I haven't done a real music review in a really long time! I figure the amount of music that comes out and that I get through email, I should do that more often. Therefore, I'm starting back up again with an album that I personally have been waiting a while for--Ariana Grande's My Everything!

Released August 25, 2014, My Everything is Ariana's sophomore album, and she doesn't disappoint! Her first album, Yours Truly, was a good introduction, and a lot of great pop songs and even a few 50s doo-wop tracks, that really showcased Ariana's talent as a singer. However, it's clear with My Everything, Ariana has grown up and really taken the reins on her musical choices

Read my review of Ariana's new album below!

"I'll give you all I have, and nothing less I promise..." My Everything starts out with a beautiful, melodic Intro from Ariana to her listenerss, promising that if they go along with her for the ride, she's going to give them her everything!

"Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulders..." "Problem" was Ariana's first official single, featuring rapper Iggy Azalea, and the track has literally taken over the summer. And for good reason. The catchy hook and upbeat tempo, along with its feminist approach  ("I got one less problem without you boy!") made it perfect for listeners, specifically females, to connect to! Ariana and Iggy speak on how they finally learned their lesson with ex loves and let them go, and now they ain't go no worries, no problems!

"And I know, and I know, and I know that you got everything...but I got nothing here without you." We begin to see Ariana's growth and experimentation with the electronic track "One Last Time." As she sings about getting one last chance with her ex, the track will have you dancing and possibly in your feelings at the same time.

"You and I redefine being love sick, love sick, love sick...through it all you could still make my heart skip, heart skip." As I listened to "Why Try" reminds me of a lighter, friendlier version of Eminem & Rihanna's "I Love The Way You Lie," with the same concept: an unhealthy relationship that you can't bear to leave, because through everything, the love is still there.

"I only want to die alive, never by the hands of a broken heart. I don't wanna hear you lie tonight now that I've become who I really am." Ariana continues to break away from her standard pop and R&B roots with "Break Free." The official second single of the album, which features work from Russian-German producer Zedd, is all electropop, EDM music. It's not my favorite on the album, but sometimes it takes me a while to warm up to a song. It's perfect for the club, though!

"Break up, make up, total waste of time....Can we please make up our minds? And stop acting like we’re blind? "Best Mistake" featuring rapper and Ariana's supposed new boyfriend Big Sean is easily one of the best tracks on the record. The third official sing features Ariana's smooth vocals lamenting over her current situation with her man. Clearly, they're drifting away from each other, but still love each other, and really need to come to a decision with what they want to do with their relationship. To be honest, part of me would rather hear the song without Sean's verse, but after repeating it enough times, I love the song so much that I just go with the flow.

"If you know how to be my lover, maybe you can be my baby. Hold me close under the covers...kiss me boy and drive me crazy." The mid-tempo, fun track "Be My Baby" featuring Cashmere Cat is the track that reminds me very much of Mariah Carey (the comparisons will always be there!). It's about looking for that special someone. If you know how to treat me right, then you can be the one for m e. I can see the teenyboppers singing this to the top of their lungs at her concert!

"You said I was your best, would be your last. Now he's gone, you're alone, don't want you back.""Break Your Heart Right Back" takes an interesting turn on the album. While in love with her boyfriend, Ariana sings of finding out that her boyfriend wanted someone else....another guy! However, the other guy ended up leaving him, and Ariana refuses to take him back, for good reason! She wants him to feel exactly how she felt when he left her. The track, featuring Childish Gambino, samples "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross...pretty appropriate I guess!

"So what if I can't figure it out? (You got to try, try, try again) So what if I can't figure it out? (I'm gonna leave, leave, leave)." The next track, "Love Me Harder" with The Weeknd, is probably one of my favorites on the album. Ariana and Weeknd sing of a typical relationship problem: one party isn't giving enough in the relationship, and the other  I've never heard The Weeknd on this upbeat a track (it's mid-tempo, but I'm used to slow ballads from him). Their voices together are so great on this track!

