While Chris Brown thinks Rihanna should have kept the story of him beating her while driving on a public street a private matter, his dancers seem to think Rihanna ought to be placed back on a boat to Barbados.

Following her much publicized interview with Diane Sawyer on 20/20, Chris Brown’s friends lashed out at Rih-Rih again via Twitter:

Team Brown says:

Chris’DJ @djbabeydrew

“MAD!!!! I need the real story to come out now!!! This is sum bullcrap!!!! Uncut Bullcrap!”
“Awwww man I am Mad!!!! Truth will come to Light !!! It always does!!!!”
” u should wanna hear from the people that really know the truth!!!”

Chris’ best friend, Moe!:

“have you seen the GMA interview? what are your thoughts on it? >>>SUS”
“he’s career ain’t ova. He made her 2 Wat she is day. Riri just needs away 2. Get her career back up”

Chris’ other best friend, MIJO:

“I’m starting to See How Sus You Are….”

Chris’ friend, Scooter:

“new #TT is…..#hannarihanna”
“like hannamontana is 2 people hannarihanna is her 2nd person that we saw on tv today lying!!!!

Chris’ Friend, Micha @micahfonecheck):

#shame on Rihanna….
“All my followers RT this #shame on Rihanna….”
“How dirty is that 2 wait till he’s about to drop his album 2 come out with this whole victim ish! #shame on Rihanna”

Chris’ dancer,  @Only1Zstarr :

YO THIS RIHANNA INTERVIEW HAVE PISSED ME OFF SHE IS REALLY TRYNA MAKE CHRIS BROWN OUT OF BEING A WOMEN BEATER…. WOW. IF YALL ONLY KNEW!!”
“I WISH DANCER’S CAN SPEAK ABOUT THINGS THAT REALLY GO ON!!!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS.. LET ME JUST SAY CHRIS BROWN WAS PUSHED TO THE EXTREME!”
“HER PEOPLE MADE HER DO THIS INTERVIEW FOR 2 REASON’S….. ALBUM SALES…. AND TO TRY AN KILL CHRIS CAREER!! (WHICH WILL NOT HAPPEN)”
“IN CHRIS INTERVIEW THEY ASK HIM WHAT HAPPEN, HE SAID HE WANT TO KEEP THERE PRIVACY PRIVATE OUT OF RESPECT FOR HER!! (PAUSE)”
“BECAUSE IF HE REALLY SPOKE ON THE REAL OF THE TRUTH!!! I CANT SAY THE REST!

Everyone has a right to their opinion, but let the record show that Rihanna’s career was already leaps and bounds ahead of Chris’ before they linked up.

Check the credits.

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Has it been that many years since I paid attention to R&B singer Angie Stone? I know she changed her image during the promotion of her last album, rocking long straight hair and sleek threads in contrast to her Afro and bohemian threads during albums of the past, but what’s going on here? She seems to be trying to sex up her look (her boobs look like they’re about to jump out of that corset and smack her in the face!).

The picture above is said to be the cover for her upcoming  album “Unexpected.” What do you think of her new look?

Haute Mama

Tina Knowles is pushing out another collection from her line “Miss Tina” which features contemporary dresses, shoes and accessories. Beyonce’s mama presented the collection yesterday on HSN, where it’s available for purchase. The line promises to offer “a taste of couture” and help it’s wearers “transition perfectly from fall to holiday.” She lost me with back in 1998 when she was creating Destiny’s Child’s matchy-matchy dresses and costumes but good for her!

Dwight Packing Heat

Did you see the second part of the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion last night?  I was anticipating less fireworks than last year, especially since I had a feeling that Andy Cohen would ask Kandi about her late fiance AJ’s death –  then, “fifth housewife” Dwight Eubanks came on the stage complaining that he felt like he’d “been in church all day” because of the lack drama. Be careful what you wish for!  The tables quickly turned to Dwight when Kim Zolciak outed him for getting a penile implant.  Surprisingly, Dwight owned up to and even owned it! Think his fiance is happier?

It seems Fantasia is following the Alicia Keys guide to dating.

Fantasia has broken it off with Young Dro and apparently she’s now dating Antwaun Cook. Some have thrown shade for him being a T-Mobile salesman in ‘Tasia’s home state of North Carolina, but most are giving side-eyes because Cook happens to be a married man.

