T-BOZ & CHILLI OF TLC PERFORM AT SPRINGROOVE IN JAPAN.

Speaking of reuniting girl groups, last weekend, T-Boz and Chilli of TLC reunited once again to perform at Japan's Springroove concert to a packed house and from the videos and pictures (which you can check out below) I've seen, they brought the house down! But then again, I've been a diehard fan of TLC since they hit the scene so of course I would say something like that. Their performance at Springroove marked the third time that they've performed together since Lisa's death seven years ago (April 2002). I LOVE watching these girls perform live and to know they still got it like they had it when they first hit the scene makes it even more entertaining to watch. And to see them include Lisa (as if they wouldn't have) damn near made me start crying! I got chill bumps and shivers went up my spine while I watched a couple of those clips. You can tell Lisa was there with them in spirit as they performed. They were beyond unbelievable. LOVED IT! Lisa didn't lie when she said energy never dies, it just transforms. Those girls still got it. Folks complain, bitch and moan about TLC and what they're not doing, but as soon as they put on a performance such as the one in Japan, it's a whole different story! They can't get enough of them. T&C know how to shut folks the hell up when they shut the stage down.

Check out pics and my favorite clips from their concert.

TLC medley with 'special performance' by Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes.

AFTER THE JUMP, SEE PICS OF T-BOZ AND CHILLI PREPARING FOR THEIR CONCERT AND FIND OUT WHY T-BOZ SAID THEIR PERFORMANCE WITH ALICIA KEYS AT THE BET AWARDS WAS SUCH A 'HOT MESS.'

'Too Much Booty in da Pants.'


'Girl Talk' and 'Waterfalls.'


Anywho, in a recent interview, T-Boz talked about their performance with Alicia Keys at last year's BET Awards. T-Boz said she didn't really consider it as a real performance and the only reason she and Chilli decided to do it was because of their love for Alicia:

"I love Alicia and that was the only reason I did it. We've never said yes to perform with anybody, ever. She is one of those people that you respect and feel honored to be asked and that's why we said yes. I don't count BET Awards as a real TLC performance. That was just a mess altogether. That was a terrible day for me. It wasn't a regular TLC show anyway. At real TLC show, we run things and are energetic and dance. That was just a hot mess. I'm very excited to do what we do and I'll be back in my element. That sure wasn't my element anyway. I'm happy to be back and we'll be doing it the way that we do it."

Chilli and T-Boz practicing for their concert.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

CELEB PERFORMANCE PICS: SOLANGE & HER SON IN PARIS; MARY J. BLIGE IN CALI; ALICIA KEYS IN

Mary J. Blige performs part of The Love Soul Tour at the Sleep Train Pavilion on October 18, 2008 in Concord, California.

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Alicia Keys performs live during a concert at the O2 World on October 18, 2008 in Berlin, Germany.

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Keyshia Cole performs during the 2008 Spirit Of Life Award Dinner on October 15, 2008 in Santa Monica, California.

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Solange Knowles performs live on stage during a private concert at the 'Showcase' club in Paris, France on October 24, 2008.

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RANDOM CELEB PICS: J. HUD, A.KEYS, LATIFAH COVER EBONY; JADA DOES JET; T.I.'s ALBUM RELEASE PARTY; JAY-Z & JADAKISS.

Stars of The Secret Life of Bees, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah cover the November issue of Ebony magazine; while Jada Pinkett Smith, the executive producer of The Secret Life of Bees covers this week's issue of Jet magazine.

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She isn't anywhere near a celebrity, but right about now I don't feel like making a blog post on just on her, so I'll throw her in this one instead. For those of you who don't know, the person below is none other than Kim a.k.a. 'Poprah' (the name is supposedly derived from her two role models Oprah Winfrey and Sean 'Diddy' Combs) attending the Reality Awards. Kim is a contestant on Diddy's new reality show I Want to Work for Diddy.

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Jay-Z and Jadakiss were spotted chilling at Robin Thicke's Something Else album release party at the Rainbow Room Tuesday night in New York City.

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T.I. and his girlfriend Tiny were spotted arriving at his album release party at the Velvet Room in Atlanta over the weekend. Is it me, or does Tiny stay having a cup in her hand sipping on something?

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JENNIFER HUDSON MOVIE UPDATES ON TYLER PERRY'S 'THE FAMILY THAT PREYS TOGETHER' & 'THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES.'

