Beyoncé - "Schoolin' Life"

J.R. Taylor Choreography

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

“Bed Intruder Song” crooner Antoine Dodson more than earned his extended 16th minute of fame by performing in New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom last night at the Webby Awards in a flowing strawberry-blonde wig. Joining the half-in-drag songbird on stage were the Gregory Brothers, who shifted gears and offered up a surprisingly soulful arrangement of the 2010 viral smash. Watch the magic unfold below!

Lisa Kudrow, a Best Individual Performance in An Online Video winner for Web Therapy, hosted the 15th annual Webby Awards.

Music-related winners included no-show Justin Bieber (Best Comedy Video) for last year’s April Fool’s Day takeover of FunnyorDie.com (guess Rebecca Black will just have to wait till next year) and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, who won Artist Of The Year.

But, really, it was all about this:

Angelina Jolie (Louis Vuitton)As enjoyable as those full page ads of Sean Connery looking entirely too comfortable are, Louis Vuitton has nevertheless picked a considerably better-looking new face of the brand: Angelina Jolie. 

The 36-year-old had her first ad with the company's "Core Values" campaign released online on Monday, and in it you can see the actress relaxing on a wooden boat in Cambodia, barefoot and beautiful. The picture was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, and the ad is set to run in various publications for 18 months, starting this Wednesday. 

In an effort to showcase a "real moment," a tranquil looking Jolie is pictured wearing no makeup, her own clothes and an old Alto bag she's owned for years. There's no word on how much she was paid to do the ad, but we can assume it was enough to buy a new purse. 

G.O.O.D. Music rapper Big Sean had his official release party for his album “Finally Famous” at the Standard in New York City. He was styled in the latest bomber jacket from the Balenciaga Spring 2011 collection, a custom Balmain Belt, and a pair of anthracite colored Balencaiga sneakers ($545). Kanye West was there showing his support wearing a custom snake sprint Mitchell & Ness Dallas Mavericks snapback, a navy shawl collared jacket, his favorite Balmain jeans, and what are most likely a pair of Velvet Stubbs and Wootton velvet slippers.

Lil Wayne and Chris Brown are showing appreciation for their fans by releasing new mixtapes over the next few months.


Before his highly-anticipated album Tha Carter IV arrives on August 29, Young Money’s MVP will whet appetites with a new mixtape called Sorry 4 the Wait. YM president Mack Maine confirmed the news. “BREAKING NEWS!!! Lil Wayne mixtape ‘SORRY 4 THE WAIT’ coming soon!!!!!” he wrote.

Weezy’s “Look at Me Now” collaborator Chris Brown also announced that he is pondering another mixtape before his next album. “Before my Fortune album drop ima put out a hip hop mixtape. Well, still kinda debating,” said the “Deuces” singer, who released three mixtapes in 2010.

Both artists have a big summer ahead. Lil Wayne will launch the second leg of his “I Am Still Music” tour in July, while Chris is scheduled to perform at the BET Awards and “Today” show concert series on July 15.

Natalie Portman (Bauer Griffin)Natalie Portman has yet another reason to celebrate: She and her fiancé Benjamin Millepied are the parents of a baby boy.

People confirmed the story on Tuesday, offering no further details on the birth, nor on the child's name. He arrives almost exactly six months after Portman announced both her pregnancy and her engagement to Millepied, whom she met on the set of Black Swan.

In February, Portman accepted an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in the Darren Aronofsky-directed thriller. She tearfully thanked her partner during her speech, saying, "My beautiful love, Benjamin, who has now given me the most important role of my life."

Monday, June 6, 2011

She is beautiful. She is creative. She is talented. She is Solange. As she continues to expand her brand. Seen here as the newest face of Rimmel London, Solange is now being appreciated for more than her musical talents.

I love that Rimmel London chose an individual like Solange in that she will never compromise her character for the green eyed monster a.k.a. Fame. There is nothing more important that being authentic to self.