"Just a little bit of your heart is all I'm asking for..." On the power ballad of the album, "Just a Little Bit Of Your Heart," Ariana sings emotionally about knowing that she's not the only one that her man spends time with, but she would rather have a little love than none at all. It's not necessarily my situation, but I still liked the song.

"Eyes on me, dance on me tonight...You're all, all on me. Keep your hands on me.." "Hands on Me" featuring ASAP Ferg is an upbeat track that you could play in the club or before you get ready, but very basic. The entire song is "Put your hands on it, put your hands on it," quite literally....that's the hook. For me, it's a miss, but I might warm up to it later.

"You were my everything 'til we were nothing. And it’s taken me a lot to say...Now that you’re gone, my heart is missing something..."The album ends beautifully with "My Everything," an emotional ballad that reflects Ariana's regret in a failed relationship. She still wants her ex, and she feels empty without him. My only wish is that the song was a little bit longer! It was an emotional way to end the standard album, but I loved it!

Bonus tracks on the deluxe version that I have are "Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, which is a SMASH HIT, and currently one of my favorite songs to drive and work out to! The deluxe version also includes "Only 1" and "You Don't Know Me," both two great tracks!

I really love this album! Yours Truly did a great job of introducing Ariana outside of her Nickelodeon roots, and as a viable singer. However, with My Everything, Ariana has shown just how much she has grown in the past year. Many still see her as a little girl, but she is 21! She's a really, really cute 21 year old, but a 21 year old none the less. She explored more mature themes with this album, and developed a really great album, which has gone #1 in 80 countries! 

★★★★ 1/2 (Four and a half stars) 

Go pick up your copy of My Everything now! 

7:26:00 AM

Last night was the MTV Video Music Awards, and I quite enjoyed myself watching! With high energy performances on deck, the night was definitely one to look forward to. Of course, it started with the Pre-Show with  Sway and other MTV correspondents interviewing the hottest celebs on the red carpet including Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, and more!

Ariana Grande opened up the show with "Break Free," which is still growing on me. Nicki Minaj then hit the stage with a short performance of her newest single "Anaconda," which I have to admit is my guilty pleasure song, especially when I'm working out and hitting my squats! The ladies then came came together with Jessie J for "Bang Bang!" Nicki had a dress malfunction with the quick change she had to do to get ready for her part of the song, but she managed to hold it together so she didn't flash anybody, thank goodness! Overall, the performance was great, and was an awesome way to open the show.

Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg presented Best Female Music Video to Katy Perry for "Dark Horse" featuring Juicy J. I can't say I ever really watched the video, so I can't really say whether she deserved it or not. From the clips I've seen, it looked really detailed, though. Taylor Swift then hit the stage with "Shake It Off." I don't really like this song by her, but she still gave her all. The most memorable part of the performance though was Taylor throwing a little jab at Nicki Minaj's dancer getting bit by an anaconda, when Taylor refused to jump off the stage into her dancers' arms, and potentially injuring herself. It was funny. Afterwards, Ed Sheeran won the Best Male award for "Sing."

Jay Pharaoh did impressions throughout the night, that I was really not feeling. He wasn't all that funny to me, and it seemed like MTV was making him an interim host, without actually giving him full hosting duties. Someone I follow on Twitter said it best: either have a host or don't have one at all.

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels presented the video for Best Pop Video to Ariana Grande for her smash hit, "Problem," with Iggy Azalea! I absolutely love Ariana, so I was very happy for her. Aftewards, Artist to Watch nominee Sam Smith performed his hit "Stay With Me." I had heard the song before, which is absolutely beautiful, and his voice is incredible. In fact, I was so in awe by his live performance, I went and bought his album on iTunes during the commercial break (IT'S AWESOME!).

