XSCAPE is gearing up to drop a new album, sans band member Kandi Burruss. And the ladies have hired Tamar Braxton’s estranged husband Vince Herbert to manage their singing career. Deets inside…

XSCAPE’s recent reunion has jump-started the ladies to get in the studio to create a brand new album. However, only three of the ladies will be creating new tunes. Kandi Burruss has opted out of recording new music with XSCAPE. During a recent appearance on "Watch What Happens Live," Kandi confirmed she would not be recording any new songs with the group.

However, that isn’t stopping their grind.

XSCAPE, who’s currently jetting across the nation on their GREAT XSCAPE Tour, has hired a new manager and it just so happens to be Tamar Braxton’s estranged husband Vince Herbert. As we all know, Vince was the driving force behind Lady Gaga's career and he recently signed Remy Ma to his roster.

The trio, including LaTocha Scott, Tameka "Tiny" Harris and Tamika Scott, are releasing two new singles as they gear up to release their forthcoming album. Hmmm…we wonder how Tamar felt about this when she heard the news being that she’s performing for several dates on the Great XSCAPE Tour and is currently going through the motions of a divorce from her estranged husband.

“We sat down with him, had some food and just talked, like how most business takes place, he just got our vision and he saw the potential in us,” Tamika explained to HipHollywood.

“We love what he did with Tamar and Lady Gaga and we also knew he understood the business,” Tiny added.“We’re really excited.”

“[Mona Scott Young] is still managing the four of us for the reality show, and TV and film projects. Vincent manages the music," LaTocha said.“We’ve been working with Tricky Stewart, and the songs are really amazing. We worked really hard. We recorded six songs, in like six days,”

The trio have released two new singles titled, "Dream Killa" and "Wifed Up," which you can listen to below:

We feelin' it?

Photos: Getty

Issa birthday engagement! Chanel Iman is now engaged after her NFL boyfriend Sterling Shepard got down on one knee and popped the question while celebrating her birthday. Deets inside…

Talk about a birthday celebration!

Just one day after supermodel Chanel Iman celebrated her 27th birthday, she got the surprise of a lifetime. NY Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard got down on one knee to propose. And as you can see, she was more than happy about it.

The couple shared the special moment on social media, posting a picture of Sterling down on one knee surrounded by candles with a waterfront setting in NYC.

“A night full of tears of happiness,” Chanel wrote on Instagram, “I’m beyond excited to spend the rest of my life with you @sterl_shep3 you are my soulmate, my best friend, my everything! Can’t wait to be your Mrs.”

The NFL baller shared the same picture with a sweet caption that read, “The catch of my dreams…can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you!”

 

A night full of tears of happiness I’m beyond excited to spend the rest of my life with you @sterl_shep3 you are my soulmate, my best friend, my everything! Can’t wait to be your Mrs.

A post shared by Chanel Iman (@chaneliman) on Dec 2, 2017 at 4:57pm PST

 

The catch of my dreams...can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you!

A post shared by Sterling Shepard (@sterl_shep3) on Dec 2, 2017 at 4:58pm PST

Aww!

The 27-year-old former Victoria’s Secret model and the 24-year-old NFL player have been dating for about a year after meeting at Sterling’s teammate Victor Cruz’s birthday bash last November.

After the proposal, the soon-to-be married couple hit the dance floor at SPIN New York to celebrate with friends and family, including Giants teammates Odell Beckham Jr., Tavarres King, Roger Lewis Jr., Travis Rudolph, Donte Deayon and Brad Wing. Sports Illustrated model Damaris Lewis and Victoria’s Secret model Maria Borges were also in the building.

Check it:

 

A post shared by Chanel Iman + Sterling Shepard (@chanelandshep) on Dec 1, 2017 at 8:41pm PST

 

A post shared by Chanel Iman + Sterling Shepard (@chanelandshep) on Dec 1, 2017 at 9:38pm PST

Congrats to the couple and Happy Birthday Chanel!

Photo: Chanel's IG

Rihanna celebrated her street naming ceremony Versace'd down this weekend.  And that's why we love her.  Get into her epic moment that officially made her a legend in the Barbados streets and more inside...

We all know Rihanna is basically the queen of Barbados, but now the Bajan beauty has made it official with a street named after her in her home country.

The cosmetics mogul and pop star has been making major money moves all year, so it's only right she gets commemorated in street signage on the island.

Fenty Corp's HBIC hit the streets to celebrate all weekend rocking plenty of Versace and her own Fenty Beauty Galaxy collection:

Werk.

