Grown Woman - Beyoncé (FULL)
Grown Woman in full by Beyoncé
FULL VERSION of GROWN WOMAN - Beyonce
FIREEEEE - love it.Do you? This is an unofficial version and not Beyonce’s version of the song.
My gosh this song is so fierce especially with the Afro-Caribbean drum beats in the background - makes you want to move your hips not to mention the message in the lyrics. Timbaland did a great job with this song. Perfect ladies anthem.
Rihanna Channels Marilyn Monroe
Last night Rihanna took to her instagram page to show us yet another great transformation as Marilyn Monroe. Not many artist can transform themselves many layers and still good gorgeous but this young lady was born special. She’s very photogenic.
Updated: this is a few teasers and outtakes for her upcoming video “Pour it Up”
ALL THE BUZZ about Zoe Saldana
Zoe recently sat down with Bet.com to discuss her new movie Star Trek Into Darkness but the conversation became interesting when issues surrounding her ethnicity, her sexuality and yet again the Nina Simone biopic. Here’s a snippet of what she had to say:
Why she’s sick and tired of talking about her ethnicity and race:
“I find it uncomfortable to have to speak about my identity all of the time, when in reality it’s not something that drives me or wakes me up out of bed every day. I didn’t grow up in a household where I was categorized by my mother. I was just Zoe and I could have and be anything that I ever wanted to do…and every human being is the same as you. So to all of a sudden leave your household and have people always ask you, “What are you? What are you?” is the most uncomfortable question sometimes and it’s literally the most repetitive question. Because I can’t wait to be in a world where people are sized by their soul and how much they can contribute as individuals and not what they look like.
…I feel like as a race, that’s a minute problem against the problems we face just as women versus men, in a world that’s more geared and designed to cater towards the male species.”
On whether or not she has to code-switch when talking about race:
I literally run away from people that use words like ethnic. It’s preposterous! To me there is no such thing as people of color cause in reality people aren’t white. Paper is white. People are pink, it’s a bit ridiculous when I have to explain to a human being, that is an adult like I am, that looks intelligent but for some reason I have to question his intelligence and explain to him as if he was a two year old, my composition in order for him to say, “Oh I guess I can chill with you, I can work with you.” I will not underestimate a human being and I will not allow another human being to underestimate me. I feel like as a race, that’s a minute problem against the problems we face just as women versus men, in a world that’s more geared and designed to cater towards the male species.
That is a situation that, I spend time thinking about, and working towards ending that, I guess we could talk about that.
On the rumors that she is bisexual after her statements in Allure:
“It’s again, I’m telling you, the saddest situation. I encourage every human being to spend one hour a day without categorizing and stereotyping anything, or using any titles. It is almost impossible for us to get through one cache without having to go, ‘Is she Mexican? Is she gay? What kind of car does she drive?’ Our lives are going to slip and we are never going to grow and realize that it’s so much more beauty in this earth and so many more things that are important besides stereotyping ourselves and limiting ourselves just by putting ourselves in little boxes.
That said, I’m an artist and if I was to limit myself as an artist and go, ‘As a an artist, I can only like feminine art because I’m a woman,’ I’d be the stupidest person on earth and I wouldn’t be an artist at all. If I look at beauty, I’m going to love and admire beauty no matter if it comes in the form of a masculine essence or a feminine essence. Beauty is beauty. So, up until now, I’ve known my life to be with men, I’ve been attracted to the male species, but if one day I wake up and I want to be with a woman, I’m going to do that. And I know I am going to be supported by the creatures that have raised me and love me and know me.”
And of course, her thoughts on people being very vocal about their disdain for the lengths she was going to in order to play Nina Simone:
“All I can say is, though it did sting for a bit, that a community that you feel most identified with, would have such a negative backlash and you are at the epicenter of it all, it was very disappointing. But at the same time too, it is understandable. All I can say is the people that came together to do Nina, came together out of love for Nina and that will never be wrong, and I will always stand behind that.”
