Diddy Tops Forbes’ Hip Hop’s 5 Wealthiest Artists List
Sean “Diddy” Combs ranks No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists with an estimated fortune of $700 million, an increase of $120 million over his net worth last year. The change comes largely from the addition of Revolt TV—the new, music-focused, multi-platform channel of which he’s the majority owner—to his already-hefty portfolio. “Right now my focus is Revolt and making it the number one, most-trusted, most credible worldwide brand for music,” he told FORBES in a recent interview. “And to get Revolt to be the quintessential definition of real time. I think that’s the future.”
Diddy is also set to give this year’s commencement speech at Howard University, his alma mater (although he eventually dropped out). Diddy will also receive an honorary degree for being a trailblazer in his field. Last year, after he donated $250,000 to The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, he told the aspiring, young business owners:
I understood that it was being an entrepreneur, I understood that that was my career path. Being an entrepreneur means freedom, it means independence. It means being invested and believing in myself.[…]I did the research and did the work to make sure that I was a master in whatever category I went into, too. If I went into apparel, I wanted to know everything about that. I went into spirits, so I knew everything about that. I’m starting Revolt, and I’m still learning on that one. [Laughs] But it’s about starting a brand, which I’m a specialist at.
I think it’s easier now [to start a company]. Over the years, entrepreneurs — people take it as a serious career and respect entrepreneurs, because they’re risk takers. Now people celebrate entrepreneurship.
Before, it was just, ‘That guy’s crazy! He needs to get a real job!’
Ciara: My Pregnancy is a Blessing
Finally last year’s worst kept secret is out. Ciara is pregnant with rapper, Future’s baby! She stopped by The View earlier this week to formally announce the good news. When my time comes, I can only hope that pregnancy looks half as good on me as it does on Cici! We really have to hand it to her. Most women would have a difficult time having a baby with a man who already has three children from three different women, but the singer is actually handling the complicated terrain with grace. Future’s first child — a son, now 11 years old — was mothered by Jessica Smith, who recently demanded more child support from the rapper. Future has also reportedly fathered children with two other women named Brittni Mealy and India J. Ciara has actually reached out to — and met up with — Brittni and India.
After confirming her pregnancy on The View, she made her way over to Huffington Post Live where she sat down for a one-on-one chat with social commentator Marc Lamont Hill. The mommy-to-be was glowing with positivity as she dished on her new pregnancy and the baby’s gender. She also dished on bonding with the monthers of Future’s kids, finding love and her maternity style.
On her pregnancy: It really is a blessing. It’s the most exciting time in my life. I’m really excited, like a little kid. You know when the kids are getting ready for Christmas and you can’t wait to see what’s under the tree? (more…)
2014 Will be Breakout Year for Female Entrepreneurs
For a little January inspiration, let’s take a look at Forbes’ Most Powerful Female Entrepreneurs List released last year. Although I’m a bit disappointed that not a single African woman made the list, I’m still happy that women worldwide are shaking things up in this male dominated world. According to Forbes, 2014 will be a breakout year for women entrepreneurs (and they list 11 reasons why). The number of $10-million-plus women-owned firms increased by 57% — a growth rate nearly 50% more than $10-million-plus firms overall.
On the list was Sara Blakely, (pictured above), the founder of SPANX. At 29 Blakely invested her entire life savings, $5,000, trying to come up with something flattering to wear under her white slacks. Six months later the one-time Disney World ride greeter and door-to-door fax machine salesperson found her new line of shaping underwear named one of Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things. Since then Blakely has taken Spanx from a one-product wonder sold out of her Atlanta apartment to a powerhouse with $250 million in annual revenues and net profit margins estimated at 20%. (more…)
Idris Elba Set to Play Nelson Mandela in Biopic
2012 has began in a big way for Brit actor Idris Elba. With rumours that his hit show Luther may be headed to the big screen, Idris has now signed on to play the role of Nelson Mandela, in an official biographical film about the iconic South African human rights leader. The film will be based on the book Long Walk to Freedom, penned by Mandela himself, and will begin filming later this year.