Common had a moment of silence for Michael Brown and the city of Ferguson, Missouri, before presenting Best Hip Hop Video to Drake for "Hold On, We're Going Home"with Majid Jordan. Uzo Adoba, Taylor Schilling and Laverne Cox from Orange Is The New Black presented Usher who performed "She Came To Give It To You," featuring Nicki Minaj. It's not my favorite song by him, but Usher still killed the stage! His moves were flawless and his performance was explosive!

Nina Dobrev and Trey Songz presented the Best Rock Video to Lorde for "Royals," which I wasn't aware was considered rock. Don't get me wrong, it's a good song. I just don't know if she should've won it.
Chloe Grace Moretz and Dylan O'Brien presented 5 Seconds of Summer who performed their hit "Amnesia." I've seen their name plenty of times before, but never really listened to them before. I definitely liked the song, though.

Jay Pharoah presented the award for Artist to Watch to Fifth Harmony, which I'm convinced was bought by Simon Cowell for publicity. They're nice girls, and I enjoyed them on the X Factor. They actually can sing, but I don't think they deserved this. Then again, this award was one where the fans "voted," so it's basically a popularity contest. Sam Smith honestly should've taken this one, though.

Iggy Azalea then performed "Black Widow," with Rita Ora, which actually did a great job of showcasing Rita's skills as a singer! Her vocals on the hook were great. Overall, I really liked the song and the performance. Demi Lovato and Jason Derulo then presented Maroon 5 who performed "Maps" outside. I don't listen to them regularly, but whenever I see them perform and Adam Levine sing, I love it!
The Video of the Year award then went to Miley Cyrus for "Wrecking Ball," where she allowed a homeless friend to bring to light homelessness in America. It was a very beautiful, selfless moment that I was actually proud of Miley for!

Then came the moment we had all been waiting for....literally! The winner of this year's MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award Beyoncé killed the stage with her setlist with a medley complete of songs from her latest self-titled album, Beyoncé, including "Mine," "Flawless," "Partition," and even "Blue," which she never performed before! It was the perfect performance! The setlist was leaked a while before, but I was still excited and in awe the entire time! Jay-Z and Blue Ivy were there, and presented Bey with the award after her performance! To see Blue herself just in awe of her mommy and congratulating her was a precious moment! The show ended right after that, which was PERFECT. That's the way it needed to end!

Overall, a great show. The performances, of course, are always the best part. MTV got a few of these awards wrong, but I didn't care. I was so ready for Bey nothing else really phased me! I enjoyed watching.

What was your favorite moment of the VMAs?

8:52:00 AM

The official video for "Bang Bang," by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj just premiered online moments ago, and it is HOT! It's perfect too because they are opening the MTV Video Music Awards! The video has three different segment separately with each of the ladies, and then they come together for a great dance party on the rooftop!

This has definitely been my song for the latter part of the summer, and I'm loving the video as well! It's a lot of dancing, high energy, and smiles from all three of the ladies, and they all look gorgeous!

Check out the video below!

5:48:00 PM

Last night was the premiere of K. Michelle's Rebellious Soul Musical on VH1.
I'll be honest. When I first heard about this, I didn't know what to think. I think that K. Michelle is a talented artist, but Rebellious Soul, to me, still left a lot to be desired. It was a cool album, and did have several good tracks, but overall left me a bit disappointed. Hearing that Idris Elba was directing the special gave it a little more credibility, but I had my doubts.




I was truly hoping that this musical would help me to connect with this album more, but, unfortunately, it didn't. K's journey starts out with her stripping and getting picked up by a guy who takes her out of the club, and she falls in love. He's never home, and she ends up finding out that he's cheating...with one of her friends. K. turns out to be pregnant, and then has a discussion with her mom about how all of this is the fault of her mom's ex who raped her. All of this drama culminates in suicide. As quick as it started, that's as quick as it was over! 

