NEW PIC: USHER 'REDUNDANT' RAYMOND COVERS VIBE MAGAZINE'S JULY '08 ISSUE,,,TALKING THE SAME SH!T + NEW PHOTOS & VIDEO FOOTAGE

Look at this dude. He bitch, moan and lie more than any female I know...and that is not a good look. But I digress. Besides, I don't even have the energy this morning to lay his ass out over the shenanigans he pulled this week...and even if I did...Well. Just read what's below and draw your own conclusions. Usher has been no stranger to the rumor mill in the last several years, and the singer is finally opening up about his controversial marriage, fatherhood and his decision to let his mother go as his manager days before Mother's Day 2007 in the July issue of Vibe.

"My mother is an aggressive person. She makes hard decisions, and she caused me to make a hard decision as well," the Grammy winner tells the magazine in its July cover story. But Usher, 29, refuses to characterize the split with Jonnetta Patton after 15 years of managing him as a firing. Instead, he says he paid her "the ultimate compliment – to retire her to be a full-time grandmother. My mother and I decided to change her situation. There was a conversation. I didn't write her a letter or pink slip her." Patton was not in attendance when Usher married former stylist Tameka Foster, 38, last August. "I hurt more than anything over these last two years when I felt my mother didn't really embrace my situation," he admits. (Why he can't say what 'situation' he's referring to? Just say it dude.) Yet the singer says that marriage and the birth of son Usher Raymond V in November have boosted his confidence. "The swagger I possess now definitely comes from my wife," Usher tells Vibe. "And my son completes me. He changes my perspective on what life is, and what matters. … These are the days of my son's life, these first three years. I want to be there. The challenge is having it all."

Below are pics of Usher taking center stage last Tuesday during an appearance on the USS Kearsarge in New York City. The singer signed copies of his album Here I Stand and paid tribute to members of the military, who are docked in the Big Apple for Fleet Week.

CLICK HERE to watch Usher on MTV's TRL as he spazzes out a la Kanye-style at the same old 2 year old rumors regarding him and his relationship with his manwife. Dude can be such a girl sometimes. You can also watch his performance on Good Morning America by clicking HERE.

PICS & VIDEO PERFORMANCE LINK COURTESY OF ERIKA JACKSON, WEBMASTER OF USHERFOREVER.COM

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

SALT 'N PEPA IN TODAY'S BLACK WOMAN MAGAZINE; GROUP DISHES ON THEIR PAST ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS.

The ladies of Salt 'N Pepa are featured in the June 2008 issue. Now, for those of you all who have seen the show, we all know that it basically revolved around the mending of Salt (real name Cheryl Wray) and Pepa's (real name Sandy Denton) once estranged relationship...both personally and professionally. So let's forget about all of that. Something the show really didn't focus much on were the ladies past relationships with the men who were in their lives at the time. Salt, who is now happily married to Gavin Wray with whom she shared two children, had dated their producer Hurby Azor from 1985 to 1991. She told the magazine, 'I was a mess. My situation with Hurby was a mess, and I was in that situation for a really long time. For me, it was also not being schooled on life and men, and what they are saying and how they treat you, trying to figure you out on your own and being very naive. When your self-esteem is low, you will take a lot of stuff from guys because you don't know your worth. So, I've been in similar situations--never physical or blatantly verbal--but it was still mistreatment.'

Of her brief and turbulent marriage (1999-2001) to Naughty by Nature rapper/actor Treach, Pepa says, 'The marriage only lasted for about a year. We were together in a relationship--and there is nothing like a marriage to break up a relationship. It was funny because Treach and I were together for some years, and we had gone through our break-ups and make-ups. But, when we got married, it lasted a year, and we had a divorce, that, like sealed it--that was it, never to return, and that ended that, we shut it down. We realized that we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, and we just realized that we were not good together.' The former couple share a daughter named Egypt.

