Yasmin Shiraz

Here’s a great interview clip of singer Fantasia on Oprah.

Robby is on the far right.

It breaks my heart to see anybody losing their life force to alcohol addiction so when I saw Robby, former singer of the 90’s group City High, I knew I had to post this video. City High was signed to Wyclef’s record label.  In the video, Robby’s mother said, “I gave the music industry a cub scout and they gave me back an alcoholic.” Having been in the music industry, I know how hard it is. You are always seeking approval, but approval is something you must provide for yourself. You cannot seek stardom believing that all your demons will go away, if you do not deal with your demons, your demons will find a way to deal with you.

Robby- I pray that you get better and realize that you’re better than the life of an alcoholic. On a side note the video says a lot about how his mother treated him… SMH. And another note, it appears that Robby really has a broken heart. The girl in the center of the video used to be his girlfriend and then broke up with him and started a family with the guy on the left. Sometimes, life sucks.

Here’s the full episode of Intervention of Robby and his family.

Here’s the link to their #1 song, What would you do?

http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627047854252742

I tell you with all the serious stuff going on, I probably shouldn’t even post this story. But, I must say that I appreciate a person who will speak their mind and not be pressured by what’s popular. R&B singer, Nas’s ex-wife and babymama recently received a personalized letter from PETA telling her not to wear fur. So, she responded to the letter and posted it on her myspace site. And I mean it’s hilarious but really full of good points. Here are some excerpts:

There is no humane way to kill anything, let me start there. It’s unfortunate but it’s part of life. With that being said, I would eat pterodactyl if you found some and you told me it was meaty and delicious…

Btw it’s not just the look of fur. It’s warm as hell and feels glorious, ever rubbed faux fur on your body? Nothing luxurious about that…

If I started wearing endangered animals like polar bear or orangutan then talk to me. (Which btw for the record I would not – I do believe in the preservation of endangered species) But the minks and chinchilla that quite honestly are rodents and if weren’t in the form of a coat I would demand they be put to death anyway are not an issue to me…

Kelis goes on and on in her letter, but I must say I like her spunk. She said she’d eat an extinct flying dinosaur. She may have a career  yet as a comedian. To say chinchilla and minks are rodents–that’s just a classic. LOL.  I don’t wear fur but still its funny. hahahahahahaha And Kelis ended her letter with ‘x’s and ‘o’s…. again, funny. I like her.

I know a lot of serious things are going on right now, but sometimes we gotta enjoy the simple things in life–laugh a little. Kelis, thanks for the haha.

You know I had to go there! RIP Teddy!

The Philadelphia born, R&B soul singer, Teddy Pendergrass passed away yesterday at the age of 59. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pendergrass had colon cancer surgery 8 months ago and had a difficult recovery. He will be sorely missed but definitely not forgotten. My favorite Teddy Pendergrass cuts:

1. The Love I Lost. (Performed by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes)
2. I Don’t Love You Anymore.
3. Close The Door.

Wanna know how I know those Teddy Pendergrass jams? My parents raised me listening to good music! That’s what’s up. Rest in Peace, Teddy, we’ll miss you!

One of my readers sent me the link to Charles Barkley dressed as Alicia Keys. It was for SNL. I don’t know if everyone else saw this already, but I didn’t. So watch it, laugh and then weep.

Charles Barkley needn’t try this again. Big ol’ Charles as an R&B Diva=NOT!

Radio often kills it with playing the same artists over and over again. The underground artists or even the artists that are above ground but can’t get enough airplay don’t receive the love for their talent that they should. One of the top artists of 2009 is Pink. Her album Funhouse was perfect through and through. So, I wanted to share two of her songs and videos with you. Really listen to the music and the lyrics. Even if Pink isn’t your speed, good music recognizes good music and this is good music!

This song Please Don’t Leave Me has great lyrics though the video is kinda scary. Again, listen to the lyrics and the music. She doesn’t miss a note on this track.