It's different strokes for different folks, but there were a LOT of holes in this musical. There wasn't enough actual acting and dialogue to truly explore what K Michelle's character was going though. It was a decent concept, but this special merely scratched the surface Maybe that's a little too deep, but I think that if you were going to do a "musical," this needed to be better planned. There should've been a clearer story line, not just mostly music, and then the conclusion may have made more sense.

I'll be real, though. I CANNOT KNOCK K. MICHELLE'S HUSTLE! Out of all of these reality TV girls, especially the ones with alleged singing or fashion aspirations, she has been one of the most successful. She's been featured on both Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop: New York, AND has her own reality show on the way. I want her to win. I liked her before these shows. I really do believe in her and her talent. However, I think that she needs better material that matches her skills. I hope she delivers more in the future, and continues to rise.

RATING: ★★☆☆☆

Image via MTV

11:34:00 AM

Mariah Carey’s last album, Mariah: The Elusive Chanteuse, did not do that well, but she is still going to promote it on tour this fall! The singer has announced some dates, all taking place overseas so far, for the Mariah: The Elusive Chanteuse Tour

The tour will kick off in Tokyo, Japan and making stops in China, Malaysia and The Philippines. “I want to experience the spontaneity and emotion that I put into this album on stage with my fans,” she said in a statement, according to Kempire Daily. “I can’t stop writing songs so don’t be surprised if you hear a brand new song that I just wrote the night before the show in your city!” Tickets are on sale now on Mariah's official website. No word yet if she's coming to the States.

I'll admit that I probably won't be going to this tour (I unfortunately missed seeing Mariah in her prime). To me, though, I think she should do performances over in Vegas like Celine Dion or Britney Spears. She would be guaranteed to make some serious bank on the Strip! At the end of the day, no matter her sales or performances as of 2014, she is LEGEND, and will always be able to use that status to make serious bank. I wish her well with her performances.

Image via Kempire Daily

7:06:00 AM

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Krista Gonzales, known professionally as Graph Gonzales, became interested in music as a teenager, listening to hip hop and eventually recorded herself for fun. “It was probably what I spent most of my time doing as an individual, writing verses and recording them,” Graph said. “It was kind of a natural thing that happened.” The city of Toronto, Graph noted, has a very eclectic sound that she’s really inspired by, including great alternative and avant-garde rock music that influenced her sound a bit.

As a teen, she had a little nickname that a friend gave her—“Graph,” because her voice was “thin and airy, like spray pain coming out of a can,” she joked. However, that’s what she eventually went by professionally, adding on her last name Gonzales, after a suggestion by Pharrell Williams later on in life. Graph began working with various groups in Toronto and New York, building up experience by consistently working in the studio. Through hard work, she has collaborated with Pharrell and Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, Talib Kweli, Clipse, and more, just to name a few.
Now Graph has branched off on her own, developing her own music, which blends pop, rock, and rap. Her most recent track is the hot and bold “Heartbreaker!” The song was inspired by fellow Canadian artist Feist’s “I Feel It All, which has a line that Graph herself really connected to—“I’ll be the one to break my heart / I’ll be the one to hold the gun.” “That became a model for me in my life when I heard that song and that lyric,” she said. “That’s the way I want to live. That’s the way I want to love. I’ll be the one to break my heart. No one else.” The song, while still fun and upbeat, is also very bold and comes from a feministic approach, purposely done by Graph. Many times a “heartbreaker,” is seen as being a guy hurting a girl, but she wanted to do it from a female perspective. Check out the video for the song below!

Just from speaking with her, I see Graph truly has a strong vision for her music and career, and has a bright future ahead of her. Currently, she’s in the studio, constantly working on music, though keeping her plans on the low for now. I’m excited to see what new projects she brings to the table!

You can check out more of her music on SoundCloud and YouTube, and connect with her on Twitter and Instagram!