She made some very VALID POINTS. I understood where she was coming from because I was brought up that way. People who focus on race and ethnicity too often will not understand her points and will critique her and say she’s delusional but the real problem is that the people who think that way need to check themselves in a mirror and understand that their minds are enslaved by society and in order for us to move past it all - we have to fight for equality in every area and do not acknowledge such things when people address us with them, rather consider those people as ignorant. I’ve made such points in the past and people have called me delusional but I do acknowledge their intellect and understanding behind their reality of this world but I don’t have to absorb in into my being. People dislike this woman for all the wrong reasons and most of it has to do with the ignorance of their minds and their education but most importantly not thinking intellectually and as a human being, Check out the full interview and series of videos from her sit-down where she looked visibly uncomfortable over at BET.com.
Congratulations to the American Idol - My Girl Candice Glover
I am so proud of 23yr old Candice Glover who showed everyone that you must never ever give up on your dreams - keep persevering. This girl went out and met her destiny and now she can call herself an American Idol - very inspiring. I’m freaking inspired and so should you too. 3rd times the charm Candice. If you aren’t aware of her story - let’s just say this was her 3rd time auditioning for Idol. This is a huge victory. She has such great vocal range. Sang girl, sang with your dynamite voice.
Now the above performance was definitely was a powerhouse performance. Two of my favorite vocalists - yes it would have been nice if American Idol asked Natalie Cole to sing her own song like I thought initially but I will not be abash to say that I totally enjoyed this performance. And listen, Angie Miller didn’t perform “Titanium” with the original artist either - another favorite song of mine. Critique all you want about J.Hud going overboard but I remember the same when Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston performed “When you believe” on Oscar night, there’s nothing wrong in showcasing your talent even if your light shines brighter than another persons. Don’t ever dim your light to please anyone and to be honest with you - no one outshone the other when it came to the duet between Candice and Jennifer - in fact Jennifer was gracious with her and I could tell she was a fan of Candice. This by far was the best duet of the night. I haven’t watched American Idol through and through in years since J.Hud was voted off and I’m telling you this final was the best by far in 12yrs. Great duets overall: this one top them all after Mariah did her medley of hits “gotta give Mimi her props” then Angie is a close 3rd with Adam Lambert and Jessie J. I’ll say this is the best duet ever on American Idol.
Candice may the force be with you! Well done!
Zoe Saldana Pose Nude on the Cover of Allure
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding actress Zoe Saldana lately, besides her starring in the new Star Trek Into Darkness movie - she recently did a very tastefully nude photo shoot with Allure magazine. What’s great about this shoot is what she had to say about being empowered and embracing the many layers of her sexuality. Here’s what she had to say:
She describes herself as androgynous: She adds that one day she might “end up with a woman raising my children…that’s how androgynous I am!” Does she mean she would be amenable to the idea of raising a child with another woman as her partner? “Yes, I was raised that open.”
On whether or not she’s ever been with a woman: Well the magazine promised to print her response which was “…”
She was asked again for her opinion on her critics about the portrayal of Nina Simone: “Let me tell you, if Elizabeth Taylor can be Cleopatra, I can be Nina—I’m sorry,” says Saldana, her tone not in the least apologetic. “It doesn’t matter how much backlash I will get for it. I will honor and respect my black community because that’s who I am.”
The social issue that she finds most appalling “Patriarchy”: The actress is actually far less concerned about her skin shade than about being what she calls “a woman in a man’s world.” She says, “It’s hard enough to be a woman on this earth. So to be an American or black or Latina, it’s arbitrary compared to our battles as women.”
On being self-empowered: Saldana has found a balance of ambition and self-acceptance. “Now, in the last few years of my life, I’m actually claiming what I want and not being afraid that I’m jinxing it, that it might not happen, that I might be disappointed if it doesn’t happen,” she says. “It’s OK to say, ‘This is what I want’—and go after it. And if it doesn’t happen, it’s OK. Be a reasonable person with yourself.”
This is why I love her as a person. Raw and in your face. She looks absolutely GORGEOUS.
Update: In a recent interview with Hollyscoop she confirmed again her statement about her sexuality by saying: “No, it wasn’t a generalization. It was a statement that I strongly stand by. As of today, I’ve been attracted to the male species, but if one day I wake up and want to be with a woman, I will do that because it is my life, therefore it is my decision.”
