LIL MO & HUBBY SEPARATE AGAIN; SINGER NOW ENGAGED TO A GOSPEL SINGER

From Jawn Murray's AOL BlackVoices BV Buzz column: Pint-sized vocal powerhouse Lil' Mo (real name Cynthia Loving) has lived her life like an open book. The singer's on-again, off-again marriage to entrepreneur Al "Gus" Stone has been documented in multiple Sister 2 Sister cover stories, and is the basis for many of her previous hit songs. After announcing this past April that they intended to reconcile, Mo and her husband, whom she met at a Washington, D.C.-area gas station, have officially called it quits, again. "We are officially over! Paperwork and all! It didn't work out and we've been back and forth because we realize we are two good people who made bad decisions and have parted amicably. We have been a part for a while and just never told anyone because that is the one thing we should have kept private but didn't. We realized you can't be together just 'cause your friends say y'all look cute together," she said during her album release dinner last Tuesday at the home of her business partner Russell Webster in Washington.

The singer said she has no regrets about being so public with her whirlwind marriage and sharing personal nuances of her life. "I have nothing to hide," she explained, before adding: "But the only thing about publicity is it that [the magazine stories] never come out when it happens. It's always after the fact. So you may see me and think stuff is cool and be like 'What happened?' I can be at the lowest point in my life, but you won't see it in my face."

Mo and Stone have two daughters together, Heaven, 5, and God'iss, 2.
The Baltimore, Md., resident did admit that her approach to love might be a little carefree. "I get attached too quick and let go just as fast," she confessed. So it's no wonder that Mo is dating and engaged to an aspiring gospel singer named Phillip Bryant. "I'm happy," she beamed. "That is all for now because it is a fresh relationship. I don't want it tainted and I want it as drama-free as possible. I allowed a lot of drama in prior relationships that I gave up on love! I'm still undecided on a lot of things, so we shall see what happens. I totally respect him as a man. I can say I've never been able to be a lady until now... Really I'm in no rush. But why wait? If it works, it works! If it doesn't at least we tried."

A pending marriage isn't the only thing new in the Mo's life. The singer released her junior album, Pain & Paper, on her own label Honeychild Entertainment (in partnership with DrakeWeb Music Group/Koch). "I took it there on this album from top to bottom. I opened up and let go of a lot. It's maturity and it's on my own label," she said about the CD. The project was lead by the single Sumtimes I, featuring Jim Jones. It is a remake of the Shirley Murdock classic, Husband.

The album also has a track called Yougin' that features Da Brat, which some have suggested was inspired by a crush Mo had on singer Omarion. "It's not totally about him," she laughed sheepishly, "but it can be! It's the older woman, younger man syndrome that is the new epidemic. I've seen Omarion from the age of 15 until now. He has grown up! I see him totally different as a man! I consider him my l'il brother so I won't cross that line, but the new thing we say 'round my parts is, "That's that O right there!" He's your younger man for your mature situation and he helped Stella get her groove back, believe that!"