Before celebrating, RiRi was living up to her Little Miss Sunshine name in a mini Hellessy dress for her big ceremony.

The street she grew up on, Westbury Road, was renamed to Rihanna Drive.  She dished on how she met her longtime bestie Melissa Forde and how the Westbury community made her the woman she is today:

 

a day my people and I will never forget! all the lessons, running around barefoot, nosey neighbors, braiding hair on the step, playing in the cemetery, walking to the beach, rum shop karaoke keeping the whole street awake til 4am ("only the lonely" by Roy Orbison is playing in my head as I type this) , stealing Sammy pomegranates from his tree, begging my mother to let me walk to Jan's shop cause she had American snacks, selling plastic/glass bottles to Peter so I could buy those American snacks, getting my hair hot combed for Harvest at church, doing my homework on my front step while Miss Hyacinth yells "ya gon get belly hurt from dat cold step" across from her veranda, watching iFE walk past with her dreads dragging on the floor like a couture gown, all the times I thought Melissa came to hang out with me, turns out she was dating my next door neighbor all along, rushing to do dishes when my mother's high heels start hitting the pavement as she gets off the bus from work......right here on this street! WESTBURY is more than a community, we're family!!! Thank you for all that you've poured into my life and the woman I am! It takes a village, and I'm glad my village was you!!!! To God be the Glory!!!! #RiRiDrive

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Dec 1, 2017 at 8:42am PST

 

on any block.

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Nov 30, 2017 at 12:31pm PST

Workers were also seen adding the finishing touches to Rihanna's childhood home before the street naming ceremony.

Congrats Rihanna!

EXTRAS:

1. Stealthy!  Ed Sheeran confirmed that Beyoncé changes her email address every week!   STORY

2. Master P& Romeo Miller are doing a casting call for a sequel to I Got the Hookup!  STORY

Photos: Instagram

NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick might become TIME's Person of The Year for launching the national anthem protest. Meanwhile, NFLer Malcolm Jenkins is being called a sellout for not continuing to participate in the protest. Deets inside...

The awards just keep trickling it in and rightfully so.

Colin Kaepernick put his career on the line when he launched his silent national anthem protest. While it has apparently cost him his job (since the NFL is seemingly blackballing him), his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

The 28-year-old baller is now 1 of 10 candidates in the running for TIME’s 2017 Person of the Year. Woot!

Each year, the magazine recognizes the person or group of people who most influenced the news during the past year, for better or for worse. We know who’d win for worse....

The former 49ers quarterback will be going up against Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, the #MeToo movement, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, just to name a few. Check out the full list here.

We're putting our vote in for Colin!

This news comes on the heels of Colin being awarded Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award and nabbing GQ’s Citizen of the Year Award.

Speaking of the national anthem protest...

Folks are coming at Eagles player Malcolm Jenkins’ neck after he announced he would no longer participate in the protest. Instead of taking a knee, Malcolm would raise his fist in the air during the national anthem. But, we will not be seeing him do it any longer.

Why?  MULA.

He claims his ultimate goal was to raise awareness “social injustices that plague our country.” And since he says he's done that, he’s finished with protesting.

But, his announcement to not protest surely came at a eyebrow raising moment, being that the NFL JUST donated $89 million to the NFL Players Coalition over seven years to "address social issues considered important to African-American communities," namely education, criminal justice and law enforcement reform. And it just so happens that the Philadelphia Eagles safety is the unofficial Players Coalition spokesman.

The money will be split up as follows:

All but $16 million of that total has been "vetted and approved" for national funding of the Coalition, which is now a fiscally sponsored project; Dream Corps, an organization aimed at aiding the impoverished and underrepresented; and the United Negro College Fund, which offers scholarships to black students.

A large chunk of the money will go directly to the NFLPA, but reportedly, a board of 5 NFL players will be joined by 5 owners and others in "determinign how to spend it."

Hmm…hush money or nah?

In a lengthy letter to CBS Sports, Malcolm addressed those who are calling him a “sellout.” He said instead of continuing to protest, he’s looking to “get the media coverage and attention on the tragedies we need to fix – those in our juvenile justice system, unjust bail policies, mass incarceration of young black men in this country and lack of employment opportunities in low-income communities.”

So we can't do both?