MORE POWER TO HER
Dirty Laundry
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Explicit lyrics above from Ms. Kelly Rowland, sometimes that the only way to tell a story. This is the most honest and down to earth song she’s made thus far in her career. Sometimes we cannot judge a book by it’s cover. We do not know the secrets we all hide from the world. All that glitz isn’t gold. Don’t be fooled people. More power to her. I am happy she was able to survive it all and she’s a very strong woman. Hopefully, someone will be inspired to make the change from her story of abuse and story of having negative feelings towards Beyonce success. We’ve all had the green eye monster raised inside of us for some reason - as long as you acknowledge it and can move pass it - there’s nothing to be ashamed of - we all have a dark side inside of us and we’ve all explore it.
Censored Lyrics
While my sister was on stage killing it like a mother
I was enraged feelin’ it like a mother
Bird in the cage, you would never know what I was dealing
we went our separate ways but I was happy she was killing it
Bittersweet, she was up I was down.
No lie I feel good for her, but what do I do now?
Meanwhile, this n-gga putting his hands on me
swear y’all don’t know the half of this industry.
Chorus
Let’s do this dirty laundry, this dirty laundry.
Let’s do this dirty laundry, this dirty laundry.
When you’re soaked in tears for years, it never airs out
When you make pain look this good it never wears out
It’s dirty laundry, dirty laundry
And it’s almost been a decade, I’m behind them black shades
Roll up like it’s all good, riding in that Escalade
Fix my make up, get it together Kelly get it together
Then we make up, we’ll get it together, get it together
Kind of lucky I was in her shadow.
Phone call from my sister. What’s the matter?
She said Oh no, You’ve got to leave.
I’m on the kitchen floor. He took the keys
I was mad at everybody. I mean everybody.
Yea her her her, everybody
Five years later, I got my sh-t down pat.
Think I had it good and they don’t know how bad.
Fooled everybody except myself.
Soaking in this hurt, bathing in this hurt.
[Chorus]
So here I am in this spin cycle,
We coming and we going, nobody could notice
I was trapped in this house lying to my mama
Thought it could get no worse as we maximized the drama.
Started to call them people on him, I was battered.
He hit the window like it was me until it shattered.
He pulled me out and said “Don’t nobody love you but me
not yo mama, not your daddy and especially not Bey”
He turned me against my sister, I missed ya!
[Chorus]
Ooh la la Solange is a COVER GIRL for Complex Magazine
Solange graces the cover for the June/July issue of Complex Magazine. In it she discusses her life, her change in direction with her music and how she managed to conquer the music industry on her own terms. She also announced today via twitter that she hashed out a deal with Sony to distribute her music through her new label Saint Records where she will have complete creative control. Solange has some killer legs which she showcased in the magazine while taking some gorgeous pictures. Going from mainstream to indie has done great for her career. One important thing she talks about in the mag was her journey in finding her kindred spirit in music so she could make some great music - she compared this to the Timberland and Missy Elliott era with Aaliyah just like Bert Bacharach did with Dionne Warwick and Janet Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She found her musical soul mate in Dev Hynes her producer. Here are some snippets from the itnerview:
On how her 4th grade teacher empowered her: One day, she wore a “full-on Native American outfit” to Will Rogers Elementary School in Houston. “I had my own little quirks as a child,” Solange says. “I had a very vivid imagination, mostly through my style and fashion choices. The kids had a lot to say.” Her fourth-grade teacher, Miss Bethann, found Solange on the verge of tears in her Pocahontas costume outside of the classroom and gave her a lesson that stuck with her: “Don’t you ever, ever bend or break because of who you are.”
On her rebellion towards the music industry:
“I wanted to make all of the creative artistic decisions but I wasn’t the one paying for it. And they didn’t fully trust me to make them,” she says. “Every decision was a battle. It was exhausting. I wanted to be in a position where not only was the music fully my body of work, but everything thereafter was also my body of work. I knew that meant I had to leave and that I had to struggle.”
On how her parents motivates her career:
“I have a mother who never took no for an answer when it came to her creative pursuits,” Solange says. “She started a hair salon in her spare bedroom and four years later had 30 employees. I have a father who was the first black student at his junior high and high school and had to do a lot to get to that point. So it’s really in my bloodline when it comes to having an idea and making it happen.”
