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Saturday, February 6, 2010

S.O.S: Help for Haiti

Yep, another telethon to raise funds in order to help Haiti. A couple of weeks ago, many stars ranging from actors to singers to activists came together for the Help For Haiti Now campaign to raise money for the relief efforts in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes in Haiti. So far, nearly $90 million has been raised. Last night, media broadcasting company Viacom, which owns the three music networks BET, MTV and VH1, decided that another telethon was needed. This time, S.O.S: Saving Ourselves - Help for Haiti,there were mostly popular African-American singers and rappers, and some actors. I'm not sure how much would be raised with this benefit concert, which was held in Miami and hosted by Queen Latifah, Diddy and Pharrell, as it was only aired on those three aforementioned networks. I'm sure millions of us have donated all that we could by now. Many stars that came out includes Justin Bieber, Busta Rhymes, Monica, Mary J. Blige, Kirk Franklin, India.Arie, Ludacris, Jazmine Sullivan, Akon, Spike Lee, Wyclef Jean, former President Bill Clinton, Robin Thicke, Keri Hilson, Mike Tyson, Chrisette Michele, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown, who was warmly welcomed by fans (audience and Twitter) as he gave his first televised performance since the domestic violence incident that occurred one year ago. Here are a few performances from the concert:

Chris Brown - Crawl/With You

Monica featuring Ludacris - Still Standing

Kirk Franklin featuring India.Arie, Chrisette Michele and Jazmine Sullivan - Are You Listening?

Mary J. Blige featuring Jazmine Sullivan - Gonna Make It/One

Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris - One Less Lonely Girl/Never Let You Go/Baby

Nas and Damien Marley

I'm sooooo glad Bouncy wasn't there to perform because if I had to hear "Haiti, I can see your halo" one more time....but didn't it seem like little Justin was taking notes from her during his performance of "Baby"? "Haiti, Haiti, Haiti, Haiti, Hai---" STFU!!!!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Are You Listening?

Written and produced by gospel great Kirk Franklin, the day after the 25th Stellar Awards were taped, most of the gospel stars have all gathered together and recorded this beautiful inspirational, gospel-themed charity single, Are You Listening?, in honor of the Haitian earthquake victims.

Artists include: Yolanda Adams; Jeremy Camp; Shirley Caesar; Dorinda Clark Cole; Natalie Grant; Fred Hammond; Tamela & David Mann; Mary Mary; Donnie McClurkin; Bishop Paul S. Morton; J. Moss; Smokie Norful; Marvin Sapp; Karen Clark Sheard; Kiera "KiKi" Sheard; BeBe Winans; CeCe Winans and Marvin Winans along with other gospel artists featured in choir including Shari Addison; Kathy Taylor Brown; John Gray; Bishop Darryl Hines; Stephen Hurd; Karima Kibble; Judith McAllister; Nicole C. Mullen; Jessica Reedy; The Neville Sisters; Troy Sneed; Micah Stampley; Melinda Watts and Brian Courtney Wilson.

The single is now available on iTunes.

We Are The World 2010

In the days following the Grammy ceremony, which was held this past Sunday, nearly 100 celebrities, from singers and rappers to actors and producers joined together at Jim Henson studios to record a remake of the 25 year old hit charity single We Are The World, which was also recorded at the same studio. The idea was headed by the original producer Quincy Jones and the original co-writer Lionel Richie (the late Michael Jackson also helped write the song). The world premiere of the single and song's video will air during NBC's coverage of the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Friday, February 12th.