Doing the press rounds for “Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance,” Idris Elba caught up with HipHollywood and revealed that later this year, he’ll start lensing on another Mandela project. “My big project this year, I’m gonna go play Nelson Mandela in ‘Long Walk To Freedom’, an autobiographical work written by Nelson Mandela himself, which highlights his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison… That’s where my head is geared to this summer,” he said. Will Smith and Denzel Washington had been considered for the role, NME reports, but in the end, it appears as though the best man has won big. (more…)
IMAN Cosmetics Partners With Somali Twin Sisters
Supermodel and cosmetics guru Iman has announced IMAN Cosmetics’ partnership with Mataano, the chic fashion design label with a global flavor. Mataano, founded by Somali twin sisters Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim, will debut its new partnership during their Fall 2012 runway show with IMAN as the lead sponsor. “I saw in the twins the drive and inspiration I had at that point in my life. Our shared Somali background and creative visions are a natural fit,” Iman, CEO and Founder of IMAN Cosmetics said in a press statement. “We’re confident this is just the beginning of a successful and thriving partnership,” Iman added. “I’m grateful to have reached a certain point in my life and career where I can inspire young, motivated women to follow their dreams, take a risk, and never accept defeat.”
As part of the new partnership, the Mataano founders will become brand ambassadors for IMAN. They will also work with the brand to assist with future global events, Fashion Week shows, a limited editorial color collection and IMAN’s Fall 2012 campaign.
“It’s an honor to represent and have the support of a makeup giant like IMAN Cosmetics,” Idyl Mohallim said in a statement. “IMAN Cosmetics is about providing options for all different shades of skin and acknowledging and addressing variety in beauty and cosmetics.” Her sister, Ayaan, also stressed the importance of ensuring that their runway models represent the diversity of Mataano’s brands and that the support of IMAN would assist in completing that look.
Originally from Somalia, Ayaan and Idyl relocated to Washington D.C. with their family for a better life. (more…)
R.I.P. Whitney Houston…
I knew I was going to have to write this but had no idea how I would begin. I guess I should just start with the fact that the legendary Whitney Houston is dead. She is gone and I, for one, am already missing her terribly. I never ever stopped rooting for Whitney, even when it seemed she was down and out. I was one of the happiest people for her when she made her come-back, and I honestly believed that she would scale even greater heights. So when my husband woke me up on Sunday morning to tell me she was gone, I cried. I cried because of the wasted potential and talent she still had to share with us, with me…
Whitney passed away on Saturday 11/02/2012 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Police say there were no obvious signs of foul play. Whitney was found just before 4pm PST by a bodyguard in the bathtub of her suite at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Police found bottles of prescription pills in her room, including Xanax. According to reports, Whitney always took Xanax for anxiety before big shows to relax (if taken with alcohol it can cause sedation). At the time, her stylist, hairdresser and two bodyguards were in her room and became worried after she was in the bathroom for over an hour. Her hairdresser went to check on her (more…)
VH1 Working on TLC Biopic
How excited am I? Finally we’ll get to know the story behind the story of TLC! Man, I loved this group. They almost had me going to school with condoms plastered all over my uniform! During a recent interview with LSO radio, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins revealed VH1’s plans to do a biopic on the legendary girl group.
Yes… TLC is doing a movie. They’re starting to do movies on VH1. So they’re doing icons and legends and we’re the first of the movies to be picked. Yaaaay!
It’s exciting. It’s like Waterfalls being made, it’s scary. Like ‘Oh My God.. if I tell you my story are you gonna do it right?’
I almost wanted to do it like The Jacksons’… break it down into like 5 episodes or something cause we have so much stuff….
According to Rodney Ho of the AJC, it was Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas’ ties to VH1 through her now defunct, “What Chilli Wants” dating reality show that opened the door for TLC’s story to be told. VH1 has also confirmed that they will be doing a scripted biopic about the Atlanta-based girl group: (more…)
Kim Kardashian Voted Most Annoying Celebrity
Kim Kardashian has been named the ‘most annoying’ celebrity in a new poll. The reality TV star was voted just above Charlie Sheen and Jersey Shore‘s Snooki into the top position with 29% of the total vote. Charlie Sheen followed close behind with 27 percent and Snooki was in third with 21 percent. Lindsay Lohan was voted into fourth place in the list, with entrepreneur and Apprentice host Donald Trump and Bachelor star Brad Womack completing the chart. It’s unclear exactly how large the sample size was for this poll, but I know quite a few people who are allergic to anything Kardashian, including yours truly.
That’s not all the bad news for Kim. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, she landed at No. 7 on a most unpopular celebrities list, far behind the top vote-getter, Paris Hilton. This suggests that: a) being famous and annoying and being famous and unpopular are slightly different things, or b) Kardashian’s approval rating has plummeted since her wedding to Kris Humphries. I think she’s always been exceptionally annoying but that’s just me 🙂
Other useful facts we learn from the Parade/Yahoo poll: (more…)
Common Shares Kidnapping Ordeal in New Book
I love Common… well I love him alot. Of course his good looks play a part, but he also comes across like an intelligent person who I could actually have fun hanging out with (that would be the day)! Along with his rapping and acting, he has added author to his many hats.