Back in January, I told you all that Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson was in negotiations to co-star in Tyler Perry's new film, The Family the Preys Together (which will be released in September) alongside Perry, Sanaa Lathan, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Rockmond Dunbar, Taraji Henson and Robin Givens. Well, the key word in that post was "negotiations." Hudson will not be in the film; however she will appear on the big screen on October 17, 2008 in The Secret Life of Bees (based on Sue Monk Kidd's bestselling novel) alongside Alica Keys, Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning and Sophie Okonedo. Set in South Carolina in 1964, the film is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother (played by Hilari Burton). To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with Rosaleen (Hudson), her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Okonedo and Keys), Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping, honey and the Black Madonna. “It’s very raw, very raw. It affected each of us in some kind of way,” says Hudson. “Like with me, I had to do research like crazy on the civil rights movement. That messed with my mind. And then I had to fight three white men because I was my own stunt double. Dakota, Queen and Tristan (Wilds) had to go to bee school and learn how to deal with bees. Alicia had to learn how to play the cello. I’ve never had to be this involved in anything in my life! I had to touch a bug. I had a fit, honey. I nearly lost my mind! It was a beetle, but luckily, it was beautiful.”

In other Hudson news, the singer is reportedly getting a few stings after her self-titled album cover (click picture on the right to see its full image), which shows a tiny-waist, slimmed-down, svelte figure of the singer hit the Internet recently. Sources have denied that Hudson’s photo was retouched using photo shop. Some reports claim record label execs at J Records implemented the same photo-retouching experts used on the cover of Mariah Carey's latest album. Nothing doing. "Yes, that’s Hudson’s waist and her ample top half. She has a thin waist,” the insider insists. Hudson's album is scheduled to hit stores on September 30, 2008. There’s also talk, Hudson says, of recording a song for the soundtrack of The Secret Life of Bees, with costars Latifah and Keys. “It would be an honor for me to do a song with them,” Hudson cooed.
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TLC, SWV & EN VOGUE WITH ALICIA KEYS AT 2008 B.E.T. AWARDS.

Alicia Keys served up a girl power treat at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (6.24.2008) when she performed with SWV, En Vogue and the remaining members of the history-making, multi-platinum girl-band of all girl-bands TLC. Keys had arguably the greatest performance of the night and one of the best in the history of the BET Awards.

To reiterate my last post informing you guys of the 'surprise performance': Keys began her set with her hit song Teenage Love Affair, then segued into classics by top female R&B acts of the 1990s. Members of SWV, Taj, Lelee and Coco (humph...that's funny--if you used each girl's first initial of her name, you'd have TLC! LOL! Too bad the real TLC nabbed it first!) were the first group out the gate as the three women came out performing Weak; The Funky Divas a.k.a. En Vogue including Dawn—— stepped onstage for Hold On; and before Alicia could get the letters TLC out of her mouth good, the audience was already up on their feet awaiting the arrival of TLC's remaining members T-Boz and Chilli while singing along to the first verse of TLC's Waterfalls--cue Kanye West and Melody of the Pussycat Dolls. Emotional to the say the least. I, for one, got goosebumps at seeing the girls on stage again...and I damn near cried when I realized Lisa's rap verse wasn't incorporated into the set...then again, maybe that was a good thing because there's no telling how many folks would've been wiping tears and just all-out crying at watching Lisa 'perform' alongside her bandmates/sisters. But then again me and my baby sister had no problem rapping Lisa's part for her! LOL! She's is truly, truly missed. However, thanks to a Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes fan, Lopes was indeed there with her girls both in spirit (and image)....just check out the photo up above

In all, the reunions of SWV, En Vogue and TLC were the first for the respective groups in years. And it was the one and only time that all three groups have performed on stage together. I have always loved me some Alicia Keys. Always. But after last night, I will forever love me some Alicia Keys! Whether folks think the ladies' performances could have been better or if one group looked better than the other isn't even up for debate (although you can't deny the fact that after all of these years, Tionne and Chilli...as well as the ladies of En Vogue--Dawn included...and even Maxine with her preggy belly--still look as good today as they did back in the day!)..the fact that Alicia thought enough of them and in her eyes, deemed them each worthy enough to pay homage to them----especially TLC--is better than any performance--good or bad--that night. So, thank you, thank you, thank you Alicia, for taking us back down memory lane...the trip was nostalgically bittersweet.

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MORE PICTURES OF TLC, EN VOGUE & SWV PERFORMING WITH ALICIA AFTER THE JUMP! I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THE PICTURES.

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