Jessica out in a second, saying that she's contradicting herself because she did Playboy back in 2005. Some people think that that's degrading like Jessica thinks of stripping. Jessica reacts badly and starts crying because of it!
It was clear in that moment that something else is going on with Jessica. She reveals the stress she's going through in dealing with Josie. In fact, Josie's ski trip fell through right at the last minute before Jessica got on the plane to Vegas. Josie is supposed to go stay with her friend, but Jessica is unsure if she will really go. Jessica calls her, and the girl is still at home! From that conversation on the phone (which Jessica had on speaker), Josie needs her behind whupped! She talks to Jessica any old kind of way, and even hangs up on her. The ladies all tell Jessica that she needs to go crazy on that little girl one good time, which I agree with! Jessica ALLOWS Josie to stress her, when she needs to be a parent and put Josie in her place.
Right in the heat of everything, Shamicka and Sheree walk in. Jessica walks away in seeing them, because the last thing she wants to do is deal with them. However, she pulls them aside after she calms down a little bit. They talk about Jessica calling Shamicka a hood rat, and Shamicka explains why it's so offensive. She apologizes, but admits that she's upset at Sheree for telling Shamicka when she said she wouldn't. Sheree apologizes, but she did want to buffer the situation before someone else told her. It's good that they are able to get through it, and hopefully now they'll be able to enjoy the trip!
The ladies then go gambling, but Jessica is still out of it because of Josie. Josie did go to her friend's house. Nicole tells Jessica that she needs to have a good heart to heart with Josie when she gets back home. Now that Jessica is a little bit more relaxed, the ladies can have a good time! They sit down and have some drinks later, where Mayte shares that the adoption's final! Sheree also reveals that she went to her son Trey's gig, and her ex Will Smith was there. However, they were able to talk and laugh with no problems! Andrea doesn't think that she'll ever have a good relationship like that with her ex, but she needs to figure out how to keep going. She admits in a confessional that she thinks that it's best for her to be in Chicago with her babies right now. They all get emotional at the table for a second, but they find a way to laugh through it.
That night, the ladies go to the club. All of a sudden, Jessica starts yelling at Mayte, as they're walking in! I don't know if Jessica was drunk or what, but she went off! She tells Mayte not to compare her to a stripper ever again, which Mayte denies (though, in a sense, she did). It hurt Jessica's feelings, but Mayte calls her crazy and tells her that she's naked all the time anyway! Jessica basically says their friendship is done and walks off. It was terrible, because Nicole is trying to have a good time at her bachelorette party, and Jessica is being really dramatic. Even if you had a problem with Mayte, you could've brought that up AFTER the trip. Nicole tells Mayte and the other ladies to have a good time regardless. Minutes later, Jessica texts Mayte to come upstairs to talk, and she promptly says no. Andrea tells her to just let it go, and even takes her phone from her. Meanwhile Jessica pouts in the room, saying in her confessional that she doesn't know who her friends are anymore. The Vegas trip turned into a mess, but the ladies still toast to Nicole at the end of the episode. It ends on a higher note as the girls party and laugh, celebrating Nicole's pending nuptials! It still sucked that Vegas ended the way it did, though.
I honestly never know if this show is going to be renewed for a new season. What I love most about it is that it offers humor with a side of drama. Through everything, what separates Hollywood Exes from some of the other reality shows feature women cast is that they always seem to work through their issues. It's for that same reason though that I always worry that the show won't be renewed. People love drama, and a lot of it. I'm not sure if Hollywood Exes will be coming back for a third season just yet, but I definitely hope they do!
Image via VH1
Later, all of the girls except for Nicole go to a pole dancing class for Andrea's birthday! Nicole couldn't make it because she had to meet with her lawyers to discuss her prenup. Jessica shows up a little later, even though she's not a big fan of pole dancing. The instructor teaches them some sexy moves that they can maybe use another time, and the girls have fun trying. Shortly after she leaves the ladies to their fun, and Andrea shows them some more moves, and everyone takes a turn. Jessica ends up calling Shamicka a "hood rat" as she's on the pole. Sheree seems to be the only one who really heard it though. Though it wasn't meant in a bad way, Jessica definitely needs to know that that's not something you say about anybody, let alone a black woman!