Solange has never looked more stunning.

Now bring on the damn music…

Big Boi’s daughter Jordan Patton is following in her father’s musical footsteps. For her 16th birthday, the OutKast rapper gave her her own label Purple Ribbon Kidz to which she will sign and develop the next superstars. The father and daughter celebrated the launch with a party at Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta over the weekend. The first signee, 13-year-old YouTube discovery Gabbie Rae, performed along with teen acts Audio (formerly B5), Cypress, and Von Grey.

“She just has an ear for music,” the proud papa told Atlanta’s 11 Alive. “She listens to everything ’cause I listen to everything.”

Check out some of the young talent who came out for the celebration.




We’ve known for quite some time that Nicole Scherzinger has talent, but that didn’t stop her from appearing on Britain’s Got Talent to prove it once more. The bamboo-fondling songbird wore a short white swan-like dress to perform Killer Love single “Right There,” sans 50 Cent. We wonder if being recruited as an X Factor judge has made the retro American in Paris a bit more critical of her own live performances? See it below.

As any major pop diva can tell you, one disc is just not sufficient for a girl to run the world these days. That’s why Beyonce is giving the deluxe edition of her upcoming album 4 the Sasha Fierce treatment, adding “1 + 1″ and giving fans a second disc filled with bonus content to enjoy ’til the end of time. In addition to three additional songs from Beyonce, we’ll get three remixes of “Run The World (Girls).” Meaning, if you don’t buy Bey’s deluxe edition, it just might be the best thing you never had. See the full track listing below.

DISC ONE

1. 1+1
2. I Care
3. I Miss You
‎4. Best Thing I Never Had
5. Party (Featuring Andre 3000)
6. Rather Die Young
7. Start Over
8. Love On Top
9. Countdown
10. End of Time
11. I Was Here
‎12. Run The World (Girls)

DISC TWO


1. Lay Up Under Me
2. Schoolin’ Life
3. Dance For You
4. Run The World (Girls) (Kaskade Club Remix)
5. Run The World (Girls) (RedtopClub Remix)
6. Run The World (Girls) (Jochen Simms Club Remix)

Beyoncé is kicking it old school. The singing superstar pays homage to hip-hop legends Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh on one of the records off her upcoming album 4.


“Party,” a collaboration with André 3000, reportedly samples “La Di Da Di,” the 1985 classic by the hip-hop pioneers. The original record contains the unmistakable lyrics, “La di da di, we like to party.”

Other samples on the June 28 release include Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor” on lead single “Run the World (Girls)” and Boyz II Men’s slow jam “Uhh Ahh” on “Countdown.” OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder (“Halo”) recently revealed that he produced the career-defining “I Was Here” with hitmaker Diane Warren, while songwriters Ester Dean and Frank Ocean also confirmed that their contributions made the cut.

If you're done drooling over one shirtless Rick Ross, and after you've chosen a side on the whole Amber Rose vs. VIBE magazine debacle, might we suggest flipping through the mag's Sexy Issue to Cassie's white hot spread. The sky diving songbird poses like the fierce little minx she is in this sultry photo spread. Will you be picking up a copy when the music publication hits news stands tomorrow?

Kristen Stewart (Getty Images)It's a big night for Twihards: The Breaking Dawn trailer is now online! The clip was supposed to air later in the evening at the MTV Video Awards, but it leaked hours before the big show.


And, it's official. The MTV Twitter feed posted about the leak: "Hey Twihards, totally not blaming @Twilight's awesome fans, we heart you guys. Mistakes happen...all good! Still have surprises in store :)" read the post.
So what's on the clip? Lots of juicy stuff! It shows reactions from Jacob and Bella's dad after her and Edward's wedding invitations go out, and there's even some footage of their big day, honeymoon, and -- gasp! -- Bella's pregnant belly!

The movie's stars will be on hand during the awards show tonight for more "surprises."