Among the stars participating in the project include P!NK, Natalie Cole, the Jonas Brothers, Jennifer Hudson, Akon, Julianne Hough, Jamie Foxx, Gladys Knight, India.Arie, Tyrese, Usher, Toni Braxton, Trey Songz, Lil’ Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Keri Hilson, T-Pain, Jordin Sparks, Wyclef Jean, Vince Vaughn, Farnsworth Bentley, Harry Connick Jr., Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, Kid Cudi, Sean Garrett, Carlos Santana, Mary Mary, Earth,Wind & Fire, Nicole Scherzinger, Brandy, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Jackson, Musiq Soulchild, Bizzy Bone, Swizz Beatz, Drake, Mann, Nipsey Hussle, Zac Brown, BeBe Winans, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Freda Payne, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, A.R. Rahman, Randy Jackson, Patti Austin, Jeff Bridges, Nicole Richie, Rashida Jones, 3T (sons of Tito Jackson), Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, Melanie Fiona, Mya, Katherine McPhee, Faith Evans, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Orianthi, Sugarland, Jason Mraz, Raphael Saadiq, Rob Thomas, Isaac Slade of the Fray, Ethan Bortnick, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and Iyaz.

Janet Jackson confirmed to lay vocals at a later time, possibly singing MJ’s lines. Whitney Houston is rumored to have already recorded her verse/lines, possibly when reports surfaced about a sighting at a studio in ATL (could’ve been a rehearsal seeing 5-month long world tour starts this week). Jay-z, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake are also rumored to record their parts at a later date. Recently announced, Michael Jackson's children - Paris, Prince and Blanket - will recite a poem written by Maya Angelou for the new song.

We Are The World Pt. 2 is being remade in an effort to help the country of Haiti in the aftermath of last month's devastating earthquakes that destroyed the entire region. The entire proceeds from the single sales will be donated to the relief efforts.

BET Honors...at church!!

"It's a marvelous feeling to be looked at and not judged. Judge not for your flaws but for your triumphs."

-Whitney Houston

Kicking off Black History month the right way and with a great start, Buffoonery Entertainment Television (BET) aired its 3rd annual BET Honors was aired Monday night. The network was honored the excellence and paid tribute to some of the most famous successful members of the African-American community. This year's Honors recipients include Dr. Keith Black for Public Service, Queen Latifah for Media, Sean "Diddy" Combs for Entrepreneurship, Dr. Ruth Simmons for Education, and lastly, my favorite ~~crackish~~ diva, Whitney Houston for Entertainment.

Each recipient was given a special tribute performance by select singers. I took the time out to bring you the highlights:

Kim Burrell - I Believe In You And Me

Paying tribute to her dear friend and uber (stan) fan Whitney Houston, Kim brought down the house with her stirring rendition of Whitney's classic "I Believe In You And Me". I've had the privilege to witness this woman work the mic and piano live when I was in middle school, and I damn near caught the Holy Spirit. So, naturally, I knew Kim was going to knock it out the park. But I'll be DAMNED!! Kim knocked it out the park, the neighborhood, the city AND the state! Poor Nippy can't even get happy without people accusing her of being high, strung out or drunk. Whitney STANS for Kim like a fan would STAN for Michael Jackson during one of his concerts. Ne-Yo said it: Whitney's "most favorite voice on the planet." That's evident by her leaping out of her seat like the ice cream man was passing by a child.

Jennifer Hudson - I Will Always Love You

I've always said it. Simon Cowell has always said it. Any singer should never, EVER touch a Whitney Houston classic. I'm talking about the classic that sat on top of the Billboard charts for a consecutive record-breaking 14 weeks. The one that became one of the biggest, best-selling songs from the biggest, best-selling soundtrack to one of the best-selling films of all time. Yes, the classic and timeless "I Will Always Love You". So naturally, when Jen-Jen sang the opening lines of the song, I immediately thought, "She 'bout to fuck that shit up and Nippy going to jail tonight." But, to my surprise, Jenny held her own. Known for oversinging and lack of control, the girl came a long way. If Whitney approves, which she did, then it was alright with me.

Whitney is living proof of God's work. To comeback from crack rock bottom to living a better life and selling 2 million albums worldwide is amazing.

Now, I could not leave out Aunt Mary and Mama Patti taking me back during their performances. Patti Patti showed out on the vocals and gave this Nicki Minaj chick that she's the queen of random facial expressions during a show.