Common gives us an inside look into his life with his new book, “One Day It’ll All Make Sense.” In the memoir, he takes his readers through a series of events and relationships that have helped shape him into the man he is today. In the prologue, he explains a devastating event as a kid, where his father kidnapped him and his mother at gun point and attempted to drive them across country. Check out this excerpt:
When I was eighteen months old, my mother and I were kidnapped at gunpoint. My father held the gun. (more…)
Beyonce Announces Pregnancy
Beyonce made a HUGE announcement while walking the red carpet of the MTV Music Video Music Awards tonight. She grabbed her stomach while telling the paparazzi that she and Jay are expecting. MTV Tweeted:
“OMG Beyonce just made a huge announcement on the #vma carpet! #baby!!!!!”
She also confirmed her pregnancy while performing during the show. Before she started singing ‘Love on Top Of Me’, she said to the audience, ‘I Want You To Feel The Love That’s Growing Inside Of Me’. As her performance wrapped, she threw down the mic, opened her jacket and rubbed her stomach while Jay-z and Kanye celebrated in the audience. Jay also turned to the stage and saluted her which made for a classic VMA moment.
Rumors of Beyonce possibly being with child sparked up weeks ago during her ‘4 Intimate Nights with Beyonce’ concert when she held her stomach during a part of her set during the second night of the series.
Vivica Fox Unleashes Diva Attitude in South Africa
Vivica Fox seems to have packed her huge ego into her suitcase when she left the States for South Africa. Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, invited South African celebrities, sportsmen and women, and politicians to help him welcome international stars Brandy, Vivica A. Fox, Regina King, Sugar Ray Leonard and more to the country ahead of the South African Sports Awards on Sunday when the international celebrities will be presenting awards.
Just hours after arriving in the country, US actress Vivica A Fox threw a tantrum of note at local celebrities including Live presenter Bonang Matheba, Minnie Dlamini and Terry Pheto at Randlords, in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. (more…)
Hip Hop’s Top 20 Earners in 2011
It’s that time again when Forbes releases their annual Cash Kings of Hip Hop list. For the third year in a row, Jay-Z tops the list with an estimated revenue of $37 million in the last year. Jay-Z who unveiled his long-awaited collaboration with Kanye West – Watch the Throne this week, continues to reap the benefits of a 10-year $150 million Live Nation deal, as well as stakes in the New Jersey Nets, the 40/40 Club chain, ad firm Translation and others. This year marked the first time he out-earned wife Beyonce since their marriage in 2008. In last year’s list, his earnings were estimated at $63 million.
Touring was one of the many revenue streams they looked at to come up with the Cash Kings list, which charts pretax earnings for all living artists whose work is primarily classified as hip-hop or rap. The estimates also include income from record sales, digital downloads, films, merchandise sales, endorsements, books and other ventures; management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted. Earnings were calculated for the period from May 2010 to May 2011 and based on data from Pollstar, Nielsen SoundScan, the RIAA and individual record labels, as well as interviews with numerous lawyers, media buyers, managers and many of the artists themselves.
Check out who else made the list after the break. (more…)
Julia Roberts’ Lancome Ad Banned in the UK
Julia Roberts’ latest ad is so smooth, it’s been banned. U.K.’s Advertising Standards Agency has banned the above Lancome ad featuring the actress after complaints that it’s misleading. I’m kinda shocked because I thought everyone knew that all these beauty ads are photoshopped and airbrushed…
L’Oréal’s ad featuring Roberts, who is the face of Lancôme, promoted a foundation called Teint Miracle, which it claims creates a “natural light” that emanates from beautiful skin. It was shot by renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino. Now seriously, is there anything in this world that can possibly make light emanate from the skin? Ads are there to sell us illusions of what we want, not miracles. You have to take them for what they are. I get that they are disappointed, but we all know that beauty firms sell us a bunch of hogwash. In life we’re sold alot of bullshit. You just have to be smart enough to separate the wheat from the chaff and take responsibility for your own decisions. Check out a side by side comparison of Roberts and the ad after the break. (more…)
Father’s Day Poem by Tyrese
Tyrese is on his grown man vibe in preparation for Father’s Day. He wrote a poem which he published on his blog, in honor of great fathers. I’m loving the positivity and I love the above collage of him and his daughter Shayla. I find it really amazing when divorced parents can put aside their differences for the good of the children.