6:35:00 AM

Last night, I had the opportunity to go to a launch of a new lifestyle brand, Purity With Style! Created by Danielle Stradford (who happens to be my little sister's best friend's sister...that made sense right?), the brand, obviously by the title, encourages purity and abstinence, as Danielle is a Christian and has rededicated herself to remaining pure. The brand goes beyond "preaching" abstinence as some may think, but focuses on purity as a true lifestyle, branching out into all areas from relationships to fitness and health to fashion!

After talking more with her, I found out that Danielle grew up in a Christian home, and her parents were abstinent until they were married. Danielle, however, decided to set her own rules in life and at 17, gave up on purity. At age 24, she decided to rededicated herself to God and the lifestyle she now promotes. "I really noticed that I wanted to make some positive changes in my life," she said. "I knew that I had to make some drastic changes from the lifestyle that I had been leading." Danielle came up with the idea of Purity With Style about two and a half years ago. What started out as a book club with a few of her friends about positivity and purity has grown into a real movement that has branched out to girls and guys dedicated to not only being pure, but maintaining positivity in their lives.



Stressing that purity can be bold, sexy, chic, and trendsetting, Danielle truly believes in the vision of her brand, and that the lifestyle covers everything beyond just the physical. "Purity is a lifestyle that doesn't just impact your sex life," Danielle noted at the launch. "It impacts every single area [of your life], and it can really transform your life into something great." It instills the importance of individuality, yet still focusing on maintaining your standards and values. "We're really excited to bring all different types of people, all different types of cultures, and just to really change the world with this thing!" Danielle said.

The launch party was held at The Loft in NW Washington D.C., right across from the Verizon Center! It was a great space, not too big or too small. Really intimate, and perfect for the party! Complete with showcases from other vendors, gift bags for guests, giveaways, mocktails, cupcakes from scratch from Cupcake Lovin' (Danielle's own sister Danae's small business!) and a fashion show, this party was so much fun! It was great to mingle, and connect with some other folks in media, as well as inspirational speakers, make up artists, and just some really nice folks supporting Danielle and her brand!


Purity With Style also has a really hot t-shirt line, which Danielle and her team promoted at the party as models (including my sister Alexis!) strutted into the party looking gorgeous and so confident! The products PWS offers will officially be available when the brand's website launches in about two weeks on September 1, so be on the lookout!

Check out more from Danielle and Purity With Style on their official website, which again, is being rebuilt to launch September 1, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

7:14:00 PM

"Who's to say that we can't change, and give one love, one love to everyone?" -Elle Varner, "One Love"

Elle Varner has released a new song, paying tribute to slain teen Michael Brown, whose tragic and unnecessary death by the hands of a cop in Ferguson, MO, has sparked controversy, outrage, and protests all over the nation. Elle said of the tragedy:

“Over the past few tumultuous days I have prayed long and hard for Mike Brown’s family, the people of Ferguson, and the families of many others we have lost due this horrific death pattern. With persistence, strategy, and intellect, we can not only obtain justice for Mike Brown but we can effectuate changes that will prevent these things from happening again!”

Check out her song "One Love" below!





Elle's distinctive, soulful vocals and insightful lyrics really shine through on this song! I love when people use their gifts to express themselves in a positive way in a time like this. The song highlights issues that go on all the time. I hope you all take a second to really listen!

10:15:00 AM

More spotlights to come as we end the summer (is it me or has Summer 2014 FLOWN by?)! Today on The Spotlight, we have Villainettes, hailing from Melbourne, Australia (one of my favorite places in the world, for good reason! Check out my somewhat embarrassing yet fun blog on my experience a few years back).

The band recently came together in 2013, said to be born “amidst the ashes of three totally diverse bands.” Through friendships and professional connections, Villainettes were born! Vocalist and guitarist Michael Lindquist had begun to write, focused on some of his own personal life events, which helped to shape the band and their sound.