Read excerpts from his letter below:

It has been my goal for the past two years to raise awareness about some important social injustices that plague our country. The PEOPLE who have been unjustly disenfranchised by our criminal justice system and the PEOPLE who daily fight for them always have, and always will be, the inspiration and focus of my efforts. I'm proud of what my peers and I have been able to accomplish by using the platform we have these last two years. I'm proud to be part of a group of men who are standing up because we can help others. I'm proud of the men who may now disagree with me and our direction, but still played a significant role in getting results through our actions. We will not be deterred from fighting for justice. There are many players across the league who have joined these efforts toward new legislation, reestablishing trust with our police and helping to create educational and economic opportunities in our communities. I welcome anyone who wants to join us.

I wholeheartedly support and respect those who want to continue to protest. My hope and my focus now will be on getting the media coverage and attention on the tragedies we need to fix – those in our juvenile justice system, unjust bail policies, mass incarceration of young black men in this country and lack of employment opportunities in low-income communities – not whether I'm raising a fist before taking the field.

What the NFL has done is a good first step – it's not going to solve the massive problems we have in our cities and states across this country, but it's a start. And, more importantly, I'm glad we were able to get them to acknowledge their responsibility and role in trying to help solve these problems and injustices. They are making a major commitment, more than they have done for any other charitable initiative, to provide us with the marketing platform to educate millions of fans about social justice, racial inequality and the work players are doing in criminal justice reform, police accountability/transparency and education/economic advancement.

For myself and the Players Coalition, it was never about the money or having our voices bought. To hear people call me or anyone else a sell-out is insulting. It has always been, and will always be, about lifting the voices of the people and the work of those that fight for them. God Bless.

Read the full letter here.

Thoughts?

BONUS:

Will be better next week in all areas I apologize to #GiantsNation for my postgame comments and not getting it done today. pic.twitter.com/RIDmVwlwCW

— Geno (@GenoSmith3) December 4, 2017

Just one day after Eli Manning was benched by the NY Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and black QB Geno Smith started in his place, McAdoo and black GM Jerry Reese have been fired.  The benching of Eli, who has led the team for 210 consecutive games, caused an uproar all week.  The owners seem to be more pissed at him being benched for Geno than they are about this 2-10 season.

Go figure.

Photos: GQ/Getty

Meek Mill's case just suffered another blow.  He's not getting bail anytime soon.  Deets inside...

Rapper Meek Mill has been locked up for close to a month now after the judge says he violated probation one too many times.

His legal team has been working to get him out on bail while they appeal his 2-4 year prison sentence, but the judge just handed down her decision today.  And it's definitely a no-go.

TMZ reports, based on the docs, that Judge Brinkley thinks the Philly rapper may not be telling the whole truth about his drug test or his address he gave his probation officer.  She also called him a flght risk:

Judge Genece Brinkley says Meek is a "flight risk" and "a danger to the community." In denying him bail, she questioned the validity of his clean drug tests ... suggesting he might have used something called "Fast Flush" to cleanse his system.  

Brinkley also said Meek might have lied to police and his probation officer about his address. His legal team tells us that's BS, and says the address he's provided is the same one on his driver's license.

Welp.

Meek's attorneys have already popped back, claiming Judge Brinkley is continuing to treat their client unfairley:

There's a big move to free Meek on grounds the judge was prejudiced ... biased against Meek when he would not change managers or give Judge Brinkley a shout-out in a Boyz II Men song.

One of Meek's attorneys, Joe Tacopina, says Brinkley's decision "continues her long pattern of unfair treatment" of Meek ... and vows they will appeal.

Meek's most recent probation violation that landed him in the slammer again is tied to his 2008 conviction on drugs and weapons charges.

Plenty of folks, fans and celebs alike, have been speaking out in defense of Meek claiming that the justice system is set up to trap men like Meek inside of it.  Jay-Z, who heads up Meek's label Roc Nation, had tees made up for folks to floss at a recent 4:44 concert tour stop in Philly. Trey Songz, Yo Gotti, Ben Simmons and fans all joined in:

 

Tonight was LEGENDARY #FREEMEEKMILL @MEEKMILL

A post shared by Lil Nizzy - GLOWING (@lilnizzyd4s) on Dec 1, 2017 at 10:01pm PST

Thoughts?

Photos: Getty

Those damn jumpsuits...never letting a girl group chick be great. Watch Tamika Scott brave a major on-stage fall & wardrobe malfunction during the Xscape tour inside...

Whoopsie daisy!

Tamika Scott was just trying to get to the next song in the set when a wardrobe malfunction caused her to fall on her face on stage.