See the Breaking Dawn trailer here:

Everyone from Da Brat to R. Kelly has remixed Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation.” Now comes the official remix featuring Busta Rhymes, Trey Songz, and Fabolous. Bussa Buss takes it to the bedroom with a rapid-fire verse (“Lay you down and quickly taste your cream filling”), Trey coos sweet nothings in a falsetto (“Got your heels in the air”), and Loso shuts his mouth in Kelly’s presence. This one will definitely make mama proud.

Looks like Jennifer Aniston had two special dates to an MTV Movie Awards afterparty Sunday night: her Horrible Bosses costar – and her new beau.

The actress, 42, kept close company at the Soho House bash in West Hollywood with Jason Sudeikis, 35, and Justin Theroux, 39, whom she began dating in May.

The new couple also spent the weekend together in Los Angeles, grabbing dinner Thursday at Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood and mingling with Kristin Chenoweth, Rachel Zoe, Ryan Reynolds and David Spade.

Lauryn Hill (Getty)On Saturday, performer Lauryn Hill revealed to a Detroit, Michigan audience that she's expecting her sixth child this year.

In April, Hill had hinted during a Los Angeles Club Nokia performance that she might be with child, saying, "I keep having these children. I don't know if I'm the most fertile woman in America. I've got five big children, you believe that? If you ask anybody I went to high school with, they'd be like puzzled. Wait till you hear the big secret though."

Interestingly enough, pregnancy doesn't seemed to have slowed Lauryn's performance schedule in the least. Just this weekend, it was announced that she'd be headlining Northern California's largest hip-hop festival, Rock the Bells, in August.

Salma Hayek attended the French Open in Paris with her husband wearing a Yves Saint Laurent Ruffle Skirt from the Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection. She was also carrying a matching Yves Saint Laurent Chyc Cabas black bag ($1,995) that is made from sheepskin leather and has a “Y” magnetic closure.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Raise your glass to rowdy pop mom Pink and her motorcross husband Carey Hart, who welcomed daughter Willow Sage Hart into the world. “We are ecstatic to welcome our new beautiful healthy happy baby girl, Willow Sage Hart. She’s gorgeous, just like her daddy. #beyondblessed,” 31-year-old Pink tweeted last night. This is the first child for the “F**kin’ Perfect” singer and her 35-year-old husband. Pink first announced her pregnancy on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last November when she confessed, “I’m eating for two these days.” Congrats, you two!

“Price Tag” diva Jessie J hit the stage on Britain’s Got Talent last night and tore the roof off the joint with an energetic, big band-esque performance of her Who You Are track “Mama Knows Best.” Perhaps it was a bid to get Adele-leaning tween finalist Ronan Parke to belt out one of her songs, as well? Whatever the case, Jessie came across like a woman possessed by all that is sassy and soulful. Watch below!

With the backlash she’s facing from the Parents Television Council, Rihanna called in to BET’s “106 & Park” to further address the controversy surrounding her “Man Down” video. Taking a break from tour rehearsals in Baltimore, RiRi explained the video’s concept and why she chose to include a murder scene.

“I don’t like to just make videos. I love to make an experience and this is art with a message,” she told hosts Terrence and Rocsi. “Obviously [the character is] not a cold-blooded killer. It has to be something so offensive and we decided to hone in on a very serious matter that people are afraid to address.”

Her intention was to send a strong message for women who have been victimized. “Rape is happening all over the world and right in our own home and we continue to cover it up and pretend it doesn’t happen,” she explained. “I personally don’t condone violence or murder. I’ve been abused in the past and you don’t see me running around killing people in my spare time. I just want girls to be careful.”

Listen to the full interview below.

  

  

  

  

The Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks weren’t the only ones squaring off on Thursday night. Chris Brown and Tyler, the Creator infiltrated Twitter timelines with a heated exchange of words.

“All this demonic music is wack as shit!” wrote Chris earlier in the day. “I never claim to be no saint but by no means am I trying to promote death, violence,and destruction with my music!”