Via the YBF:

Fantasia and Antwaun met the second week of August while he was still living with his wife and 2 young kids. By the end of August, they had been spending a lot of time together at a certain hotel in North Carolina. When she was performing in The Color Purple in Greensboro, NC, he went to spend time with her in close by High Point, NC (where Fanny is from).

Antwaun abruptly left his wife the second week in September, and the next week Fanny had his name tattooed on her shoulder! He went with her to Atlanta for The Color Purple shows she was doing. And the following week, he moved into her Charlotte, NC home where he is currently residing.

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A group called The National Coalition For Men has released a statement that calls on Rihanna to speak out on her alleged violence against Chris Brown.

They feel her lack of admission is a double standard.  The group’s statement reads:

The National Coalition For Men (NCFM) calls on Rihanna to discuss her own reported violence against Brown as well if she wants to shed light on the problem honestly.

According to court records and other sources, Rihanna struck Brown in the face “numerous times” before Brown assaulted her (’http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/768865/rihanna-hit-chris-brow…’). NCFM purports although that would not justify his more severe assault, her violence should not be ignored, and if she does not ‘woman up’ to it then her message will be the usual one-sided double standards that leave female perpetration covered up.

The saying, ‘There is no excuse for domestic violence,’ applies to both sexes. Female violence in relationships is not rare but is often hypocritically deemed acceptable or humorous, such as in the film, Sideways. It is part of the cycle of domestic violence, which cannot be stopped without addressing the problem honestly. Children are damaged just by witnessing domestic violence, regardless of its severity.

If Rihanna sincerely wants to raise awareness about domestic violence, NCFM calls on her to be forthcoming about her own violence and to address the problem honestly.

Although Chris Brown seems to have escaped Rihanna’s violent acts without a scar on his face — do you agree with the group’s criticism of Rihanna or is it unfair?

Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman has been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, fellow group members Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris told CNN.

The illness kept the singer from preforming with the group at the 2009 Soul Train Awards which were taped earlier this week. “He got sick, and it hit him pretty hard,” said Nathan Morris. “We go all over the world really, so I am surprised it hasn’t happened earlier, to be honest. I talked to [Stockman]…and he is doing much better.”

The show must go on: Wanya and Nathan Morris still planned to perform at the awards show as a duo, according to the group’s manager. Boyz II Men has will have a album out in stores this month called Love.

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First there was word of Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri getting back together and now there’s talk that the two are planning to finally get married.

The rumor mill goes:

According to a source close to the couple, Janet Jackson is now planning their wedding. The longtime friends says the two never fell out of love even after calling it quits last summer. Now that they are back together, they are hoping to get married early next year. Apparently, they are rushing their plans to help bring the Jackson family some positivity and joy after Michael’s death. Our source says Janet hopes the wedding will give the family something to smile about.

I imagine a woman who was able to hide a marriage for several years wouldn’t suddenly start blabbing to people who would run off and tell the world her personal business.

Then again, you never know. Janet’s on another attempt at the comeback trail and nothing screams comeback these days like telling your business.

I’ll hold off on congratulating the two until LaToya starts running her mouth, though.

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In recent years the legendary Bill Cosby has ignited controversy over his comments about hip-hop, along with young blacks kids and the parents not raising them.

In a new post on Global Grind, Russell Simmons takes Cosby to task – arguing his words point to his own intolerance, and help fuel the longstanding generational divide among blacks.

Simmons wrote:

There are a lot of great entertainers who do great things. Bill Cosby is one of them. He has always used his voice to right what he thought was wrong. However, I believe that too often Mr. Cosby has wrongly placed the blame.

Bill Cosby is an example of someone from the older generation who has consistently blamed the poets and asked suffering community members to bear the full burden of guilt for the struggles that they endure. It is certainly not that he and the rest of the elders don’t care, because they do. In fact, their intentions are pure and good. All the things they say are actually true. What they don’t understand is that the young people who they criticize did not create their own realities. They did not create the crumbling education system that we school them in. They did not create the drug epidemic and drug wars that have resulted in a dysfunctional family structure. They did not create the health care crisis that does not treat them. They did not create the culture of violence that they fall victim to.