The singer was transitioning into a dance break for "Hot Boy" while on stage at the Spectrum Center Saturday in Charlotte when her jumpsuit said "Nah."

Tamika, LaTocha, Tiny & Kandi were supposed to have their jumpsuits ripped off in one swoop by their male dancers.  But Tamika's got caught...somewhere...and then the chair decided to be shady too and get all in the way.  And down she went.

Chick kept it moving though, because what else can you do?

It was all caught on video.  Check it:

Tamika had to laugh at herself as soon as the footage hit the net. 

 

OMG... I Can't stop laughing at myself. I fell like a pro. I swear this was the BEST SHOW ever!!! @tmz_tv! #greatxscapetour #tamikascott #funny #epic #fall

A post shared by Tamika Scott (@therealtamikascott) on Dec 4, 2017 at 12:47pm PST

We guess when it came to that jumpsuit, she couldn't "just kick it" off.  See what we did there?

Whatevs.

EXTRAS:

1. Netflix has decided to move forward in completing production of the final season of "House of Cards"...without Kevin Spacey. WE WANT REMY DANTON! STORY

2. Buffalo Bills' star Tre'Davious White may have suffered a concussion after Patriots star Rob Gronkowski took a deliberate, cheap shot at him during last night's game and it disgusted everyone.  Now, Rob has been slapped on the wrist with a one game suspension. He also has the audacity to say he's appealing.  STORY

Photo: Instagram

Weeks after LiAngelo Ball was "suspended indefinitely" by UCLA after his stupid crime he committed in China, he's now being yanked out of the school by his helicopter dad.  Deets inside...

That's a wrap for LiAngelo Ball at UCLA. 

The middle Ball brother was following in his big brother Lonzo Ball in doing a one-and-done at UCLA before entering the NBA Draft, this according to his very loud (some may argue extra supportive) father.

Once he was suspended indefinitely, his career at UCLA became pretty much impossible.  Seeing that to qualify for the NFL Draft you have to be both over 18 AND one year removed from college, it put the Ball in a pickle about what to do next.  But it definitely is the most logical prediction Lavar would yank Gelo out so he could play elsewhere while awaiting NBA qualification.

Today, Lavar announced LiAngelo is not going back to UCLA, because he's being punished worse than he was in China.

Oh really?!

"I'm not sitting back and waiting," LaVar Ball told ESPN. "He wasn't punished this bad in China."

"We get back over here and the consequences were even stiffer than China. So basically they're in jail here."

Lavar says he hasn't figured out where Gelo will play next, but he's extra confident he can do a better job of preparing him for the NBA than college.

 

"I'm going to make him way better for the draft than UCLA ever could have," he said. "He's not transferring to another school," he told ESPN. "The plan is now to get Gelo ready for the NBA draft."

Oh?!

There were already doubts about his eligibility for the league with LiAngelo and both of his brothers ignoring NCAA rules and seemingly endorsing their own sneaker brand Big Baller Brand.  As for how they're going to get around all this other drama on top of that, time will tell.  But y'all know Lavar aint never letting up...

Also, LiAngelo seems to be just fine after the suspension. He was loved up with his girlfriend Izzy Morris on his 19th birthday last week:

 

A post shared by Isabella (@izzy_morris) on Nov 23, 2017 at 11:55pm PST

Photo: USA Today Sports/AP

Diddy threw DJ Khaled one of the biggest celebrity birthday bashes of the year. And Khaled’s young son Asahd Khaled was right in the mix. Peep those party pics, plus see how Chrissy Teigen and John Legend celebrated her birthday inside…

Issa birthday party! A star-studded one at that.

Hip Hop mogul Diddy through the birthday bash of the year for his homie DJ Khaled. And when we say it was star-studded, EVERYONE was in the mix to celebrate the superproducer’s 42nd birthday.

The theme of the party was Arabian Nights and it was helf at a private estate in Beverly Hills.

Some of the famous party guests included Diddy (of course), his girlfriend Cassie, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Tiffany Haddish, Nipsey Hussle, Noreaga, Teyana Taylor, Irv Gotti, Jesse Williams, Fergie, Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Jimmy Iovine, Roc Nation exec Lenny Santiago, Khaled’s fiancé Nicole Tuck, and more.

While it was Khaled’s birthday, his son Asahd Khaled stole the show, rolling into the party in his Aston Martin stroller. Did you expect anything less?

Diddy and Cassie were all about serving up coupledom vibes.

Even dressed down Kelly is a baddie.

There was an unlimited supply of Ciroc for the bash, as expected.