Are you all as dizzy as I am after reading Pepa's excerpt? I swear I need a Dramamine right about now. In the meantime and in between time, check out a couple of photos from SNP's cover shoot.

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW EDITION TO BE HONORED WITH THE GOLDEN NOTE AWARD AT THIS YEAR'S ASCAP AWARDS SHOW.

First of all, yall are going to have to excuse the picture which was used to illustrate this blog post. It ain't my fault that there aren't enough pictures of all 6 members of New Edition. So just 'imagine' Bobby sitting in between Johnny and Ralph. Back to the issue at hand: New Edition's 25th Anniversary as a group this year just got better. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) are set to honor the group at its 21st Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards next month. The legendary group including Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill will be presented with the prestigious Golden Note Award. The Golden Note, one of ASCAP's most coveted awards is given only to songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. New Edition will join previous honorees including Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Jay Z, LL Cool J and Jermaine Dupri on June 23, 2008 at the invitation only ceremony. Celebrating their 25th anniversary as a group, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill established much of the groundwork for the style of music known as new jack swing.

Commenting on the Golden Note Award honorees, ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman said: "Over the last 25 years, New Edition has experienced success on multiple levels to become true legends. The group has firmly left their mark on today's music, and ASCAP is very proud to honor them."

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP! THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO N.E IS WAAAAAAAAAAAAY OVERDUE. AND IF I'M LYING THEN GRITS AIN'T GROCERIES.

In the early 1980s, New Edition sold more units in the United States than any other teen singing group and their success led to the creation of late-80s and 90s boy bands, such as New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. They have released seven studio albums -- "Candy Girl," "New Edition," "All For Love," "Under the Blue Moon," "Heart Break," "Home Again" and "One Love" -- that spawned several hits, including "Candy Girl," "Popcorn Love," "Cool It Now," "Mr. Telephone Man," "Count Me Out," "A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)," "Earth Angel," "Can You Stand the Rain," "If It Isn't Love," "You're Not My Kind of Girl," "Crucial" and "Hit Me Off." Individually, they have enjoyed successful solo careers and side group projects.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW PICS: DIDDY WITH HIS DARLING DAUGHTERS D'LILAH STAR COMBS & JESSIE JAMES COMBS AT COLDWATER PARK IN LOS ANGELES.

To say Diddy had his hands full while spending quality time with his darling twin daughters, Jessie James Combs and D'Lilah Star Combs, would be an understatement. The mega-mogul was spotted with his barefoot baby girls who ran around Coldwater Canyon Park in Los Angeles yesterday chasing bubbles, swinging together on a swing set, playing with a ball, running away from their Puff Daddy when he wasn't looking and giving him the side-eye when he couldn't keep up with them! Can you imagine if he had his other (and oldest) daughter Chase with him?! And I'mma say it: he could've put some shoes on those babies. First he and Kim go and give them those old lady names (and yes, I'm aware that they're named after their grandmothers) and now we see them running around a park barefooted! And the crazy part is this isn't the first time they've been pictured without having shoes on...but then again, they were being held at the time. But still....That shit is too damn country. I'm sorry. Not southern....just damn country. Yeah, I said it. Moving on....

....After spending the afternoon with his girls, Diddy was later seen leaving the Staples Center after watching the Lakers play somebody....the hell if I know! And I'm too tired to fact check this post...so oh well. Anywhoo, I had told myself I'd post these pictures on Father's Day, but come on now, look at those pics. Needless to say, I couldn't wait. I also couldn't decide on the top ten pics to post...therefore, you'll find a lot more pics after the jump! A lot!

MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW CELEB WEDDING PICS: MEMBER OF R&B GIRL GROUP CHERISH TIES THE KNOT WITH BEAU OF 6 YEARS IN COCO BEACH, FLORIDA.