The next day, Sheree and Jessica have dinner and talk about the party. Sheree asked Jessica if she remembered what she said about Shamicka. Jessica didn't even realize how offensive that was. Sheree thinks that she's the only one who heard it, but tells Jessica that she doesn't plan to say anything.
Later in the episode, Mayte and Jessica go to Mayte's breast operation. Mayte's definitely afraid of the pain but goes through it anyway. Once she gets some drugs in her, she quickly calms down. The surgery goes really well, Garth tells Jessica. Jessica then decides that that's the perfect time to try to confess her feelings for Garth. She tells him that he looks happy and asks if he's going to get married again. He says that's personal, but she thinks they should talk later. However, she gets the sense that he's moved on and she needs to make a dignified retreat. Later, Mayte asks what they talked about, and Jessica admits that the conversation was very awkward. She thinks it was truly closure and she needed that. I've been saying that Jessica needs to focus on herself and Josie for a while, so hopefully she does. Love will come in time.
Meanwhile, Sheree and Andrea go out looking for possible boutique locations for Sheree. She has been running her boutique basically out of her house, and definitely needs a new place. They find the perfect spot for Sheree Elizabeth, and Sheree jots down the info to call later. In the car, she opens her big mouth and tells Drea that Jessica called Shamicka a hood rat. Jessica probably should've known not to say that but, then again, she might not have. Andrea jokes about developing a book of things that white women don't say to black women. After the convo, Sheree thinks that she should tell Shamicka rather than her hearing it from any of the other ladies.
Later, Jessica invites the girls over to her house because she has something to tell them. No one knows if it's good or bad, so they're all a little on edge. They do a toast and Jessica reveals that she wants to throw Nicole a bachelorette party in VEGAS, just in case Nicole decides to elope! Lucky! That will be so much fun for the ladies to have a wild weekend out on the town!
At the end of the episode, Shamicka hosts a girls' night, inviting her new friends, as well as friends from back in the day. Drea and Sheree arrive early to help her set up, and asks if Shamicka happened to hear any observation from Jessica while she was on the pole. When she says no, they try to pull away from the conversation, but, of course, Shamicka wants to know now! Sheree tells her that Jessica called her a "hood rat," but that she didn't say it in a mean way. Shamicka gets annoyed at the "That's just Jessica" train that everyone seems to be on. The news quickly spreads to the rest of the ladies. Lucky for Jessica, she can't make it because she had to take to Josie to a modeling agency, because she probably wouldn't have been torn apart with all of those ladies coming.
Many of Shamicka's friends eventually come through which makes her so happy. It's nice that Shamicka has those down to earth friends that have been there for her. Nicole says that Jessica is missing out even though she called Shamicka a hood rat! It got real quiet outside, with the ladies having to try to explain it to Shamicka's friends. Shamicka says that Jessica doesn't have any boundaries, and this whole hood rat debate continues without Jessica being able to defend herself. Shamicka definitely plans to have a conversation with Jessica about this. Here's my thing. Yes, Jessica was in the wrong for what she said. However, Sheree, my issue with you is that you said that you weren't going to say anything at all. If you were going to go back on that promise, then you could've picked a better time to do it. Not at a party with a bunch of Shamicka's friends around! Two, to sit and have a debate about it with everyone while Jessica wasn't there, wasn't fair to her.
The next day, Mayte's dad comes in to help with Gia while she recovers from her operation. Mayte has bruising and knows that she has to be careful. While in bed, she gets an email to submit her request for a court date, but it might take several weeks to put the case on the calendar and then the actual date may be weeks from then. Mayte sees herself as Gia's mother and couldn't stand to lose her! Hopefully, she won't, because that would be very saddening to watch.
The season finale of Hollywood Exes was last night, and I'll be posting the recap in a bit! Definitely a lot of drama so stay tuned!
Image via VH1
Naya's rep confirmed the news to Us Weekly. The couple walked the red carpet at Latina Magazine's Hollywood Hot List party at the Redbury Hotel in Hollywood and the Glee star was rocking a very nice engagement ring on her finger!
Check out the ring below!
Naya was wearing a beautiful outfit from Giorgio Armani, but stayed quiet about her engagement even though she was wearing the ring! However, she loved talking about Sean. When asked what she loved most about him, the actress said, "Everything! He's my best friend." Aww how cute!
