INSIDE WENDY RAQUEL ROBINSON'S NEW HOME.

In 2000, Wendy met her husband Marco Perkins after hosting an NBA playoff party at her home. Wendy says she didn't notice him right away, but during the party she observed him closely. "He not only had an opinion, but a swagger. I felt like we could dine at the White House or hang in the 'hood." The couple tied the knot aboard a yacht in front of close family members and friends in 2003. However, the couple had no idea just how much their first year of marriage would be tested. After an evening out, they returned home to find an electrical fire had struck three homes on their block, including theirs, leaving them homeless and with the only clothes on their backs--literally. Sadly, the blaze also claimed Wendy's dog, Ginger. Looking back now, she says, 'I wondered sometimes how we'd get through it. But God has blessed us. During that time, I saw what my husband was made of." Family also helped weather the storm. "My mother told us to come home," she shares. "I had to wear one of my sister's clothes and shoes." Returning to her vacant childhood house was tough. So was losing treasured family heirlooms. "I understand how the victims of Hurricane Katrina felt. Dealing with insurance companies was crazy. But going through it strengthened out marriage. Everything was stripped away and all we had was each other....I feel like I've been reborn. God has gotten us through a lot. There's a gratitude journal scrolling through my head right now, and it's full of so many blessings."

Fast forward a couple of years and you'll find the couple living happily in their brand new, custom-built-from-the-ground-up two-story home. They have also added two new dogs to the family. Of her new found blessings, Wendy says, 'God gives you double for your trouble.' Aside from continuing her role as the 'hottest mama' on television as 'Tasha Mack' on The CW's The Game, Wendy spends her off time by running the Amazing Grace Conservatory (a theatre arts school she founded in 1995); being a loving wife; and playing auntie to her nieces and nephews.

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LIL KIM WANTED CHRISTINA MILIAN TO PORTRAY HER IN 'NOTORIOUS.'

NO MA'AM, KIMBERLY DENISE JONES

I watched Notorious this weekend in the comfort of my own home--for free--and I still feel like I paid too much! It was pure garbage. Jamal, the dude who played Biggie, smiled and grinned just a little bit too much for me. I remember Biggie always having a mean-ass looking unit on his face like this or this or this. I also couldn't get over how Jamal placed an 'f' sound on every word that ended in -th (Faithf, truthf, deathf, mouthf). Dude who played Tupac was unbelievable, it wasn't even funny. The same can be said for the little Losing Isaiah young'un who played Lil Cease and I'm not even going to get on how I sat and waited for Angela Bassett to use Voletta Wallace's accent...but to no avail Loved Derek Luke's portrayal of Puffy. Dude had Diddy's dance and swagger down pat! LOL! Faith's doppelganger was a good choice, as was Biggie's 12-year-old son C.J. who brought justice to the role of his father as an adolescent.

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Now to Naturi and the purpose of this post. Personally, I think she did an okay job as Lil Kim. I still laugh at the clip of her in the studio recording Big Momma Thang! (you got it goin' on, whut, whut). Anyhoo, imagine my surprise when I found out Lil Kim wanted the film's director to cast Christina Milian to play her in the film! What the hell was she thinking?!! And how in the hell did she think Ms. Wallace and the film's directors would let that happen? For those of you who don't know, Lil Kim was paid $5,000 to allow them to use her likeness in the movie (just like everyone else). When she showed up at the film director's office to have a meeting (about the use of her likeness), she spazzed out when she was told Naturi would be playing her. Yeah, I know some of us know this already. But what I didn't know is what she actually said to the director about Naturi during her bitch fit, which was 'She's TOO BLACK!' Cease and other sources on the set said Kim wanted Christina Milian to portray her in the movie. He also said, 'Kim don't look like herself! Look at her! I told Naturi she was doing a great job and to not let that shit affect her.'

With the extensive amount of plastic surgery she had done to look like a totally different person, I knew deep down inside there had to be an iota of self-hate within her, but this?!! Now I really and truly believe she is half-past delusional. Real talk. Could any of you see Christina Milian playing Lil Kim?

'I heard about the rumors and I'm aware of it. I feel like at the end of the day I was really happy that I had the support of the director, I had the support of the cast, and I knew that I was going to capture this role 'cause I had put my heart in it. I hope that she loves it when she sees it and I'm hoping the fans love it when they see it. I don't think it's a matter of complexion. I think people need to realize it's about playing a character and bringing out their essence...

Going into a movie like this is always pressure because they have a fan base that is looking at them now. There will always be people comparing and looking for the exact replica of who they know. So it's a challenge and it's definitely intimidating. For me this is my first big debut as an actress in a film. It's nervewracking and it's intimidating to an extent, but at the end of the day I actually try to use the challenge and those feelings as motivation. Initially it hurts a little bit but you take that and you use it as power.'

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