On this day, we as fathers are celebrated around the world…
I am more than just a man.. I am a father.A boy is excited about the opportunity to be a dad.A father is more focused on the “Responsibility” of being a father. (more…)
Just a Band Featured in LA Times World Playlist
Just a Band, the Kenyan house/funk/disco band famous for their hit viral video Ha-He, are featured in the current issue of the LA Times Magazine. The magazine asked 15 critics the world over to pick one track by a homegrown artist that they think is worth crossing over to the United States. Wanjeri Gakuru, of UP Magazine, submitted Just a Band’s Forever People which made it to the final playlist. Just a Band are the only Africans on the playlist. Yay for Kenya!!!
This song’s steady 127 bpm jam begins as the pitter-patter of rain—definitely not the Benga of old or our new-age Genge. And yet their geeky Afro-electropop captures the zeitgeist of Nairobi’s twentysomethings and is still delicious everywhere.
I managed to visit their Kudishnyao! video art exhibition at the Goethe Institute this past Saturday and the energy was unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Kenya before. It was a full fledged rave and it made me feel 10 years younger. Of course the eye candy on display didn’t hurt. (more…)
FHM Names Andrej Pejic 98th Sexiest ‘Woman’
Women, we seriously need to step our game up. There’s a man on FHM’s list of sexiest women! I already told you how Andrej Pejic was taking over the catwalk. Now, FHM readers have voted him as the 98th sexiest woman in the annual round-up of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World. I want to know which men these were that voted for Pejic. I’m all for equality but this is getting to be a bit much, don’t you think?
People are also taking issue with the language FHM used in Pejic’s profile. I have to admit that the copy was quite harsh. FHM went ahead and removed Pejic’s profile with the offending copy from the online edition, but it remains in the print edition. In the profile, the writer refers to Pejic as a ‘thing’.
Check out a snapshot of the offending profile after the break. (more…)
Kim Kardashian Finally Gets Engaged to Kris Humphries
Congratulations are in order for Kim Kardashian. She has finally found a man stupid enough to wife her up…with a 20.5 carat diamond ring! And this after only 6 months of dating!!! I never thought I would see the day. Reggie Bush was smart enough to get the hell out of dodge when Kim bought herself a 7 carat engagement ring back in 2009. Talk about pressure! Reggie is probably laughing up a storm with his boys somewhere. I mean what will Kris tell the kids? We’re famous coz mummy released a video of herself having sex with a man who is not daddy??? Unbelievable!!!
According to People magazine online, New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries, popped the question to Kim while on bended knee in the bedroom of her Beverly Hills mansion.
Humphries presented Kim with a custom-designed, 20.5-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond sparkler. “I just knew I wanted it to be big,” says Humphries, 26, who, with the help of Kardashian’s mom Kris Jenner, planned an intimate family celebration later that evening. (more…)
Osama bin Laden’s Mistress Speaks
Yes, Osama bin Laden had a mistress. Apparently she’s been telling her story for years. Don’t know how I missed it. Kola Boof is a figure who has been in the internationally popular news media headlines many times but who still remains a mystery to many. It was only when the Egyptian/Sudanese-American award-winning novelist, poet, television writer and activist spoke openly and candidly about her love affair with terrorist Osama bin Laden that she gained the most notoriety.
Kola Boof was born Naima Bint Harith in 1969 in Omdurman, Sudan to Arab Egyptian archeologist Harith Bin Farouk and his wife Jiddi, a Gisi-Waaq Oromo. Her birth parents were murdered in her presence (at the age of 9) for speaking out against slavery and other atrocities by the Sudanese government. In 1979, she was adopted and thereafter raised in Washington, D.C. by Black Americans, Marvin and Claudine Johnson. In 1993 Kola Boof became a citizen of the United States and in 1994 she returned to North Africa to pursue a career in modeling and acting.
In 1996, she was kidnapped and forced to become the mistress of Osama Bin Laden. A media frenzy ensued and she lost her writing post at NBC’s Days of Our Lives after sponsors became nervous. CNN has called Kola Boof the most controversial woman in the world and MSNBC and FOX both featured Kola Boof in two-part interviews where she was introduced as the “former Mistress of Osama Bin Laden”. (more…)
Casting: Face of Africa Kenya
Calling all Kenyan models! The Kenyan Ford Supermodel competition is back! You too can be the next Ajuma Nasanyana from Turkana (sponsored by Surazuri) who won a contract with Ford following her entry into the competition in 2003/4. She is now one of the worlds top Supermodels. Gift Opar, pictured above, was last year’s Kenyan representative. Although she did not win, she was the only African representative!