While it is true that each one of us can make a change at any moment, it is equally true that at every minute we are all doing the best we can. If you knew better, you would do better. Therefore, those who care and have resources could/should work to create the kind of support systems that could inspire change.

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After being engaged to Carmelo Anthony for so long, LaLa Vasquez was given a bit of scrutiny over allegedly “setting bad examples” for promoting “shacking up.”

In an interview with A Word For My Sistas, the seemingly soon-to-be but not quite yet Mrs. Carmelo Anthony answered some of her critics.

Onetta: I hear wedding bells in the near future. Are you guys planning a summer wedding?

Lala: We are planning. I honestly don’t have many details yet. I always get asked the question about marriage and being engaged for so long. My answer to that is it has worked this way for us. I’m not saying this is the way for everyone, but we have moved at our own speed and it has worked. People tend to believe since we’ve been engaged for so long that something is up, we are not happy, or my all time favorite one, “he’s never gonna marry her!” Does being married automatically mean two people are happy? Mel and I took the time out to get to know each other, inside and out. We took time to learn about our likes and our dislikes. After having our son, we both feel ready to take that step. It’s very important to us and it’s the example we want to set for our son. Although everyone may not agree, I’m glad we did it this way.

So I can’t pretend to know these two and their relationship, but I can say her wording makes her an easy target. They’re engaged, they have a child together yet they’ve been waiting to get to know each other’s likes and dislikes?

This is after he knocked you up and proposed? LaLa seems sweet, but she needs to go back, reread and rephrase. I don’t think she meant it how it was worded.

But on a warm and fuzzy note:

Onetta: Let’s get a little personal. LOL! You and Mr. Carmelo have been holding it down for a while now? What do you love most about Carmelo?

Lala: I love Melo because he has taught me the importance of not taking certain things so seriously. He always has such a calm spirit, even in the face of heavy turmoil. I admire that about him. I’ve learned so much from just watching him in certain situations. But most importantly, he is a great dad to our son Kiyan. I thank God every night for blessing my son with such a great father. Their relationship is awesome!

Onetta: If I could ask Carmelo what he loves most about you, what do you think he would say?

Lala: I think you would have to ask him that! LOL!

She seems happy, so good for her.

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After a two-year hiatus, the Soul Train Awards will return to the BET-launched channel Centric TV on November 29. In the meantime, we’ve got a few exclusive photos of the event which was taped last night in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia World Congress Center.  There’s much more action to come: Beyonce, Maxwell and Keri Hilson lead the nominations for the awards, hosted by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. Performers like Trey Songz, Chrisette Michelle, Erykah Badu and Brian McKnight, among others will take the stage. Keep your dancing shoes on deck and be sure to tune in to watch later this month. Love, Peace and Soul!

Terrence Howard

Mario

MC Hammer

Brian McKnight

As you know, Muslims and Christians are the Crips and Bloods of religion so rarely if ever will you see the two sides taking a stand together. But there is a force so great that it can bring these two long divisive sides together.

We call that force Beyonce.

Still on her world tour, Beyonce’s about to make her way to Egypt and there are religious critics on both sides who think she’s worshipping the devil like Rihanna.

This Friday Beyonce will take the stage in North Africa at the Red Sea Resort of Port Ghalib.

Here’s what Muslim and Christians are saying about Queen Creole:

Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic movement and staunch opposition of the Mubarak government said the government is trying to divert peoples’ attention from real business of politics by bringing a singer who always appears naked in her video clips to play in Egypt.

Member of Parliament, Hamdi Hassan from the Muslim Brotherhood said: “The government is trying to make people indulge in sin and licentiousness to cover up the other crimes it is committing against them.”

The R&B diva’s stage performances make the eyes tweak. Her provocative dance moves and half-naked outfits could easily stir up reaction from ardent religious and modest people, observers have said. Beyonce who once claimed she is religious and goes to church was quickly slammed by an online Christian group, Jesus-is-saviour.com, “Beyonce is NO Christian. She is satanic, serving the Devil,” it stated.

Poverty is still endemic in Egypt and the ticket fee that has climbed up to US$400 is unreasonable high. Conservative Christians and Muslims in the land of the Pharaoh have questioned what benefit the show brings to the country apart from “immorality”.

Yep, the woman who rarely if ever curses is accused of being Satan’s BFF. Go figure.

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