Though this engagement is a pretty quick one, I wish Naya and Sean the best. I think they are a very cute couple. And Sean, that ring? INCREDIBLE. Congrats guys!
Images via Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com J
The next morning, T.J. introduces the next day's challenge. Today they are at “Nightmare Island” (Dream Island has been converted to what is sure to be a nightmare for the teams!). T.J. lays out the course for them. They are five checkpoints throughout the island, and the teams will collect an island at each one. When you finish one checkpoint, you have to race back to the starting point to deposit your idol and move on to the next one. In the end, the first guy and girl teams to finish will retrieve a golden elephant which they have to bring back to T.J. to get their check!
Of course, they start with a swim (yay for Cara!). As the teams reach the first checkpoint, it turns out that, for every checkpoint, someone has to open a door or passage to get to the checkpoint itself. The team that’s in the lead at the time will have to open that door, which could take more energy out of them even though they’re winning. To get to the first obstacle, the teams have to get through a bunch of bamboo sticks to reach the checkpoint. That individual challenge is a puzzle which the teams have jump a bamboo stick over another until there is only one left (it's that annoying but addicting little game at Cracker Barrel). Surprisingly, CT and Wes, as well as Cara and Cooke are the first teams to finish, leaving the others behind! Frank and Johnny struggle along with Paula and Emily, but eventually get to the next checkpoint.
In What's Mine Is Yours, the teams have to use the Pythagorean Theorem to figure out the X and cut the correct color of rope that holds the answer. If a team's first answer isn't correct, they have to cut all of the ropes to get their idol. CT and Wes guess correctly, and Cara and Cooke look over at theirs to figure out their answer. Though they are late in getting there, Emily gets the answer right for her and Paula, as well as Johnny and Frank, and they move on.
What's a final challenge without a Food Test?! Though CT and Wes, as well as Cara and Cooke are ahead at this point, this could be the checkpoint that makes or breaks teams! The teams have to eat all of the food given in numerical order and they have a wonderful buffet, including chilies, crickets, maggots, and pickled fish soup. It's painful and sickening to watch, because, of course, the vomiting quickly starts. However, Paula and Emily fight through it, chugging it all down, while Cara is just sick to her stomach. Emily and Paula take the lead with this challenge, and CT and Wes move on first as well. The fourth checkpoint, Body Issues, the teams have to move 20 body bags to the opposite side of the enclosure and follow additional instructions. Even though Paula and Emily have a lead, it's small, and Paula is starting to freak out. However when Cara and Cooke get there, that lights a fire under Paula! Cara of course, is the weak link for her and Cooke and it shows. They are out in the burning heat, and she struggles to carry the body bags. Wes himself gets tired from the heat as well, but they pull through to the end.
Tunnel Vision is the very last checkpoint! The teams have to open the gate with a crank then dig a tunnel under a cage to retrieve their last idol. Then we see that there is a trapdoor to get through they have to crawl under and get the idol. It's truly a game of who wants it more. Wes and CT are exhausted but they finish with a significant lead over Frank and Johnny. They grab the golden elephant on the beach, and kayak back to the yacht where T.J. is waiting to give the winners their checks! CT and Wes sound their alarm announcing that they finished, which signals to Frank and Johnny that they took second, splitting $35,000. They head back to the beach to see CT and Wes rowing in their kayak to CT. It kinda sucks because I love Johnny and wanted him to get his threepeat, but CT and Wes did deserve a win after all this time. CT himself has put in a lot of work (9 Challenges and 5 Finals without a win), so he deserved to get a win at some point, so I wasn't too upset. CT and Wes get to T.J. and get their check for $125,000, winning for the boys! Cooke and Cara were still stuck at Body Issues and don't quit, but it's clear that they wouldn't be winning this. I respect their determination though. They came into this game as the complete underdogs, acting as the scapegoats for basically the entire Challenge, and managed to win second place with $35,000. Not bad! Emily and Paula were able to get to the beach first to get their golden elephant, and row to the yacht for their check, winning $125,000 for the girls!
I definitely enjoyed this season of The Challenge (one of the best ones yet!). It was lots of drama, but still very fun and entertaining to watch. The Challenges were definitely interesting and difficult for the teams. Plus they all had to deal with people they didn't really like so kudos to them all for being able to deal! Can't wait to see what MTV has in store for the next season!
Images via MTV
Images via MTV