Queen Mary showed us why the 90's was the best decade in music.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Black History: The Greensboro Sit-ins

Today marks the first day of Black History Month. It's a time where we look back and honor the many historical African-American events, inventors, leaders, activists, educators and entertainers. What better way to kick things off than to honor the four young college students that sparked a national civil rights movement fifty years ago today?

On Feb. 1, 1960, the Greensboro Four, as they would later be called, felt isolated and alone as they sat at that whites-only lunch counter at the Woolworth Store on South Elm Street.
They were seeking more than what they ordered — sodas, coffee, doughnuts. They were attacking the social order of the time. The unwritten rules of society required black people to stay out of white-owned restaurants, to use only designated drinking fountains and restrooms, to sit in the rear of Greensboro city buses, in a separate balcony at the Center Theatre and in segregated bleachers during sports events at War Memorial Stadium.
The four black youths — Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmond, all still teenagers and all freshmen on academic scholarships at N.C. A&T State University — had entered the unknown. McCain, who grew up in Washington and spent one year attending Greensboro's Dudley High School, says he expected to be arrested, beaten to a pulp or worse.
All four would emerge unscathed and eventually be recognized as heroes of the civil rights movement.

They were persistent. In the days after Feb. 1, they would be joined by other students at the Woolworth counter and at the Kress 5 & 10 lunch counter a half-block away. Their protests inspired black people to do the same at Formica-topped dime-store counters in other cities. The movement they started led to the integration of the Woolworth and the Kress chains, landmarks on every main street in the South.
In the months that followed, more sit-ins began to spread throughout the South at many segregated stores, most of them peaceful and ending with positive results. The Greensboro Woolworth store desegregated its lunch counter on July 26, 1960, serving blacks and whites alike.

The thing called the Grammys....

Last night was the biggest night for music. It was also the biggest joke. You didn't need to watch it to know that as evident by the fact that a certain southern bouncy bottom belle had ten nominations and a certain small town country prom queen (is she still like 16) had 8. Plus, stan drama: a certain group of stans were hating very hard on that country prom queen. Then again, they hate anyone they see as a threat. Can you say, dee-lusional?

Let's start with The Performances:
Lady Gaga opened the show. With her, you never know what to expect. She began showstopping performance with her super number one hit, "Poker Face", and concluded by joining a sparkly rhinestoned Elton John at a pair of conjoined pianos for her song "Speechless" and his song "Your Song". It set the tone for the Grammy telecast and I couldn't wait to see who could top her. I love this chick. A+
Beyonce did as I expected. She started off big with a SWAT/military drill team, paraded down the aisles to the stage, and stood in place to kick off her seeming-to-be big show. Did she follow through? Hell no! She performed her boring hit song "If I Were A Boy", a song I hate. She sang, screamed, sashayed, FELL. She even covered Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know". *Cringe* Of course, the S.T.A.N.S. love their GAWDESS and gave her WAAAY too much praise. A crotch grab would have made this more interesting. C-
P!NK - what else can I say? Quietly walking out while singing the song "Glitter in the Air", I almost wasn't going to like the boring stand-there-and-sing. It just wasn't her. Then she stripped from the rob and started flying, flipping, spinning and showering. It was like watching the Cirque du Soleil. Ah-mazing! Third best of the night. A
Black Eyed Peas performed their new single, "Imma Be" - which, by the way, goes the fuck AWF! - and their number one hit, "I Gotta Feeling", another song that goes the fuck AWF! B
Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain, George Clinton and Doug E. Fresh - "Blame It"...#EpicFAIL!!! It was like the BET Awards. I felt offended. WTF was that shit? And I'm not going to touch the subject of his sister who happens to be mentally challenged. The people on Twitter were so wrong for calling that girl "Precious". Not funny at all. Positive: Slash is a BEAST on the guitar. F-
Andrea Bocelli - A+ for SANGIN' "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during Haiti tribute. Mary J. Blige - D- for SCREAMIN' "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during Haiti tribute.
Drake, Lil Wayne and Eminem were bleeped during their entire performance. Literally, the ENTIRE damn performance. Is it that serious, FCC? What was the purpose of the Grammy's having them on the stage then? Positive: Travis Barker is a BEAST on those drums. I can't even grade them.
The Michael Jackson Tribute: The song - "Earth Song", my most favorite MJ tune. The performers - Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood all KILLED IT, Smokie Robinson was nice and Usher failed. The over-hyped 3D? #Fail. Prince Michael and Paris accepting the Grammy honor for their dad, the King? #Priceless. Best of the night. A