Drake is all the buzz in 2009 on the hip hop scene. With his singing and rapping ability, he has songs with Lil’ Wayne, Trey Songz, Timberland and a bunch of others. I have his “So Far Gone” set of extended mixes. I love it. But after seeing him on DeGrassi recently my interest was piqued to really see what this young’un was all about. Below is a revealing interview that he did a few months back with ABC. In it he reveals that his mother is white and from Canada and his father black and is from Memphis, TN…. See for yourself.

I had seen an interview with Drake in which he mentioned that being on the DeGrassi show and also being ‘lightskinned’ were strikes against him. SMH. A young person getting an acting check is not a strike in my book. And as far as being ‘lightskinned’ is concerned, there are plenty of people who are fine and are lightskinned. So, I wouldn’t sweat that either. Here’s a clip of Drake acting in DeGrassi. Drake mentioned that he was 14 when he started in DeGrassi.

People across the world have made some profound statements in 2009–everyone from a former first lady to a former hooker. It goes to show that everybody has something profound to say at one time or another.

1. ‘There are kids like Precious everywhere. Each day we walk by them: young boys and girls whose home lives are dark secrets.’ – Former First Lady Barbara Bush after screening the Precious movie in her hometown of Houston.
   

   50 Cent on Stage

2. ‘Rappers are like fighters—they go in the gym for the first time and they might not be prepared. And they’ll come at me prematurely and I’ll spank them. I’ll win, without it even going 12 rounds… And they never quite know when to quit, and they stick around like fighters until they’re not as good as they were.’ – 50 Cent on other rappers
3. ‘Here you have all these girls accepting gifts, money, trips from Tiger in exchange for sex…And I was the hooker?’ – Ashley Dupre’ (Eliot Spitzer Call Girl commenting on Tiger Woods’s alleged jump-offs)
4. ‘We continue to project an irrational desire for the physically perfect to be the spiritually strong.’ – Journalist, Julia Baird on the outrage on the Tiger Woods scandal
5. ‘There’s always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it’s a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That’s what I’ve been able to do. That’s what I display.’ – Michael Vick, Eagles Quarterback on his comeback story
6. ‘There is no woman today who can play in the NBA. But you have to admit that women players have improved a great deal over the last decade, and who’s to say there won’t be a freakish athlete who comes along over the years ahead?’ – NBA Commissioner David Stern defending his statement that he believes that women will someday play in the NBA
7. ‘It wasn’t until I saw this woman named Oprah Winfrey doing this show called ‘People Are Talking’ [a local talk show Winfrey co-hosted while she was at Baltimore's WJZ-TV] that I said ‘That is what I want to do right there.’ Actress, Mo’Nique speaks on her start
   
8. ‘There’s no such thing as a secret snitch…’ – T.I. speaking on former protege being DEA informant
   
9. ‘It just didn’t ring true to me. It felt like a dream… It’s still so difficult for me to believe. It’s hard. You have to move on with your life. You have to accept what is and I understand that.” – Janet Jackson on brother Michael’s death

Look at the Rihanna/ GQ photo. This is clearly the latest example that sex and controversy is the only way to sell a magazine. This photo says so much. This photo says things that I shouldn’t type. But I’m going to to anyway because if you don’t know what you’re looking at, you’ll miss the picture. This photo is enticing. The breasts that are half exposed say, “Do you wanna see me?” The fabric is just so that you can almost see her nipples. Her hands are strategically placed over her crotch. What does that say? “That’s private? Would you like me to remove my hands?”

Its an interesting pose because the person who doesn’t want you to see between their legs, keeps their legs closed. The person who spreads their legs and then puts a hand up is sending a certain message.

The photo is so suggestive. Its amazing. When I look at the photo, what do I feel about Rihanna the artist?

I feel that she is someone who flirts with danger, who understands that a woman has power but walks too close to the line.

She appears to know what she’s getting into but will play with you as she goes along. Some may argue that I’m overanalyzing here, but unless the photographer told her exactly how to pose, that’s what I’m getting out of the photo.

What do you see in this photo?

And here’s the cover photo, which, incidentally I feel is well done.