Casting takes place on the 21st of May starting at 9:00 am and finishes at 2:00pm with the girls going through the following stages:
A. Heightometer – where they will be eliminated or progress to the next stage based on their height MIN 5’8”
B. Hips measurement – where they will be eliminated or progress to the next stage based on their hip size MAX OF 37” (more…)
Obama Talks Bin Laden On 60 Minutes
Last weekend, President Obama announced the death of World Terrorist Osama Bin Laden. While most of us were able to breathe a sigh of relief, there were a lot of questions about the inner workings of the covert operation and surveillance that led to his demise.
Because it would take some time to shoot a movie so we can understand how it all went down, Obama sat down with 60 Minutes over the weekend and discussed the Osama mission, his anxieties, fears and greatest concerns, while explaining his relaxed demeanor at the White House Correspondents dinner while all of this was taking place.
On the decision to have Osama Bin Laden killed
As nervous as I was about this whole process, the one thing I didn’t lose sleep over was the possibility of taking bin Laden out. Justice was done. And I think that anyone who would question that the perpetrator of mass murder on American soil didn’t deserve what he got needs to have their head examined.On Keeping the Mission Private
I didn’t tell most people here in the White House. I didn’t tell my own family. It was that important for us to maintain operational security… If I’m not revealing to some of my closest aides what we’re doing then I sure as heck am not going to be revealing it to folks who I don’t know. (more…)
Gwen Stefani Covers Elle’s May 2011 Issue
Gwen Stefani graces Elle Magazine’s May 2011 Women in Music issue. Can you believe she’s 41 and looking this hot? I’ve been such a fan of hers since the very beginning. In fact, I remember the first time I saw the video for No Doubt’s Don’t Speak. I was speechless. She was something fresh, and just so cool. Gwen is wearing a stretch wool dress with leather trim from Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci with her own earrings on the cover. She’s featured along with other women in music such as Adele, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hudson, Aretha Franklin and even little Willow Smith. Gwen shares her thoughts on her marriage, her vanity, and what she thinks about today’s pop stars, specifically Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry:
On writing hits: “I do! Why wouldn’t you want that many people listening to the songs that you wrote? There’s no way to go back after you have had it. So the intentions of even the solo records were always about trying to write those guilty-pleasure albums that just get in your head and you can’t get out. I’m not cool, I’m not into the B-sides. Prince, who is one of my idols, gave me some advice when I worked with him: “Have you ever just tried writing a hit? Like, don’t just try writing a song, try and write a hit song.” I remember him saying that and me thinking, Yeah, you’re right. Why would you write anything else?” (more…)
Idris Elba to Build Clinic in Sierra Leone
Idris Elba is one hunk of chocolate sexiness. To add to it all, he has a big heart. In an interview with The Observer, he tells us what he thinks of Nollywood films and shares that he and his cousin have plans to open a clinic in the war torn nation of Sierra Leone. Idris, who was born in England, also shared that he’s embarassed by the fact that he has not been to either of his parents’ birth place. His father is from Sierra Leone while his mother is from Ghana.
“It’s embarrassing. I have to go. There are plans, serious plans! I can’t wait… I want to go to Sierra Leone with something – whether it’s some sort of contribution to healthcare, or to the entertainment industry. My cousin is a nurse; we are talking about opening a clinic.” (more…)
Chris Brown is Having the Best Week Ever
Chris Brown showed off his new Lamborghini Gallardo automobile that he probably bought to celebrate the amazing week he’s having (can I have a ride?). Final sales numbers for the week are in and Chris Brown’s “F.A.M.E” album will claim the top spot on Billboard this week with over 273k sold. F.A.M.E is his second highest selling album to date, following the release of Exclusive in 2007, which sold 295k in it’s first week. It’s follow up Graffiti, which was released in 2009, only sold 102k in it’s first week.
What a comeback!
Meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson has snagged the #2 spot selling 167k units of her new album “I Remember Me”.
R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor
Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor passed away yesterday of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 79. Taylor, a two-time Academy Award-winning actress who became notorious for her impressive diamond jewelry collection and her notorious love life, which included 8 marriages to 7 men (she married actor Richard Burton twice) had reported health problems in recent years and appeared frail in public appearances.
Beyond acting, Taylor is credited with bringing the world’s attention to AIDS with her fund-raising and activism. In 1985, when Taylor’s lifelong friend Rock Hudson died of AIDS, she brought national attention to the growing disease. She raised and donated millions of dollars to the cause, founding the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
She was also an entrepreneur, spearheading a successful line of perfume and multiple jewelry lines. In 1999, Taylor was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. (more…)
AMARIE ADHIS 