When I came across this news of Neosha, member of R&B Atlanta girl-group Cherish had gotten married, I was completely shocked. She told King magazine (in last months issue) that Usher had been trying for the longest to set her up with his little brother James 'J. Lack' Lackey. I remember snickering when I read it because I swear Usher can be so damn extra sometimes. Now, I see why Ne-Ne never caved in. The girl's been in love with the same man for the past 6 years. Longevity has its privileges! Anyhoo, the 23-year old middle child of the King sisters a.k.a. Cherish tied the knot with her longtime beau, Jason Lawrence, 24, about three weeks ago in a small, intimate seaside ceremony in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Flanked by six bridesmaids, Neosha was stunning in a white halter-top dress that was trimmed with her grandmother's gold-tone antique jewelry. Jason was handsome in a white three-piece suit, flanked by six groomsmen...and cornrows!

READ MORE DETAILS FROM THE WEDDING AND SEE MORE PICTURES BY CLICKING, 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!'

"When I saw her walk down the aisle, it hit me that we were getting married," said the groom, a design engineer. "We'd been in love for so long and on one accord that it always felt like we were married. She was so beautiful, it simply reaffirmed that she was The One for me." If you were to ask the sultry songstress, she would tell you she knew Jason was The One when she met him six years ago. "Jason and I both had come out of bad relationships," explained Neosha, "and we met when he visited his childhood friend, who was also my sister Farrah's then boyfriend. From the beginning, there was something special between us, but we took things slowly." How sweet is that, yall? Bless their hearts. Neosha's husband admitted that he felt their bond immediately as well. "We vibed, got to know one another, and I decided to give her a chance," Jason recalled with a smile. "No, seriously she's a beautiful person, and it was a blessing to fall in love with a woman who shares the same values and goals I do."

After the ceremony, a 100 guests boarded the privately chartered Indian River Queen cruise ship and feasted on a buffet-style dinner, which was served by a wait staff. For dessert, everyone sated their sweet tooth with a slice of the three-tier butter cream, picture-frame cake, which featured childhood images of the bride and groom.

As the evening came to an end, the new Mrs. Lawrence beamed. "If the wedding was this great," she exclaimed, "then I can't wait until after the wedding!"

To read the couple's commentary on their wedding photos, and it's sweet too, click HERE.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

50 CENT'S SON & EX-GIRLFRIEND INJURED IN MYSTERIOUS HOUSE FIRE OWNED BY 50 CENT; ARSON SUSPECTED.

Something ain't right. A multimillion-dollar home at the center of a bitter dispute between 50 Cent and the mother of his son was destroyed by a suspicious fire early Friday. Six people, including 50’s ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins and their 10-year-old son, Marquis, were taken to a hospital after suffering smoke inhalation and later released. A firefighter also suffered a minor eye injury, officials said. 50, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, doesn’t live in the home and wasn’t there at the time. “Informed this morning while filming a new motion picture on location in Louisiana, Curtis Jackson expressed deep concern over this fire at his property,” a representative for 50 said in a statement. “He is extremely thankful that everyone including his son, Marquise, escaped the burning house safely. He is confident that authorities will be conducting a thorough investigation of the incident and is eager to review their findings.” The home was essentially burned to the ground, with charred embers and wreckage littering the lot where the home once stood in the tree-lined neighborhood in Dix Hills.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!'

Investigators from the Suffolk County arson squad were called to the scene after Dix Hills Fire Chief Larry Feld deemed the blaze suspicious. The fire was reported at 4:59 a.m. and was extinguished about 45 minutes later, Feld said. The arson squad had finished its work at the scene six hours after the blaze. He referred the case to the arson squad “because of the intensity of the fire, and also being that who belongs to the house.” Police said the victims included the rapper’s former girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins and two of her children, including a son fathered by 50 Cent named Marquise. Three other adults in the home weren’t immediately identified. A passing off-duty police officer helped rescue the six people off an elevated deck in the home’s backyard, Feld said.