Some of The Winners:
Record of the Year: "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. (Well deserved. Beats out "Halo" by Bouncy, "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas, "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga and "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift.)
Album of the Year: "Fearless" by Taylor Swift. (Lady Gaga's "The Fame" was robbed. Oh well, better her than Beyonce. #EpicFail)
Song of the Year: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce. (This is a songwriters award. Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" or Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" should have been the winner. #Fail)
Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band. (Condolences to Keri Flopson.)
Pop Vocals Female: "Halo" by Beyonce. (I'll settle for this one even if I preferred P!NK's "Sober".)
Pop Vocals Duo/Group: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas.
Pop Vocal Album: "The E.N.D." by Black Eyed Peas.
Dance Recording: "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga.
Electronic/Dance Album: "The Fame" by Lady Gaga.
Rock Vocals Duo/Group: "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon.
Rock Song: "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon.
Rock Album: "21st Century Breakdown" by Green Day.
R&B Vocals Female: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce. (This is NOT R&B nor is it any impressive vocal performance. Melanie, Jazmine or Lalah should have taken this home.)
R&B Vocals Male: "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell. (The way it should be.)
R&B Vocals Duo/Group: "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain. (Eh. It was more popular than the others but the others were better quality.)
R&B Vocals Traditional: "At Last" by Beyonce. (Another one Bouncy shouldn't have won. Anthony Hamilton, Ann Nesby, Calvin Richardson <---- Any one of them would have been the better winner.)
R&B Song: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce. (I'd be okay with this if it was about popularity and sales. However, it's a SONGWRITERS award. To me, this award is about the lyrical content and quality of the song. "Single Ladies" seems like it was written by a bunch of 5th graders. "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell or "Lions, Tigers and Bears" by Jazmine Sullivan should have taken this one. Plus, I consider "Single Ladies" a Pop song, not R&B.)
R&B Album: "BLACKsummer'snight" by Maxwell. (Well deserved.)
R&B Album Contemporary: "I Am...Sasha Fierce" by Beyonce. (Trey Songz's "Ready" was more deserving than this horrible mess. Hell, Whitney Houston's "I Look To You" should have been nominated and taken this one.)
Rap Solo: "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)" by Jay-Z. (Either this or Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite".)
Rap Group/Duo: "Crack A Bottle" by Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre. (Eh. I'd have gone with "Amazing" by Kanye West and Young Jeezy.)
Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. (Kinda tough category. "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson, Kanye West and Ne-Yo was my joint, and so was "Dead and Gone" by T.I. and Justin Timberlake.)
Rap Song: "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. (Again, another tough one. Kid Cudi's "Day N Night", T.I. and Justin Timberlake's "Dead and Gone", and Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)".)
Rap Album: "Relapse" by Eminem. (I never heard this but I would have given this to Common for "Universal Mind Control or Q-Tip for "The Renaissance".)
Gospel Song: "God In Me" by Mary Mary.

Bouncy should NOT have 16 Grammy's. Half, maybe. But 16? Hell no. Aretha has 19. Quincy Jones has 27. Michael Jackson, 14. Whitney, 6. Celine, 5. You see where I'm going with this?

And now...the Fashion: