Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe has been promoted to main character status for the second season of "Empire," and were totally here for it!  Come inside to see what she says about the progression of blonde-Becky inside...

Are you ready for "Empire" to kick off tonight? If you're a fan of Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe, we've got some good news, you'll be seeing lots more of her and her blond wigs during Season 2.

In case you forgot, at the end of last season, Jussie Smollett's Jamal Lyon became the head of the EMPIRE Records and he promoted from Lucious Lyon's (Terrence Howard) assistant Becky aka Gabourey to head of A&R! That means Becky will get more screen time and she's got a few more coins to step up her wig game. More on that later.....

Gabby is on the press scene now celebrating season two and touting her other projects. In case you have HULU Plus, she also stars on the show "Difficult People" (which is pretty funny). Check out highlights from her interview with the AP below and a funny season 2 preview.

On the evolution of Becky: At the end of last season, Becky went from assistant to Lucious to a promotion, and she’s now the head of A&R (artists and repertoire). She now has more power than she ever had. She’s not serving someone, she’s not taking phone calls or making appointments for other people. She has her own roster of clients that she’s dealing with. So it’s really fun.

Is she like Becky: I’m not as much a go-getter as Becky is. We are similar in the way that we’re smarter than people think we are, but I think she works a lot harder than I do. And she’s much more serious than I am.

On how her life changed after Precious: I’ve learned it doesn’t help to say, ‘No, I can’t do it.’ I’ve learned that fear is not useful. I’m surprised how many things I’ve bumped into over the last eight years that scared me to death and that, when I actually came across them, I didn’t even feel it. It’s interesting how well I’ve been able to forget to have fear.

On body image and being a role model: When I was a young girl, I didn’t see enough of myself on TV or in magazines. And representation is very important to everyone, but especially to girls like me, and people like me, whether it be because of my body, because of my race, because of my skin color, because of my awkwardness or where I come from.

On representing the brown and round girls: While it makes me nervous to represent for anyone, I am extremely proud that some brown, round little girl sitting in front of the TV can look at me and that exists as well and that she has some value. That is the most important thing in the world. … What’s surprising is that it doesn’t always come from kids. I get it from the brown, round little girl but also the skinny white man. I think I am a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. And I think that’s what people relate to.

From Gabby's LA TIMES Interview:

On Becky and her blonde wigs:"You cannot tell me I'm not shooting the cover of W Magazine or Vogue. I would never choose to be blond myself, but I dig the fact that Becky does. I'm serving like Marilyn Monroe."

Don't underestimate Becky:"I like to think that Becky is really smart. She has a few degrees and worked her way up to be Lucious' assistant, but like most assistants, she's probably too smart to be an assistant. All of her quips come from her being literally the smartest person in the room."

On facing her fear of red carpets:"Red carpets are terrible and anxiety-provoking. It's so hard because I put so much thought into the perfect dress, shoes, jewelry. Then I show up and I'm sweating because I'm nervous and it's usually hot. All of the planning I put into looking presentable is wiped away because I'm all wet. I lean in. I turn into the fear. I know everything's going wrong and I kind of make a joke of it."

On Becky getting a man for Season 2:"You will get to see her "after hours."

BONUS: (Watch a funny clip of Gabby and Bff/roomate Jussie Smollet playing a game on E!):

Here's a preview:

Photos via Getty/Gabby's IG

We're heading to newsstands for covers stories on Morris Chestnut, Viola Davis and model AzMarie.  See all the pics and interview highlights inside...

Tonight....Morris Chestnut gets his big shot.  He's one of the best looking and most talented actors of his generation...but has he gotten his props? Nope.  From The Perfect Guy to The Best Man To Boyz N The Hood, he's ALWAYS been on point....but where did Hollywood shine a light on him?

It took Hollywood many years to "discover" Taraji P. Henson after the rest of us have been loving her forever (thanks FOX!) and tonight, FOX is also going to give Morris his shot.  His show "Rosewood" debuts ahead of "Empire" and we're hoping it does for his career what "Empire" did for Ms. Henson.

On newsstands, Morris and his PERFECT mug are on the cover of MONARCH where he talks about his 25-year career, his 25-year marriage and what it means to be Black and leading a tv show.  Here are the highlights from his Q/A:

What has been your strategy in staying relevant in your career?

That’s a good question. Basically, I just kept trying to get better each year. Obviously, 25 years ago when I first started I was 2 years old [laughs]. No, but basically I was very young and very green when I first started. One thing that I realized early on is that I had to experience things and that it was going to be a lifelong study of acting and human behavior. So each year, I would try to just get better at what I do.

Is there anything that you would have done differently in retrospect?

When I came into the industry I didn’t know anyone. A lot of times people I came across had like an uncle in the industry or a mother or someone as a mentor that I didn’t have. So yeah, there are quite a few choices along the way that I would change. But fortunately, I’m still here now and when I mentor someone I advise them of the things that I would stay away from.

What is your key to success in marriage?

I think that, in addition to acting and life, you need a little bit of luck. Basically, Pam and I have been together for a long time. We met when we were 21-22. We’ve been fortunate to grow together instead of growing apart. People are different at 26 than they were at 21, and then you’re even more different at 31. So we were blessed enough to grow together and communicate. The one thing that I always tell people is that it’s not easy. A lot of times people think it’s easy street once they get married. But actually that’s when the work really begins. When you’re dating this person or that person can walk away and there’s no real attachment. But once you get married now it’s not so easy to walk away. You can’t just go back to your apartment and she go back to hers when you get mad at each other. So that’s when the work starts.

Will audiences love Rosewood?

I think audiences will love it because it’s a different type of show. We’re going to be shifting tones a lot. My character Rosewood is a guy who has a lot of ailments and so he’s just glad to be on the Earth. So he lives every day like it’s his last day. He wants his outlook to be infectious to everyone. So with the type of show it is there are a lot of times when we have a lot of humor and times when we have some serious drama. There are also some emotional tones to the show. So we are going to be shifting tones; but at the end of the day during each episode from 8-9 pm on Wednesday starting September 23rd, people are just going to have fun and be able to enjoy the show.

How did you prepare for this role?

Well, unfortunately my research for this role was restricted because I was working on another project. Literally, I finished one project and 24 hours later I was on to this project. But it was basically looking up a lot of medical terms and understanding things about pathology. Pretty much what I like to do is think if I were a pathologist what would make me tick; and I try to inject that into all of my characters.

Is Hollywood more receptive to African-Americans playing lead roles on non-African-American shows?

I’ve always said Hollywood isn’t black or white, it’s always been green. When it comes to the biggest movie stars like Denzel Washington or Will Smith they weren’t considered black actors. They were actors who were making a lot of green money so they were getting a lot of projects. In terms of them giving us opportunities now with shows like Empire, it showed Hollywood that even with Netflix and Hulu, the public still watches network television; and when the public watches network television, that represents advertising dollars. So with the success of Empire, now networks are finally seeing hey we can put Black characters on TV and people will watch. And that’s what it is.

Read the full interview here and check out Rosewood tonight before "Empire."

Also on stands....

The day after her historic win at the 67th EMMYs, Viola Davis headed to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles for an early morning photoshoot to celebrate her victory.

Viola, who is working on an HBO biopic about Harriet Tubman, opened up to VARIETY about what the win means to her.  We've got a few tidbits from her interview.   When asked how she felt about the win, she said: “It’s a mixture of disbelief and joy and acceptance. It’s just beautiful.”

On her EMMY being like the Willy Wonkaticket:  “What it meant for me to win the Emmy is I found it,” she says, choking up. “It’s not just the award. It’s what it’s going to mean to young girls — young brown girls, especially. When they saw a physical manifestation of a dream, I felt like I had fulfilled a purpose.”

On her long journey:“You guys have to realize, I’ve been in this business 35 years, and 27 years professionally. I’m the journeyman actor that you saw in one scene here, two scenes there. I’ve been eking out a living doing theater — Broadway, Off Broadway — film supporting roles, that I’m just excited to be a part of the conversation.”

On what's she's learned about herself:“I’ve learned so much about myself and what it means to be an actor. By going to the unemployment line, by going to the theater, and doing your two lines. Somewhere in the midst of that, you begin to discover what kind of actor you are and what kind of person you are. And then when success comes, if it comes, you’ve earned it. You can handle it.”

Why she is grateful for success later in life:“I don’t know if I could have handled all this when I was 23,” she says. “For a fact, I could not have.” She lists the struggles she’s faced — the death of her father, rejection, failure, unemployment, making just $120 a week — and then, ultimately, finding joy in her work. “All of that has brought me to the point of being on the stage with that Emmy with all of that energy coming at me. Being able to handle it, that’s what life gives you.”

Also...

We've also come across UPTOWN and their Music and Fashion issue which features model AzMarie Livingston, who plays "Chicken" on Empire. She's also Raven Symone's (rumored?) girlfriend in real life.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, she was photographed by Leonardo Corredor and styled by Hope Mistere. During her profile she talks about being different and holding her own in the fashion game.

Peep her highlights:

On gracing an UPTOWN cover:"I feel privileged and honored by this opportunity, and, you know, I’m about to be fabulous on this cover, honey."

On her look: "I’ve had an interesting relationship with the camera since about nine years old. I was too young for a lot of work that came my way because I looked older. As I matured, I constantly heard the word ‘androgyny.’ I was told I was masculine, but beautiful at the same time. I was confused."

On being an anomaly:"I knew to take it and run, swiftly, and that charge lead me to my first 'aha' moment: speaking with (the fashion oracle) Bethann Hardison and being asked to come to New York City."

On her drive: "I’m auditioning for films and modeling is picking back up, which makes me smile because I consider myself a supermodel. The world hasn’t even begun to get enough of me yet. There’s Beverly, Iman, Naomi and Tyra. And then there’s me, and trust, I can hold my own."

Photos via Monarch/Variety (Jeff Minton)/UPTOWN (Leonardo Corredor)

Here's a new one....we've got a professional athlete HOPING he's the father of an unborn baby. In fact, he's requesting the paternity test! More inside....

Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving has a lot on his mind these days.  While we can't get inside his head per se, we've created some questions we're sure he's asked himself in the past couple of weeks. 

1.  Is my ex-girlfriend having my baby? 

2.  Is she gonna hit me for child support? 

3.  Is there anyway I can position myself legally so that I won't look like a deadbeat athlete?

If you're wondering why he'd ask these questions...we'll explain.  Kyrie was once involved romantically with Andrea Wilson, a former Miss Texas (2010).  But they broke up. 

Now, get this....she's pregnant!  And she's been documenting her pregnancy on Instagram.

He's now filed legal documents (according to TMZ Sports) to prove he's the father.  Now....that's a first.  A professional baller hoping he's the Daddy!  We're sure there are legal/financial reasons for this....but it's still admirable to watch a man willingly step up to the plate.  Unless he has an inkling he's not the father and he believes she's about to come at him for child support.  There's always that possibility...

So here's what he wants to happen: When the baby is born (Andrea is allegedly due in December) he wants a paternity test to prove he IS the father.  IF he is the daddy, he'll cover everything the child needs -- including medical care. All he asks is that she raise the baby right there in Texas.

Why Texas?

Well.....Texas has a history of being stingy with child support so he'll have more coins to trick off elsewhere if she and the baby become residents. Hmph.

Photos via Kyrie's Instagram/Andrea's IG

Jimmy Fallon brings the funnies in a hilarious “Empire” spoof he dubbed “Jimpire.” On the magazine circuit, Future covers XXL’s Fall 2015 issue where he talks about co-parenting with Ciara (along with her new boyfriend Russell Wilson) and how he’s caught in the middle of the Drake vs. Meek Mill beef. More inside…

If you’re looking for a laugh, look no further!

On last night’s episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the late night talk show host did what he does best…bring the laughs!

Just in time for tonight's season 2 premiere of the hit series “Empire,” Jimmy found a special way to celebrate the upcoming season. And it will have you in tears! Jimmy channeled his inner Lucious Lyon as he set out to choose the heir of his “Jimpire.” Ha!

The entire Lyon family of “Jimpire” is hysterical, but once you see who plays Cookie Lyon, you will literally start laughing out loud. Lead stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson make cameos in the short digital clip…and so does presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Hmph.

Get your laugh on below:

"EMPIRE" returns tonight at 9/8c on FOX.

On magazine stands soon....

Along with his brand new joint mixtape with Drake, Future cops a new magazine cover. For the Fall 2015 issue of XXL magazine, the Atlanta rapper is dishing on what it’s like to co-parent with his ex-fiancee Ciara while she’s in a high-profile relationship with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

The DS2 rapper also talks about his friendships with both Meek Mill and Drake and how he handled being “stuck in the middle” of their beed of sorts.
 

Below are the highlights:

On Ciara having Baby Future around her boyfriend Russell Wilson:

“I’m telling you right now, I’m giving you two sides. Like, I’m cool with it. I’m cool with him being around him but certain situations, we all in the public eye, you can’t move around with my son a certain kind of way, you know what I’m saying? I feel like a lot of moves are just made out of just being evil, basically. Because, you know, the success of my album and you still want to make certain moves to take the spotlight off me a little bit and shed light on a negative situation. Why would you want to put light on a negative situation? Even if I didn’t care about it, the people have a way of looking at it. Why would you want to give these people an opinion on our kid? Why won’t we just let our child be a child?”

On co-parenting:

“I want to be able to judge him for myself. I want to judge the nannies that’s around my child. I don’t want to pay for a nanny that I never met, that I never got a chance to interview. That’s not the life I want for my child. I want to be involved 100 percent in all decisions made. This my flesh and blood. If I don’t want him to do something, there’s supposed to [be a] compromise or we supposed to talk about it. You not supposed to just go behind my back and do it. This is my son, too.”

On his friendships with both Meek Mill & Drake:

“On some real shit, I love Meek. And the Drake situation, I feel like genuinely we’ve been building a great relationship over these years. We got history together. We went on a few tours together so it was like, publicly, some things was said and it was took out of context. And even with the situation coming out, we put it all behind us, went on a sold out tour and we built from that and I feel like it’s genuine, it’s authentic and we built trust between each other. So with trust it’s just bringing us closer because in this industry, as you get bigger, I feel like you lose trust for everyone around you. You feel like the people you come in contact with, you can’t trust them. So I feel like it had to happen over years, that couldn’t happen over a few months.”

Check out the rest of his interview here.  Future's issue hits newsstands September 28th.

Photo: XXL

Talk about making history!  President Barack Obama, VP Joe Biden and the First Family gave a warm welcome to Catholic Church leader Pope Francis as he touched down on U.S. soil for the first time. Peep his grand entrance and historic visit to the White House today inside…

Before today's festivities, Pop Francis stepped foot on U.S. soil for the first time in his life yesterday.  And even if you're not Catholic, you gotta appreciate the epic moment that is America's first Black President meeting the Catholic church's first Argentinian leader.

Fresh from Cuba, the 'People's Pope' touched down in the United States for the first time yesterday evening. And His Holiness was met with a grand welcome and epic fanfare as he exited his aircraft at Joint Base Andrews.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, first daughters Malia and Sasha, Vice President Joe Biden and his family were all in attendance to welcome the Pope for his historic six-day visit. After his D.C. visit, Pope Francis will also travel to New York City and Philadelphia.

Upon exiting the plane, the Pope made sure to greet each person awaiting his arrival before sharing a laugh with POTUS:

Ha!

His Holiness then made his way to greet the Vice President and his family:

And stopped to greet a few kiddies as well:

Adorbs.  POTUS and FLOTUS escorted Pope Francis to his vehicle...

And get this! Rather than hopping inside of a bullet-proof limousine or some other luxury vehicle, the Pope went a very modest route rolling through the streets in a Fiat 500L. Of course, it included safety features such as armor plating and bullet-proof glass, but he certainly surprised us with his vehicle of choice. Shows he’s a frugal man at heart.

Check out the Pope's arrival yesterday in the clip below:

This morning at the White House...

POTUS welcomed Pope Francis to his Presidential home. Before they made their way inside, President Obama delivered a welcome speech before a host of guests on the South Lawn. Soon after, the Pope took the podium to address the crowd and to thank them for the warm welcome…in English.  He also touched on immigration and compassion.

Check it:

After the mini-ceremony....

POTUS led His Holiness down the colonnade of the White House before meeting inside the Oval Office:

Once seated, one reporter asked, "What is the most important issue you'll discuss?" President O responded, "I was just commenting that I noticed all of you are much better behaved than usual." Bloop!

Peep the exchange below:

During a parade through D.C. today:

Pope Francis made one little girl's day after he ordered security to bring her to him as she was being escorted back behind the barricade. She tried to sneak through to get a closer look and ended up getting something even better. Check it above.

Following his trip to the White House, Pope Francis will visit St. Matthew's Cathedral, and will then hold a Mass on the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Tomorrow, the Pope will pay a visit to the Senate and the House of Representatives, where he will make the first-ever address to Congress. Then, later in the evening, he will depart D.C. and make his way to New York City.

Photos: Getty/White House's IG

When he's not all loved up with girlfriend Cassie, Diddy is busy making those stacks and coins.  He's the reigning King of FORBES' Hip-Hop money makers, but Jay Z came in at a very close second.  Get the rest of the list inside, plus more vacation pics from Mr. and Mrs. Carter...

The vacay pics are still rolling in.  Meanwhile, Hov has EVEN MORE to celebrate.  He just got named as one of FORBES' highest paid Hip Hop Acts.  

Diddy may have come in at #1 with earning $60 million in major coinae this past year, but Mr. Carter was only a few milli behind him with $56 million.

FORBES states:

Jay Z, who pulled in $56 million. He once described himself as “the man who write checks with the hand that don’t write,” a reference to his knack for composing his own verses in his head. The multifaceted mogul’s 22 shows with wife Beyoncé boosted his bottom line alongside ventures like entertainment company Roc Nation and Armand de Brignac champagne, both manifestations of a new career path he embarked upon 12 years ago.

Rounding out the rest of the top 5 are Drake at #3 ($39.5 million), Dr. Dre at #4 ($33 mill) and Pharrell ($32 mill) at #5.

As for how FORBES came to these numbers, the site states:

To formulate the Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, we consider pretax income from touring, record sales, streaming, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsements and other business ventures. Management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted. Earnings are calculated from June 2014 to June 2015 and based on data from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar, the RIAA and from interviews with managers, lawyers, executives and a handful of the artists themselves.

Check out the video HERE to find out who the rest of the 20+ folks on the list are:

Meanwhile, Jay is on one of his lavish vacays with Beyonce & Blue.  The Queen Bey shared even more pics from the fam's Italian and French yacht trip.  Here's a few of our faves below:

Peep Bey dancing to Buena Vista Social Club's "Chan Chan".

 

A video posted by Beyoncé (@beylite) on Sep 23, 2015 at 3:30pm PDT

EXTRAS:

1.  Ta-Nehisi Coates has been named as the writer for the newest Black Panther comic book series. STORY

Are Usher and Grace Miguel already MARRIED?  Maybe.  Get the story inside...

Cuban cigars?  Check.  Your fiance and friends surrounding you in Cuba?  Check.  We noticed Usher and his fiance Grace Miguel were both busy posting away on their Instagram accounts last week sharing pics from their Havana vacay.  Now, we're hearing it wasn't just any ol' romantic getaway.  It was their HONEYMOON! Allegedly.

If you look closely in the top pic Grace posted from Cuba, you'll see Usher rocking a gold band on his wedding ring finger.  He was also spotted out Tuesday night at 1Oak in Hollywood rocking the ring as well:

Hmmm...

Us Weekly reports that Usher and Grace eloped recently after originally planning to have a traditional ceremony in Atlanta in front of 100 guests.  Instead, Usher and his manager turned wife-ager allegedly got hitched in secret, then jetted off to Cuba for their honeymoon:

 

Nae Nae in Cuba #eachone

A video posted by Usher (@howuseeit) on Sep 12, 2015 at 2:52pm PDT

 

  Cuba & US People to people Cultural Experience #thewhip

A video posted by Usher (@howuseeit) on Sep 12, 2015 at 2:12pm PDT

Remember when Ludacris revealed he was celebrating his b-day in Cuba with Usher? this was during the same time.

Interesting.

Of course, Usher and Grace have remained mum on any marriage talk. So....do we believe it?!

Photos: Usher's IG/Grace's IG/Splash

Good news for "BBWLA" fans, VH1 has greenlit the series for a 5th season.  Get the good news inside and watch a controversial scene from the E! series "WAGS" inside where one of the WAGS is told by her NFL player boyfriend that it's her JOB to cater to him....

We're not sure who's still watching, but apparently a good number of y'all are.

Although the "BBW" LA-franchise has never reached the social media popularity of the Miami installment, it's still been a solid ratings winner for VH1 on Sunday evenings.  And with the addition of two Miami chicks (Shaunie O'Neal & Tami Roman) and some new energy (Mehgan James, Patrice Curry), the show has found a sweet spot that seems to make the execs at VH1 happy.

All the drinking tossing and weave-pulling antics of the cast got them a 5th season!  Lord help us all.

VH1 made the announcement via Deadline who touted the show's strong performance (Basketball Wives: LA has propelled the cable network to the No. 1 spot on average in the Sunday 9 PM time period with women 18-34) for the renewal.

If you'd like a reminder about why they are number one, watch Malaysia threaten to swing on Tami here:

 The fourth season finale airs Sunday, October 4 at 9 PM, followed by the Reunion Special on Sunday, October 11 at 9 PM on VH1.

Over in the lives of other wives and girlfriends of professional athletes:

Have you been watching the E! show WAGS about the girlfriends and wives of men in professional sports? If not....we've got a clip that might make you tune on in next week. Meet Shaun Phillips, an NFL player and free agent. His girlfriend of three years Natalie Halcro, a fashion and beauty blogger who is trying to turn her Instagram popularity into something else, is on the show.  They butt heads because she wants a "career."

In a clip from this week, Shaun and Natalie have a serious talk about their future where Shaun.  It all comes after he takes her house hunting for a multi-million dollar abode and gives her an ultimatum about moving in with him.  He says,

"You're gonna have to make a choice. You're gonna have to choose to support me and we start a family, or stay here and maybe choose your career over having a family and having me."

Basically....I'm your priority. It's ME and nothing else.  And yes, he also says chauvinistic remarks that Natalie says she's been noticing lately. Is Shaun out of line?

WAGS is on Tuesday at 10 p.m., only on E!

 Photo via VH1

Fashion forward rapper Young Thug teamed up with VOGUE to show off 2015 fashions from Fendi, Alexander Wang and a slew of others.  He also had a gaggle of supermodels on hand.  Watch the clip inside....

Under the direction of Cass Bird, Fashion Editor Jorden Bickham and Director of Photography Joe Victorine VOGUE magazine enlisted the help of (supposed) fashion-forward rapper Young Thug and a group of models (including Irina Shayk, Bella Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski) for a new project.  The crew showed off some of the hottest fashions from New York Fashion Week Spring 2016.

It all went down at the Ladies’ Tea Room in the Prince George Ballroom on the final day of NYFW. And Young Thug brought his hoverboard. They are dancing and modeling to the tune of Jamie xx, Thug, and Popcaan’s track “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times).”

FYI - Young Thug’s latest mixtape, Slime Season, is available now but his long-awaited debut album Hy!£UN35 (translation: Hi!Tunes) is still waiting for a release date.

Photo: VOGUE

Ciara was on her boss girl ish for a club appearance in London. Meanwhile, Regina King and Nicole Murphy were spotted hopping on a flight out of L.A. makeup free.  Pics inside…

Fab chick Ciara has jetted overseas to London to rack up a few coins. The 29-year-old R&B songstress rocked a simple black mini dress that she paired with black leather thigh high Christian Louboutin boots for an appearance at The Libertine Club last night. (CiCi is loving these boots! She was spottedrocking them at the Givenchy show during NYFW).

So simple, yet so chic.

And chick looks UNBOTHERED by her ex-fiance Future’s recent comments about their co-parenting issues. In the cover story with XXL, the Atlanta rapper complained that CiCi is allegedly keeping him out of the loop when it comes to choosing Baby Future’s nannies. He also said he feels she’s being “evil” with publicity stunts involving their son and her new boyfriend Russell Wilson. The latest from CiCi, however, is that she has attempted to reach out and talk to Future to no avail.  Hmph.

He will just have to deal.

Peep her club behavior below:

 

A video posted by Ciara (@ciara) on Sep 23, 2015 at 8:18pm PDT

 

A video posted by Ciara (@ciara) on Sep 23, 2015 at 8:23pm PDT

Elsewhere....

“American Crime” starlet and EMMY winner Regina King (rocking new braids) is jetting out of L.A. after her major win at the 2015 EMMY Awards. The 44-year-old actress won an EMMY for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series/Movie for her role on the ABC series.

In a post-EMMY interview with Entertainment Tonight, Regina gushed over her unexpected win and talked about how special it was that “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson was the one to present her the award. She said, "I really wasn't expecting it [...] it's so special that Taraji gave it to me. I was stunned, because that's my girl.”

Sweet!

The makeup-free YBF chick added, “When she [gasped], that's when my heart started beating fast," King said, saying she was thinking: "She's gotta be doing that for me, it's gotta be me!" 

Congrats again Regina! 

Also at LAX...

Glamazon Nicole Murphy was seen making her way to her departing flight out of L.A. Chick can roll up to the airport in a fresh face, sweats and a oversized t-shirt and still look amazing.

After partying it up with Regina King at the EMMY Governor’s Ball, the fab mother of five is likely jetting out of L.A. on a business run. As you may know, she’s been slaying a few photoshoots and just being her regular HOT self when she's shopping it up in Beverly Hills. She also serves as the face of Destiny Moscato and stays super busy on promo events.

Wonder where she's headed to next....

Photos: WENN/FameFlynet/Ciara’s IG

For its opening night, T.I., and Tyrese where front and center at the Urbanworld Film Festival for the Muhammad Ali documentary screening in NYC. Peep their pics and check out Zoe Kravitz exploring her dad Lenny Kravitz's new home décor designs inside….

The 19th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival kicked off in NYC last night bringing a few YBF celeb men. For its opening night, a documentary about legendary boxer-– and arguably the greatest boxer of all time -- Muhammad Ali was shown at AMC Empire 25 theater. Muhammad Ali: The People's Champ was created by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons & Chike Ozah, whose credits include Kanye West's "Through The Wire" video, Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" visuals and more.

Atlanta rapper T.I. (who recently officially changed his rap name to his childhood nickname Tip) was on the scene to support.

Black Rose singer Tyrese, who has a talk show with Rev Run coming to OWN, was spotted snapping it up with Hip Hop heir Diggy Simmons.

Rapper David Banner was on the scene to check out the film.

Former child actor Jaleel White hit the carpet before checking out the film. The actor has a new gig as one of the stars on the FOOD Network’s "Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition." Sounds…interesting.

Reality star Chef Roble Ali and model Shaya Ali hit the carpet in coordinating outfits.

The film’s creators Chike Ozah (blue & black sweater) and Coodie Simmons (gray hat) snapped it up on the carpet with guests before presenting their film.

Since the film features interviews from T.I., Tyrese and David Banner, the guys took the stage to chop it up with the audience about the greatness that is Muhammad Ali:

Fun times.

At another event...

Rockstar Lenny Kravitz is bringing in the fall season with a brand new collection of home décor.

A few nights ago, he celebrated the launch of his CB2 x Kravitz Design by Lenny Kravitz at the CB2 Soho store in New York City. And his daughter Zoe Kravitz came out to show her support.  He's hot...and can decorate too!

According to the CB2 site, Lenny's collection will include glam metallics reflecting the ’70s NY studio club culture and California rock ‘n’ roll scene play off natural woods, leather, and textiles. Sounds like something we wouldn't mind adding to our collection.

Lenny's collection will be available online and in stores starting October 1st.

Photos: Getty

Singer RL of the group Next met viral sensation Nicholas Fraser, the creator of “Why You Always Lying." Watch a clip from their "meet up" inside and listen to Hi-Five's latest song.

Nicholas Fraser has gone viral on social media where his VINE/Instagram clip "Why You Always Lying" has taken on a life of its own. Now, thanks to MTV's "Uncommon Sense," Nicholas has hooked up with singer RL, who sang the song "Too Close" (with the group Next).

As any R&B buff knows, "Too Close" inspired the viral sensation so fans were excited to see the two together! There meeting also serves as the television debut for the young comedian.  "Uncommon Sense" airs on MTV 2 and is hosted by radio personality Charlamagne Tha God.  

Watch all the fun here:

 

A video posted by @cthagod on Sep 23, 2015 at 8:35pm PDT

 

A video posted by •• D E V I // 93.7 The Beat (@devidev) on Sep 24, 2015 at 6:59am PDT

But.....can we be messy for a minute?  While the meeting above was cordial and professional, RL ain't really happy about young Nick, that toilet scene and the whole viral sensation.  He did an interview with the #YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast where he shared his true feelings. He's pissed!

“Vlad asked me to make a video to make light of it and I did it reluctantly because I am going to be honest: I don’t know how I feel about it. You are making a parody of my life’s work. And on one end, I don’t want to be a stickler and, you know, seem like I am bitter or anything. But you are kind of making a parody of something that I really worked hard with. It is something that I continue to get residuals from and you know, it is part of my identity…I promise you, people will send me different languages and like, ‘Did you see this?’ And I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I try to make light of it but it is getting to the point of overkill.”

Hmph.

In new music....

Remember Hi-Five?  "The Kissing Game" group returned to the spotlight a few months ago when TVOne's "UNSUNG" told their story,

The group has a new single, "SUNSHINE," an up-tempo track produced by Andre Ramseur and written by Hi-Five member, Faruq Evans. 
In the group's press release, they explained:

"This song is about my love for my daughter. I never thought I'd have a lil girl, but when she was born she stole my heart. She's the air I breathe. My sunshine!"

Sweet!

Check out the track below, and if you're digging it, it's on iTunes. The song will also appear on the upcoming HI-FIVE album scheduled to be released at the top of 2016.

Listen to "Sunshine" below:

EXTRAS:

1.  Don't believe the hype about an alleged Kendrick Lamar/J.Cole mixtape that's making the rounds on social media....neither of their camps have confirmed the project and the images of both rappers for the fake album cover were taken from previous photoshoots and then photoshopped.

Photos via Cthagod/devidev Instagram

Kerry Washington encountered a run-in with a fan as she was leaving the “Good Morning America” studio this morning. Find out what went down inside…

The gorgeous Kerry Washington hit the NYC streets serving fab in a red Giambattista Valli frock, dazzling red Paul Andrew pumps, a Movado watch, and jewels by Monique Pean & Eva Fehren for an early morning appearance. Oh..and she also rocked her custom wedding band made by Tiffany & Co. Nice!

The “Scandal” starlet made an appearance on “Good Morning America” to chop it up about the upcoming fifth season of her hit ABC series….that we can not WAIT to see.

After her chit-chat with Robin Roberts:

Kerry exited the studio where she was met by adoring fans. Soon after, some fans began walking up towards her for a quick photo-op. Unfortunately, ish went a little left when a mob of people approached her and she had to turn them away:

The pictures actually look worse than what actually happened. Here's a clip of the melee below:

Glad she's ok and no one was hurt.

"Scandal" season 5 will premiere tonight at 9/8c on ABC.

Photos: Splash

Kanye West is back with another interview following another NYFW unveiling of his second Yeezy by Kanye West x Adidas collection. Find out what he said about his new line, the industry as a whole, his upcoming album and his presidential run inside…

Kanye West is dishing the inside scoop on his upcoming new album, tentatively titled SWISH, his second Yeezy by Kanye West x Adidas collection and “finally” getting his foot through the fashion industry door. Oh…and he also talked about his Presidential run for 2020. If you thought he was joking, he makes it very clear…he’s NOT.  Trump seems to be using the campaign as a publicity stunt, so why wouldn't it work for 'Ye?

Hours after unveiling his newest collection with a surprise runway show atNew York Fashion Week, Yeezy chopped it up with Vanity Fair about all things fashion and music. He confirms an album is on the way—with the working titled SWISH—but there’s no official release date. And it doesn’t sound like there will be one anytime soon since he said he’s not worried about the “years,” he’s concerned with putting out a good body of work.

As for his new line, Yeezy believes most people wear yoga clothes and sweatshirts so he plans to make the most “beautiful version of that possible.” Hmph. He talks about never taking a vacation (“...way too privileged to take a season off”) and his disdain for politics (“I hate politics. I’m not a politician at all”), but his love of the truth. Yea, typical ‘Ye talk.

Below are the highlights:

On his upcoming album SWISH:
“It’s currently called Swish. I’m forgetting even what the last name of it was now.”

On when SWISH will be released:
“I’m not sure. I’m not worried about the years. I’m worried about the life and the body of work that I can put out while I’m breathing.”

On getting his foot in the fashion industry:
"Yeah, we do the shoes with Adidas and this past season we just did apparel on our own out of Calabasas with a small team traveling to the dye houses and making the patterns and just working 30 hours a day against all odds. We didn’t sleep. We’re in the middle of negotiations [with backers] is the best way I can put it, so there was questions on do we wait till next fall, do we come back and show something for spring? And I felt bad. The biggest thing was not only the engagement with the public that are interested to come to the movie theaters to see it or to see it online and talk about it. It was also the relationship with the stores. I felt the responsibility to come back for spring and deliver that next collection because, at this stage, as early as I am into expressing myself and making clothes, it’s just way too privileged to take a season off. Are you fucking kidding me? My toe is barely in the door, my foot is barely on the gas, I’ve got to press down harder. The most successful thing about the second season was just doing the second season."

On getting acceptance from the fashion industry:
"Yeah, well, eventually I want the whole world to accept me and I want the whole world to accept each other. My vision of life is that we have all of the information to live in a better world, but we’re always holding information back. . . . In general the world is stingy with information. Information is the most important thing we have. Anytime I’ve ever had someone who intentionally held information from me in order to either control or manipulate the situation, be in charge of it in a certain way, that is the greatest travesty. I’d rather someone be hateful. It’s like being a fucking thief, you’re stealing information. It’s like when we go and we launch yeezy.supply, taking back the data is so important. And even musicians, for so long we were held back from our data. Meaning the record labels could have the data, but the musicians couldn’t have the data. This is the new world. The Internet’s like the Wild, Wild West. If you have your data, you have everything. You know the people that are connecting with you . . ."

On never taking vacation:

“As early as I am into expressing myself and making clothes, it’s just way too privileged to take a season off. Are you fucking kidding me? My toe is barely in the door, my foot is barely on the gas, I’ve got to press down harder. The most successful thing about the second season was just doing the second season.”

On running for president in 2020:
“When I run for president, I’d prefer not to run against someone. I would be like ‘I want to work with you.’ As soon as I heard [Ben] Carson speak, I tried for three weeks to get on the phone with him. I was like this is the most brilliant guy. And I think all the people running right now have something that each of the others needs. But the idea of this separation and this gladiator battle takes away from the main focus that the world needs help and the world needs all the people in a position of power or influence to come together… I hate politics. I’m not a politician at all. I care about the truth and I just care about human beings.”

Sighs.  Check out his full interview here.

Thoughts?

Photo: Getty

Nelly and his first lady Miss Jackson star in his latest video, "The Fix" featuring singer Jeremih. Watch it inside....

A few days ago we went behind the scenes with rapper Nelly on the set of his latest music project "The Fix." The love song, produced by DJ Mustard, and featuring the vocals of Jeremih, is huge leap forward for Nelly because it stars his girlfriend Miss Jackson (and fellow reality star).

Remember the days when Nelly liked to keep his private life private? We BARELY do..

Once his relationship with Ashanti went sour, dude got on Instagram and Twitter and showed it all. Then he signed up for a reality show.

Congrats to Miss Jackson.....you're thismuchcloser to becoming famous!

The Aristotle-directed video was shot at the iconic Sheats-Goldstein residence in Beverly Hills.  Watch "The Fix" below.:

Nelly is in the studio working on his eighth album and will return for a second season of his BET reality series “Nellyville.”

Photos via Joshua Sobel

We're taking it back to the 2000s and catching up with former Murder Inc. moneymakers Ashanti and Ja Rule. Find out what they are up to inside....

R&B songstress Ashanti isn't letting any grass grow under her feet.  After her breakup with Nelly a few years ago, she joined "Army Wives", went on tour and created a series of bikini pics on Instagram that gave us serious body envy.  We like the fact that she lives her life as a single gal with a lot of options.

After the debut of Nelly's "The Fix  video, where he's suddenly so "transparent" about his relationship, we wanted to see how Miss Ashanti was living.  She's fine.  In fact, she's extra fine.  Her body is still on point and she's still in demand.  

Ashanti tours regularly (especially overseas) and she also gives freely of her time to charitable works. A few days ago, she attended the Hip Hop Public Health Ceremony with Kevin Liles and Russell Simmons. And today, she posted a video with Dr. Oz. She captioned"Me & @dr_oz are working on something pretty cool. #hhph #pha" 

 

A video posted by Ashanti (@ashanti) on Sep 24, 2015 at 11:56am PDT

This should be interesting...

Coming to MTV....

The success of the Murder Inc. record label wasn't built on Ashanti records alone.  Ja Rule literally ruled the charts with "Put It On Me", "Holla Holla" and "Between Me And You" and now he and MTV are giving his kinfolk time to shine.

Mr. Rule is set to follow in the footsteps of VH1 star TI and introduce the world to his kids and elders in "Follow The Rules" a new MTV docu-series.  MTV sent out a press release describing the show this way:

"Follow The Rules" is a comedic half-hour docu-series centered around Grammy®-nominated rapper turned actor, Ja Rule, and the hectic household that he and his wife Aisha are trying to keep under control. The couple's oldest daughter, Brittney, who is a college sophomore, is always pushing their boundaries. And with their two sons, Jeffery Jr. and Jordan, as well as Ja's mother and mother-in-law living under one roof, the house that Rule built is anything but quiet.

You wanna meet the Rules? Of course you do......

Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins
Since his meteoric rise to fame in 1999, four-time Grammy® nominated rapper, Ja Rule has sold over 45 million records worldwide. With a successful music career under his belt, he has since turned his attention to acting, appearing in more than 17 feature films following his first film appearance in The Fast and Furious franchise. But Ja's success, fame and fortune would mean nothing without the love and support of his family. With his high school sweetheart, three kids, mother and mother-in-law all living under one roof it's clear that Ja would do anything for his family… whether they like it or not.

Aisha Atkins
Aisha, Ja's high school sweetheart who he lovingly calls "Ish," has been by his side through thick and thin. Having tied the knot in 2001, Ja and Aisha continue to enjoy wedded bliss, especially when not being interrupted by one of their three beautiful children or lively mothers. Ja may be the man of the house, but Aisha has been holding down the fort for years. And she does it all with a finesse and flare that would make Martha Stewart proud.

Brittney "B-Stacks" Atkins
Brittney, a college junior at Hampton University, is the oldest of the Rule children. With her own unique sense of style and fun, Brittney is on a search for independence and self-discovery. However, being daddy's little girl, big sister and sometimes babysitter to her younger brothers means that she will never be completely on her own. And she wouldn't want it any other way.

Jeff "Lil' Rule" Atkins
Ja and Aisha's oldest son, Jeff, is the spitting image of his father, and not just because of how he looks. With the personality and attitude to match, the nickname "Lil Rule" is well earned. Jeff is an ambitious star athlete who is starting his freshman year of high school and has already launched a lifestyle brand. Always in pursuit of having a good time, Jeff keeps his family on their toes while his family tries to keep him out of trouble.

Jordan "Jordy" Atkins
Jordy may be the smallest of the Rules, but that doesn't stop him from having the biggest personality. He is a middle school student and athlete, working hard to be the best that he can be. Jordy is the first one to tell you that growing up is serious business, except when playing a good prank on his family or telling a good joke. After all, he is only a kid.

Grandma Deb & Grandma Jean
Ja's mother, Debra, and Aisha's mother, Jean, moved in with the family a few years ago to help Ja and Aisha look after the kids. But now that they are nearly grown up, Deb and Jean are content to stay right where they are. And with less responsibility on their shoulders to take care of the kids, Deb and Jean are free to explore their interests, such as wine and men.

Check out the trailer above.....  

"Follow The Rules" premieres on Monday, October 26th at 10/9c.

Photos via Ashanti's Instagram
 

We spotted Kerry Washington and Salt-n-Pepa on the streets of NYC today.  See their pics inside....

"TGIT" superstar Kerry Washington was seen on the streets of NYC today (wearing a Giambattista Valli Official dress, and Christian Louboutins heels), where she hit up several talk shows to tout the start of "Scandal" (tonight at 8pm CT).

In the pics above, Kerry was headed to an appearance on "Live With Kelly & Michael" which went over very well.

Unlike earlier, where she was accosted by an over-zealous fan outside of "GMA" (see pics and video here), this appearance went off without a hitch. Earlier Kerry's #Gladiators had her back and that ish was squashed.

Also in New York...

We saw legendary rap/hip hop duo Salt-N-Pepa leaving 'The Chew' in NYC where they shook it up like some salt n pepper shakers. Sorry....we had to!

We're happy to see Pepa looking fly and healthy. In case you missed it, she suffered a nasty fall a few days ago.  But she's recovered nicely!

Photos via FameFlynet/Splash

Now that we've all recovered from the "Empire" season 2 premiere, check out the killer ratings that has the Lyons returning with the TV crown....

The excessive PR campaign for season 2 (and all that anticipation) paid off.  The season 2 opener of "Empire" rake din 16.2 million viewers for yet ANOTHER consecutive audience increase record.

Deadline reports, "While most returning series have been down from their last season premieres this fall, Empire soared +76% vs. its series debut last January, the highest Season 1-Season 2 percentage gain for a scripted series since Fox’s House a decade ago (2004-05).

After the non-stop foolery (the good foolery) of Wednesday night's episode, we wouldn't be surprised if the viewership increased for episode 2.

Here's our top 6 things that need to be discussed:

1.  The cameos flowed like water and they were nonstop.  From Swizz Beatz rocking the stage to "Free Lucious" to chris Rock being a prison king pen to Marisa Tomei and Cookie's lesbian relationship, it was almost Team Too Much.

2.  Lucious' prison skills were top notch.  Dude knew exactly how to flip Chris; goons to work on his behalf...we guess Cookie taught him well.

3.  We still don't know why Lucious "hates" Cookie so much....but loves her at the same time.  Yet and still, the way he put all the B.S. to the side to make sure no one could continue to come for her life.....That's love.

4.  Miss Lawrence served ALL the kids while laid out all over the office furniture singing up a storm for "Jamal".  Work.

 

A video posted by EMPIRE FANPAGE (@empire.ig) on Sep 24, 2015 at 7:59am PDT

5. When Anika attempted to twerk, Instagram damn near crashed.

By the way, 50 Cent was on his usual Petty Betty ish and chimed in to all the "Empire" hoopla. He's reigniting his feud with Cookie, and making fun of Lee Daniels' decision to have that passionate kiss scene between Jussie Smollet's character and his man....

 

@tarajiphenson LOVE YOU GIRL LMAO #EFFENVODKA #FRIGO #SMSAUDIO

A video posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on Sep 23, 2015 at 11:46pm PDT

50 Cent stepped further into his (hilarious) pettiness with this video:

 

50cent Starring as director of Empire LMAO #EFFENVODKA #FRIGO #SMSAUDIO

A video posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on Sep 24, 2015 at 9:17am PDT

Who's already counting the days till next Wednesday?

Photos: Fox

President Obama covers the latest issue of ROLLING STONE where he opened up about the world's climate crisis and why he thinks America should take on a leading role in global talks. More inside...

Obama is a rolling stone, but in a good way.

We've got a sneak peek at next month's ROLLING STONE which features a photo of the POTUS in Kotzebue, Alaska, a place he visted to highlight the effects of climate change on the environment (see previous post here about the Alaska trip).

"Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now," he told the mag, "we will condemn our children to a planet beyond their capacity to repair: submerged countries, abandoned cities, fields no longer growing."

The President's push to make Americans aware of the climate crisis marks the beginning of what may be the last big project of his administration.

While the Obama administration has had victories in terms of health care, the economy, gay marriage and immigration, pushing climate reform and awareness would really shape his legacy in a positive way.

"The president is entirely focused on this goal," one of his aides told ROLLING STONE. "If you think about who has been in the forefront of pushing global climate action forward, nobody is in Obama's league," says John Podesta, a former special adviser to Obama.

The magazine sat down with the President for three hours to discuss his trip to the Last Frontier and the steps he hopes to take before December’s international climate conference in Paris. Here are the highlights:

On climate change and the "oh, shit" moment when he realized what's at stake.
Well, I did grow up in Hawaii. And the way that you grow up in Hawaii is probably surprisingly similar to the way some folks grew up here in the Arctic Circle. There are traditions that are very close to the land — in Hawaii, the water — and you have an intimate awareness of how fragile ecosystems can be. There are coral reefs in Hawaii that, when I was growing up, were lush and full of fish, that now, if you go back, are not.

And so I don't think that there was a eureka moment. In my early speeches in 2007-2008, we were already talking about this and making it a prominent issue. What's happened during my presidency is each time I get a scientific report, I'm made aware that we have less time than we thought, that this is happening faster than we thought. And what that does for me is to say that we have to ring the alarm louder, faster. But, as I said, the good news is that the kind of complete skepticism you had around the science that you saw even two or three years ago, I think, has been so overwhelmed — that we kind of cleared out that underbrush.

How would you compare the challenges and the risk to America's security regarding climate change to, say, ISIS or, for that matter, Iran?
Well, they're different. And as president and commander in chief, I don't have the luxury of selecting one issue versus the other. They're all major problems. What we know about climate change, though, is that with increasing drought, increasing floods, increasing erosion of coastlines, that's going to impact agriculture; it's going to increase scarcity in parts of the world; it is going to result in displacement of large numbers of people.

But that's the kind of national-security challenge that we're looking at with climate change. It will manifest itself in different ways, but what we know from human history is that when large populations are put under severe strain, then they react badly. And that can be expressed in terms of nationalism; it can be expressed in terms of war; it can be expressed in terms of xenophobia and nativism; it can be expressed in terms of terrorism. But the whole package is one that we should be wanting to avoid, if at all possible.

Read the full interview here.

More climate talks....

This week, the Pope visited the Obamas at the White House where he also chimed in about climate change (among other world issues) during their meeting. 

According to a press release from the White House, Pope Francis (pictured above meeting First Dogs Bo and Sunny) said, “When it comes to the care of our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history. We still have time to make the change needed to bring about a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.”

Go behind the scenes of the POTUS climate change article here: 

Photos via White House Instagram/Rolling Stone IG

For FADER's 100th issue, the mag is celebrating with a rare -- and quite lengthy -- interview with Drake. We've done the work and recapped the highlights you need to know about the rapper that has most women standing on their tip-toes to get a glimpse of his new sex appeal. Get it inside...

Straight from the 6, Drake is opening up like never before...at least not in the last four years or so.  He's a different man now, and he's ready to talk.

The "Back To Back" rapper and budding business mogul shot for FADER in the Crystal and Vanity Fair Ballrooms at the OMNI King Edward hotel in his hometown of Toronto.  It's the perfect backdrop for an interview that seems to be his victory lap after slaying Meek Mill's career and dropping his and Future's What A Time To Be Alive collaboration (which is on par to sell half a million in the first week....with pretty much no promo).

It's a blessing and a curse to have the Midas touch.  Your counterparts and trolls come for your head every chance they get.  They blame you for making a champ like Serena Williams lose a Grand Slam title, they say you've got a ghostwriter, and they criticize your rap skills in comparison to the greats. But you're still rolling in dough and dressed in custom threads while cutting $19 million deals with folks like APPLE Music.

Now that the dust has settled after the Meek Mill fiasco, here's 9 things we learned about 28-year-old Drake as the new clean cut, muscle poppin' man he's become.  And no, he doesn't even mention Serena Williams.

1. He's not AS cocky as some would think.  (But that small amount of cockiness is so sexy.)

“I’ve never felt like, ‘Oh, people will bite at anything that’s Drake.'.  I’m just not that guy. I don’t feel that way about any of my music… If it didn’t connect, I would have a huge problem. I mean, I’m really trying. It’s not like I’m just sitting here, just fuckin’ shooting with my eyes closed. Like, I’m trying. I’m really trying to make music for your life.”

2. He's always wanted to put on for his city, but his jealousy over Wiz Khalifa's "Black & Yellow" sealed the deal.

“I always used to be so envious, man, that Wiz Khalifa had that song ‘Black and Yellow,’ and it was just a song about Pittsburgh.  Like, the world was singing a song about Pittsburgh! And I was just so baffled, as a songwriter, at how you stumbled upon a hit record about Pittsburgh. Like, your city must be elated! They must be so proud. And I told myself, over the duration of my career, I would definitely have a song that strictly belonged to Toronto but that the world embraced. So, ‘Know Yourself’ was a big thing off my checklist.”

“We use [that lingo] every day,” he says, “but it just took me some time to build up the confidence to figure out how to incorporate it into songs. And I’m really happy that I did. I think it’s important for the city to feel like they have a real presence out there.” “I’ve just become really adamant about leaving fragments in everything I do that belong strictly to my city,” he says. “The world will pick up on it.”

3. Discovering new flows is his fave thing ever....and right now it's all about the Dancehall flow.

“There’s times where I’m sitting around looking for like, three, four words,” he says. “I’m not looking for, like, 80 bars on some ‘5AM,’ ‘Paris Morton’-type shit, you know? There are moments like that, too, but the hardest moments, the most difficult ones, in songwriting, are when you’re looking for like, four words with the right melody and the right cadence. I pray for that. I’ll take that over anything—I’ll take that over sex, partying. Give me that feeling.”
 

4. He recorded "Charged Up" the same night he found out about Meek coming for his life with those ghostwriting claims.

“I was at a charity kickball game—which we won, by the way—and my brother called me. He was just like, ‘I don’t know if you’re aware, but, yo, they’re trying to end us out here. They’re just spreading, like, propaganda. Where are you? You need to come here.’ So we all circled up at the studio, and sat there as Flex went on the air, and these guys flip-flopped [about how] they were gonna do this, that, and the third.”

“I need, sometimes, individuals to spark an idea so that I can take off running.  I don’t mind that. And those recordings—they are what they are. And you can use your own judgment on what they mean to you.”

“There’s not necessarily a context to them.  And I don’t know if I’m really here to even clarify it for you.”

5. He's brave enough to speak on the originality debate in hip hop.

“If I have to be the vessel for this conversation to be brought up—you know, God forbid we start talking about writing and references and who takes what from where—I’m OK with it being me.  It’s just, music at times can be a collaborative process, you know? Who came up with this, who came up with that—for me, it’s like, I know that it takes me to execute every single thing that I’ve done up until this point. And I’m not ashamed.”

6. On putting out "Charged Up"....and getting no response from Meek.

“Given the circumstances, it felt right to just remind people what it is that I do,” Drake says, a proud smile creeping into his face, “in case your opinions were wavering at any point.” “This is a discussion about music, and no one’s putting forth any music?” he says, speaking with a furrowed brow, as if reliving his incredulity. “You guys are gonna leave this for me to do? This is how you want to play it? You guys didn’t think this through at all—nobody? You guys have high-ranking members watching over you. Nobody told you that this was a bad idea, to engage in this and not have something? You’re gonna engage in a conversation about writing music, and delivering music, with me? And not have anything to put forth on the table?” BLOOP!

7. He's driving again.

“I’ve been deprived of driving for a long time,” he says. “Riding to the studio with a driver and security and stuff, you lose something...That ride was my favorite thing in the world, you know?” he says. “And before that ride, it wasn’t going to the studio, it was going to my girl’s house, or going wherever. Driving was just one of the most pivotal things in my writing life.”

8. He knows he has an uncanny ability to speak the minds of his fans.

“We may be worlds apart in the sense of, you know, where you’re from, where I’m from, what I’m doing, what you’re doing—but what are we talking about?” he says. “We’re talking about very simple human emotions. We’re talking about love, sometimes. We’re talking about triumph, we’re talking about failure, we’re talking about nerves. We’re talking about fear. We’re talking about doubt. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing—you gotta at least hear what I’m saying to you. And I pray that it helps.”

“Like, I get everything,” he says. “I know everything. I know everything that’s being said about you. I know everything that’s being said about me. I’m very in tune with this life. Much like, I assume, most of my listeners are.”

9. He seems to have the Midas touch when he hops on people's songs, and it's all because he's a perfectionist.

“It’s just channeling my mom,” he says. “Like, I’d bring home an essay that I did really well on, and my mom would read it through and give me notes back—on the essay that I just scored like 94 on! So sometimes I just do that. I’ll hear people’s stuff and… I’ll just give my interpretation of how I would have done it.”

Check out more pics below, then the full cover story and more pics over at FADER:

Photos: Mark Peckmezian & Jim Joe for FADER