The home has been the subject of an intense feud between 50 and Tompkins. Tompkins filed a lawsuit against 50 earlier this year claiming he had promised her a house more than a decade ago, but that since their breakup, he now wants to evict her and their 10-year-old son from the home. Tompkins’ lawyer, Paul Catsandonis, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the dispute over the house had become “extremely, extremely contentious” in recent days. Although he declined to be specific, he said there was an “extremely dangerous incident” Monday in his Manhattan office while taking a deposition for the lawsuit. The dispute was “involving the parties in question,” he said. He said the case was back on the calendar in state Supreme Court in Manhattan on June 10.

Catsandonis said the 31-year-old rapper paid about $2.4 million for the house last year, one of the largest in the Long Island neighborhood of Dix Hills. He said 50, who grew up surrounded by violence and was once shot outside his grandmother’s Queens home in 2000, had told the 32-year-old Tompkins that he wanted her and their son to live in a safe and secure place. He also contended the rapper signed an agreement that would give Tompkins half of all his earnings as a hip-hop superstar. “Everything that’s his is hers, everything that’s hers is his. He memorialized in an e-mail that he intended to give her the house.”

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

CORONER: SEAN LEVERT DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES & A VARIEITY OF OTHER AILMENTS.

The R&B singer Sean Levert, who died at age 39 after falling ill in jail, suffered from a variety of ailments and died of natural causes, the county coroner ruled Thursday. The 39-year-old Levert, a member of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O’Jays singer Eddie Levert, died March 31 at a hospital after he was taken from the Cuyahoga County jail. He was serving a 22-month sentence for failure to pay child support. Levert’s family had questioned officials’ account that Levert had been acting strangely and was restrained before he fell ill. But in his ruling, County Coroner Frank Miller ruled out foul play or trauma. Patti Webster, Levert’s publicist, did not return a call seeking comment on the coroner’s findings, according to the Associated Press. Miller said Levert died from complications of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease. The coroner said Levert also suffered from other conditions, including cardiovascular disease and withdrawal from alprazolam — a drug used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

After Levert died, jail warden Kevin McDonough said he had been sick and guards were watching him because he had been acting strangely. When he started pounding on his cell door, guards strapped him in a restraint chair, McDonough said. Levert’s breathing became shallow and he was taken to the hospital. Levert’s family questioned McDonough’s account and wanted the FBI to investigate. Levert’s cousin, Michael Gibson, said Levert never had any outburst such as the type described by McDonough. FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said in April that agents were willing to meet with Levert’s family. Wilson said Thursday that the FBI was never contacted by the family.

Levert and his brother Gerald formed LeVert in the 1980s with childhood friend Marc Gordon. Their hits included “Baby I’m Ready,” “(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind” and “Casanova.” His brother died in 2006 at age 40 of an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Sean Levert, who was trying to start the group LeVert again, had pleaded guilty in March to six counts of failure to pay child support. He was accused of failure to pay $89,025 to children ages 11, 15 and 17. He had pleaded guilty in 1995 to drug abuse and was placed on probation and required to get treatment.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

KENNETH 'BABYFACE' EDMONDS EXPECTING THIRD CHILD FROM GIRLFRIEND, NIKKI PANTENBURG.

Congratulations are in order for Kenneth `Babyface' Edmonds. The super-producer is set to become a father once again. His dancer girlfriend Nikki Pantenburg is reportedly pregnant with his third child; and her first. The smooth singer/songwriter, 50, has two sons, Brandon and Dylan Michael with ex-wife Tracey Edmonds who has been romantically linked to rapper 50 Cent, chef Rocco DiSpirito and most recently Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Sources insist Babyface and his 35-year-old partner, who began dating after his divorce from Tracey, have no plans to wed. The baby is due at the end of 2008.

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

'THE COLDEST WINTER EVER' SEQUEL 'MIDNIGHT' TO HIT BOOKSTORES ON OCTOBER 14, 2008.