On her writing and recording process with Hynes: “We were either staying in a rented house or he was staying with me, my boyfriend, and my son. Everything that happened on this record was literally waking up, him usually before me, going and creating the bones to the track and then me rolling over and hearing it while I’m fixing breakfast. When you’re making music like that, where it’s a natural extension of your day, it’s so much more enjoyable,” Solange says. “I remember being in writing sessions and having to put disclaimers out every time I was about to share something. You need to be in a space where you can just say, ‘All right. This is what I’m feeling.’”
On how she balances her crazy career with motherhood: “When I’m home, I’m just straight mommin’ it,” Solange says of life in Brooklyn, which revolves around 8-year-old Juelz. “School runs, play dates, soccer games, etc. You have to constantly fight for that balance and now I kinda got it under control.”
It’s lovely how her industry friends speaks highly of her in the interview. She’s a rare gem and has a beautiful spirit about her.
Read more of her interview and see more pics - go here: http://www.complex.com/music/2013/05/solange-june-july-2013-cover-story/page/1
She tweeted this afternoon:
Super stoked to announce I’ve started my own label, SAINT RECORDS,where I’ll be releasing my music & other projects distributed through SONY! Through Saint Records I will have 100% creative/artistic control & continue to passionately pursue my footing in this new musical movement.
Congrats Solange
Solange - Looks Good With Trouble feat. Kendrick Lamar
Solange - Looks Good With Trouble feat. Kendrick Lamar Available in iTunes Now:
Solange is asking for trouble in love … she’s tempted and I love it. Enjoy her new song with Kendrick Lamar …
A SHOW OF BRAVERY: ANGELINA JOLIE talks DOUBLE MASTECTOMY
Angelina Jolie penned an inspiring Open Letter in the New York Times op-ed column about her recent decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy. If we aren’t already aware, let me remind you that her mother Marcheline Bertrand died at age 56 because of Ovarian Cancer so it was rather cautious on her part to obtain genetic information on her likelihood of contracting the disease especially being a mother of six gorgeous children. Jolie’s doctors estimated that because she had the BRCA1 gene, it increased her likelihood of by 87% of developing Breast Cancer and also a 50% chance of developing Ovarian Cancer. In facing her reality, she chose the more complexed surgery and the one with the greatest risk.
She Wrote: Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.
On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.
She went on to give details on how supportive her partner Brad Pitt’s was: “Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries,” she says. “We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.
I am glad that Angelina was proactive in her decision but I do hope that we are aware that she made it public to show that we as women have options. She did not write with the intention of making us feel pressured to make such a decision if we have reach such a cross road. Do what makes you feel comfortable, remember we are all going to die and we all have a reason why we choose to do whatever it takes to stay alive for as long as we can. Another positive message we can take from this article is to get tested even though insurance companies may not cover this type of testing. If we can sacrifice to make other non-necessities a priority in our lives, we should be able to make sacrifices for the cost of this type of testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to save our lives. I too, am an advocate for putting your health first and Angelina is admirable for sharing the same sentiments so publicly. Such a powerful message.
Still ladies, if you do decide to take this route remember what Angelina stated which we all should all know and believe that if you had to do this surgery, it in no way diminishes your femininity. So go get check up as soon as possible and as often as possible. The positive is that you can always get implants. I know the pain of watching someone with cancer; breast, ovarian, intestinal and lung cancer and I know the pain of those who pass away from all of these forms of cancer. the after effects of those close to me who believe that someone has gone too soon because of the disease.
I also love the fact that she acknowledges holistic physicians for their work in this area because they too deserve as much praise as medical doctors for their work in the field.
I must add that I commend the Health Professionals at The Pink Lotus Breast Cancer Center for showing how true professionals in the health field are suppose to behave because nowadays it appears that privacy in that respect is dead. We hear about so many people who enter hospital and their complications, procedures and progress before hearing from them which is beyond disbelief.
Thank you Angelina for raising awareness. I deeply admire this woman.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=OP_MMC_20130514&_r=0
Update Brad Pitt’s Response to Public Support: “Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”
Love is Beautiful.