Michael soon partnered with friend and guitarist, Jonathan Reisacher, to develop and record a few demo at Red Door Sounds, with producer and friend Paul “Woody” Annison, where the first EP was recorded. The line up was completed after Francis White joined the band on drums (Michael and Francis had played together previously), and Joshua Dawes joined on bass (Michael had met Joshua at the studio while Joshua was recording with another band). “The desire to want to play together came from not so much like minded tastes in music but in likeminded minds in wanting to achieve a collaborative distinct sound we are all proud of,” the band said in our interview.

The Villainettes’ sound has been described as “dark, erotic pop,” somewhat strange and gloomy, but yet still full of life and liveliness. Overall, these members have managed to come together and create a sound for themselves that works for them. Hailing from Melbourne, the band definitely is in the midst of a heavy musical culture. “The music scene here is very diverse, but holds quiet true to a very European influence,” they said.

Currently, the band is putting their finishing touches on their self-titled EP, which is set to be released in full later this year. Some of the music is available now on SoundCloud and Spotify, so be sure to check that out! You can also watch their music video for acclaimed track, “Diamonds,” directed by Bianca Miliani, below!



In addition to their EP, the band is consistently writing and recording new music to build a debut album, as well as touring throughout Australia, with plans to hit the States towards the end of the year! In the future, the Villainettes hope to “be bigger than the Beatles,” but, most importantly, to have their music hit a global scale, while still maintaining creative control and artistic integrity.

You can get more info about the Villainettes on their official website, as well as connect with them on Facebook and Twitter!

7:40:00 AM

"Of course, sometimes sh*t go down when there's a billion dollars on an elevator!"-Beyoncé 

There's been talk about a "Flawless" remix for about a week now, with Beyoncé teaming up with Nicki Minaj for a collab. Of course, I was excited because "Flawless" is definitely a huge hit Looks like it's finally here!

I'll be honest. I had my doubts about Bey doing a song with Nicki. I like Nicki pretty all right, but I was just a tiny bit nervous. With Nicki sometimes, her verses can be hit or miss. Mostly hits, but there's been some pretty big misses. However, Nicki definitely brought her A game with her verse. Bey adds on to her original verse, briefly addressing the infamous elevator incident between her sister Solange and husband Jay-Z, and clearly stands confident in her skills. Listen to the hot track below!


What do you think of this "Flawless" remix?

10:06:00 PM

"I love when a movie explains the WHY of someone."-Viola Davis on Get On Up

I just got back a few hours ago from seeing Get On Up, the story of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. I heard that this movie was in production a long while ago, and have been excited every since, watching interviews, sneak peeks and trailers as often as I could.
I saw it at 9:30 in the morning, because I really do hate opening weekend crowds, so I try to go when it'll be less crowded and less crazy. The movie theater was still pretty full, but quiet and still thank God, as we all watched and were mesmerized as Mr. Brown's life shined across the screen, thanks to Chadwick Boseman.

I LOVE Chad, and have for quite some time, even before 42 (the Jackie Robinson Story) came out. It hit me when I finally got the chance to see it that I had seen him before... in Lincoln Heights, which was big on ABC Family from 2007-2009. Even then, as he played a soldier suffering from PTSD who was also the son of the main character towards the end, I noticed his talent...and his good looks, of course (*smiles*)! But mostly his talent, I promise!


Chad's done other films and shows, but I guarantee that 42 and Get On Up will be two of his most talked about works for the rest of his career, and I'll tell you why. In both films, he truly became the people he played. In Get On Up, you can tell that he worked his tail off to truly embody who Mr. Brown was to music and to the world, from his feel-good funk music, his legendary dance moves and stage presence, to his childhood demons that almost broke him down for good. From age 17 to age 60, Chad didn't just play James Brown, he BECAME James Brown, and that's what made this movie so good and interesting to watch.