I meant to post this 2 weeks ago, so pardon my lateness on the news. Author, activist and the very first lady of urban fiction, Sister Souljah, has announced on her website that after years of "writing, thinking, traveling and creating," in 2008, she will release Midnight, the sequel to her national best-selling (over 1 million copies sold) urban fiction novel of all time, The Coldest Winter Ever. And although I find myself hyperventilating whenever I think about just how dumb I was to let someone 'borrow' my personalized autographed copy of my precious hardback book which I haven't seen in over five years (I'M LOOKING FOR YOU KELLY!), I'm still anticipating this long-awaited sequel like a mug! It's been over nine years! Sister Souljah says, "The sequel I have written will be quite a surprise I think. My readers will have to get their intellectual weight up! I have worked extremely hard to bring this one to the public. I love it. I was completely dedicated to making sure I didn't cheat my million of readers from hoods, burbs, and villages around the world. I am giving you something you can feel, remember, and use in your own lives. All credit goes to God for gracing me with the talent and the insight. I truly believe God is the greatest author of all times."

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!' AND FIND OUT WHAT 'MIDNIGHT' WILL BE ALL ABOUT.

The Coldest Winter Ever, a gritty tale about the tumultuous street-ridden life of the daughter of a notorious drug dealer, is usually regarded as the predecessor of the urban lit genre. Atria Books VP Emily Bestler credits the book’s success to Souljah’s raw, yet message-driven storytelling and said that Midnight follows in this tradition. “People who love The Coldest Winter Ever,” she adds, “will devour the story.” The sequel centers on Midnight, a secondary but intriguing character from The Coldest Winter Ever. For this book, Souljah conducted extensive research and traveled to three continents, a fact that Bestler said accounts for the long break between the two books.

I swear to yall I was the first person to read The Coldest Winter Ever! No, really, I was. I just happen to be strolling the aisles of Barnes and Noble one night while saying to myself, 'would it kill them to to designate an area for black novels?! I mean, really!' To this day, it's a bitch having to have to hang your head to the side while walking down damn near each and every aisle trying to find books written by Black authors. But I digress. Anyway, lucky for me I happened to be in the right aisle at the exact time a store employee were putting the books on display. Needless to say, I read the book in ONE night. Trust.

Midnight hits bookstores on October 14, 2008. Pre-order your copy now! Oh, and as for that movie that Jada Pinkett Smith gained the copyrights for, yall may want to stop hoping and wishing on that one. Too much stalling and procrastinating. I'm just happy that the sequel has finally come to fruition. I can't wait to see what Winter Santiaga will have up her sleeve.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

PICS: THE GAME SPENDS A DAY IN THE PARK WITH HIS SONS HARLEM & KING JUSTICE.

The Game's baby boy King Justice celebrated (I really couldn't find another word to use) his first birthday on April 25th with a day at the park. I want so badly to call it a mediocre baby b-day bash but for some reason I just can't. As a matter of fact I can't even call it! Anyhoo, judging from the pics, the little fellow was in no mood for celebrating, bless his heart. I guess it really doesn't matter seeing how the kid probably doesn't even know what the hell is going on. However, The Game's oldest son, Harlem (who will be 5 next month) looked as if he had the time of his life! Check out the pictures below.

CLICK PICS TO SEE THEIR FULL IMAGE.

In other Game news, word around the web is that the rapper is looking to sign the dude-- (who goes by the name Glen the Barber) responsible for lullubying Suge Knight's big 6'3, 2008 pound ass into a concrete nap earlier this month...which was all caught on tape--to his Black Wall Street record label. As for if he has any rhyming skills or other musical talents to speak of is unknown. There has also been talk of a rematch between former big bully Suge and 'The Kid who Knocked Knight Out.' According to tmz.com several Las Vegas promoters -- including Jeff Beacher of Beacher's Madhouse -- have invited Suge Knight and the "Knockout Kid" to face up in a bare-knuckled cage match.
....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!