It wasn’t long before his followers began guessing who he was talking about. Some assumed it was former girlfriend Rihanna after her controversial “Man Down” video, but Breezy insisted otherwise, writing, “And for all the idiots in the audience this convo wasn’t for @rihanna.”

Odd Future frontman Tyler, the Creator jumped in thinking the subliminal shots were aimed at him. “Why Is Chris Brown Talking So Much Shit About Metallica? Weird,” he tweeted before cracking jokes about Chris’ blond hair. “Ni**a Look Like A Box Of Pops.”

The “She Ain’t You” singer fired back at Tyler and his fellow OFWGKTA member Hodgy Beats, writing, “Never mentioned @fucktyler or any of them Ni**as! General statement and your hype man hodgy caught feelings! #niggasthatfeelguilty.”

But despite their war of words, Tyler maintains there is no beef. “Its No Beef Between Me And @chrisbrown . I Really Like That Fucking Song Tho ['Look at Me Now'], No Being Sarcastic,” he said before throwing in one last jab. “@chrisbrown Do You Like Soup? Cause You’re Acting Like It.”

Read their lengthy series of tweets below.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Clarice Taylor, who played Bill Cosby's mother on The Cosby Show, died on Monday at age 93.

She succumbed to heart failure and was surrounded by family when she passed.

Taylor earned an Emmy nomination in 1986 for her recurring role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable's mother, Anna Huxtable, on the long-running sitcom.

A performer on stage, radio, TV and film for over five decades, the actress was a member of the New York stage group, the Negro Ensemble Company, and helped to pave the way for African-American actors in the early 1960s.

Her own big break came that decade when she landed the role of Harriet, David's grandmother, on Sesame Street. She also starred alongside Liza Minnelli in 1970's Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon and played Grady's Cousin Emma on Sanford and Son.

Taylor is survived by her two sons, William and James, and her five grandchildren.

Though Beyonce sharpens her claws when talking about a former almost-flame on her new track “Best Thing I Never Had”, the pop star is all smiles on the cover of Essence magazine’s July issue. In the cover story, Bey promotes her fourth studio album 4 and discusses “the year that changed my life” – could that be the year she met husband and collaborator Jay-Z? The year she broke off from Destiny’s Child to become her own chart topping solo act? Leave your best guesses in the comments.

Diane Warren has written some of the biggest pop songs of all time, but she calls her latest work for Beyoncé her best yet.


“I just wrote something a week and a half ago that Beyoncé recorded and I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written,” the Grammy-winning songwriter told PopWrap. “She sang it amazingly. I think it’s a career song and probably my favorite thing I’ve ever written … right now.”

While she’s worked with greats including Celine Dion, Aerosmith, and Mariah Carey, she feels the Beyoncé record has the potential to become her next big hit. “I think it’s really, really going to touch people.”

Warren, noted for her big ballads, has been eyeing a collaboration with B. “I love great singers. I love someone new and exciting,” she said. “I’ve wanted to work with Beyoncé since Destiny’s Child and it took this long, but this was the right song, the right time.”

Warren’s contribution is expected to appear on Beyoncé’s upcoming album 4, due June 28.

Expect the unexpected … and the outrageous from talk show host and author Chelsea Handler, who will be one of the stars presenting at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards this year.

Joining Handler at the show, which will air live (9 p.m. ET) on June 5, is Black Swan star Mila Kunis, whose smooch with Natalie Portman is nominated for best kiss this year, and her That '70s Show costar, Ashton Kutcher.

In the kissing category, Kunis will be up against Inception's Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Kristen Stewart, who's up twice for her lip-locks with Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which has a total of eight nominations.

Jason Bateman and Charlie Day will also present an award at the show, which will broadcast from the Gibson Theatre in Los Angeles with actors' Horrible Bosses costar, Saturday Night Live's Jason Sudekis, as the host.