The film mostly is told in order, but, at certain moments, has flashbacks to Mr. Brown's childhood that explains not only how he was influenced by music and came to create his own musical style, but also explains why he struggled with his relationships with others as he got older. For example, and I'll try not to tell too much, Mr. Brown seems to have felt like, regardless of who was around, he was still on his own, even with his close friendship with singer Bobby Byrd (played by Nelsan Ellis, who is a great actor as well). This stems from both his mother (played by Viola Davis) and father essentially abandoning him, leaving him to fend for himself with his Aunt Honey (Octavia Spencer) and make it to where he wants to be. Aunt Honey encourages him, telling him that, in spite of his mama being a "no account fool," and his daddy too, God told her that one day, EVERYBODY was going to know his name. I believed that truly pushed him to want better for himself in the long run, and look where he made it to!

The film, directed by Tate Daniels, did a great job of creating a well rounded film, showcasing a little bit of everything within this man's history from his small start in music down in Augusta, Georgia, his rise to fame with the Famous Flames, takeover as "Mr. Dynamite," and "Soul Brother No. 1," but also his downfalls, like his eventual financial issues, the death of his son Teddy in a car accident, as well as his later drug abuse, infamous car chase, and jail sentence. Chad also breaks the fourth wall a good deal through the film, speaking to or looking directly at the movie audience at times, which can sometimes work really well or really terribly. In this instance, to me, it made me feel even more connected.

Many will nitpick that the movie didn't go into detail about James Brown's drug use, and, I'll admit, part of me wanted to see exactly how it was that he came to turn around and overcome his demons in full. However, with a story like this, where you have years and years of history to get through, everything can't be laid out like you may want. I think that Tate Daniels, the writers, and editors did a great job fitting the gist of this great artist's story into two hours and 18 minutes.

This definitely had a star-studded cast, with Viola, Nelsan, and Octavia (who, by the way, acted together in The Help, which was also directed by Tate), and also included Dan Aykroyd, Jill Scott, Tika Sumpter, Craig Robinson, and more. Of course, Chad stood out on his own, and is truly making a name for himself in Hollywood. I truly believe that he will do great things come award season. I'm pretty sure he will be nominated for an Oscar, or at least he should. Not sure if he'll win, but the nomination is definitely well deserved!

I give this film ★★★★☆(four out of five stars).

Be sure to see Get On Up in theaters NOW!

11:36:00 AM

Singer Ne-Yo has apparently taken legal action against former manager and friend Kevin Foster for a total of $8 million, according to NY Daily News.

Papers were filed in Manhattan Federal Court, with Ne-Yo (whose legal name is Shaffer Smith) stating that he met Foster back in 2005, and Kevin convinced him to let the accounting firm that Foster was working for at the time handle his “business management and accounting needs.” Foster's job was to manage the singer’s bank accounts, and "ensure Smith was financially situated as to maintain his accustomed lifestyle for the remainder of his life, protect Smith from financial ruin, and mitigate risk of frivolous spending."







Foster eventually left to start his own company, and Ne-Yo went along with him, letting Foster handle his business affairs and finances. However, Foster was said to have moved some of Ne-Yo’s money without his permission. Ne-Yo eventually hired another accounting firm, and those there reportedly "uncovered instances of Foster engaging in self-dealing and inappropriate conduct," which, according to the suit, included forging Ne-Yo's name on loan documents. Foster also reportedly invested major money from Ne-Yo into a water company that was on the verge of bankruptcy (a company that he was the president and CFO over…but Ne-Yo didn’t know that!). The lawsuit seeks $4.5 million, plus $3.5 million for the fees that Ne-Yo paid Foster over the years.

Not that Ne-Yo is in financial ruin, but that is a LOT of money to have lost due to someone else’s fraudulent behavior. I couldn’t deal with being a celebrity and having somebody else manage all my money. I would have to have meetings every month and keep records of everything on my own as well. There’s not too many people you can trust, especially with your money! Here’s hoping that this is an open-and-shut case for Ne-Yo, and he gets the funds he deserves.

Image via Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

8:27:00 AM