Khaled had some fun pretending to be the "salty" meme. Ha! Chef #SaltBae did the food with STK and Catch LA.

And Kelly Rowland sang Happy Birthday to Khaled.

Happy Belated Khaled!

At another party...

Pregnant Chrissy Teigen (yep, baby #2 is on the way!) also celebrated her birthday recently. The soon-to-be mom of two served up retro vibes for her 32nd birthday. She and her husband John Legend hosted a Pan-Am themed party where guests had to dress up in 60s & 70s gear to board a fabricated double-decker airplane. Tal

Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West and Kris Jenner were among the guests at Chrissy’s intimate birthday shindig. Baby Luna was also in the mix. Peep the flicks below:

Hey Yeezy!

Chrissy's parents wouldn't miss it for the world.

Epic theme, by the way.

 

A post shared by Kim Kardashian Snapchats (@kimksnapchats) on Nov 30, 2017 at 10:17pm PST

Also...

The Stephens also snapped some new maternity flicks for the 'Gram.

Aww! Luna is tooooo precious! 

Photos:Getty/Khaled’s IG/Diddy’s IG/Chrissy's IG/John's IG

It’s official! LL Cool J is the first rapper to ever receive the Kennedy Center Honors and he was ecstatic during the ceremony last night, sans Donald Trump. More inside…

History made!

LL Cool J has made rap history as the first rap solo artist to be honored at the Kennedy Center Honors, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C last night...sans Donald Trump. He opted not to attend and we're not mad.

The Kennedy Center Honor is a big deal as its one of the highest honors you can receive as an entertainer.

“I am blown away,” LL told the Washington Post.“This is the biggest musical award you can receive. To be recognized by your country, and to be able to represent hip-hop as an art form is amazing. I’m surprised, grateful, humbled and honored.”

And he totally deserves it. LL is an icon in the game and he deserves all the praises while he's still killing the game.

The iconic rapper, actor and host was joined by his wife Simone Smith and his daughters, Nina, Samaira and Italia and his son Najee to celebrate his big feat.

 

I believe that we are built to do anything we put our minds and proper actions to. You have all the tools inside you that are required for you to fulfill your GOD given purpose. This one is for those who came before me and those who followed me. We were sent to this planet to love and inspire one another. Manifest our dreams and make them a reality. I hope you’re inspired by me because I’m absolutely Inspired by you. Mic check 1212 Let’s ride!! #KCHonors #StateDepartmentDinner #hiphop

A post shared by LLCOOLJ (@llcoolj) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:35pm PST

Singer Lionel Richie, TV writer/producer Norman Lear, singer Gloria Estefan, and dancer Carmen de Lavallade were also be honored during the event.

 

The @KennedyCenter Honors Class of 2017. Truly Honored to be sharing this special moment with this group of extraordinary people. Congratulations to my fellow honorees!!! #KCHonors

A post shared by LLCOOLJ (@llcoolj) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:46pm PST

Yas, LL!

We're SO proud of LL. He's a trailblazer in the music game and deserves this honor.

 

Congratulations to @llcoolj on his #KennedyHonors !! He is the GOAT!! It was such an honor to #Glam the Smith ladies @sislovespurple @samarialeah @ninabandzz @italiaanita @ondreasmith .. @reinab_bossy on hair ... @theekymlee on makeup also ... #glamsquad #KennedyHonors #LLCOOLJ #

A post shared by DeeDee Kelly (@deedee_kelly) on Dec 3, 2017 at 4:58pm PST

The show will air on CBS December 26th at 9pm EST.

Photos: Getty/Lionel’s IG/Simone’s IG/Kennedy Center’s IG/@ninabandzz

Cam’ron opens up about his failed relationship with JuJu after 10 years of being together. Find out what the nail in the coffin was, plus what Ashanti says about how Murda Inc.'s federal indictment drama hurt her career and her what she thought about her ex-boyfriend Nelly being accused of rape inside...

10 years down the drain.

Cam’ron and JuJu were in a serious relationship for 10 years, but they have since called it quits.

The reason? Well, there are two main reasons.

According to the Harlem native he said the relationship “wasn’t fun anymore” and he also said social media came between them while chatting with Power 105’s “The Breakfast Club.”

Apparently, Cam and JuJu broke up earlier this year claiming the split was “mutual.” He said he told her the relationship just wasn’t fun for him anymore and that it was nothing like how it used to be when they first got together. He blamed Instagram as the culprit for many of their arguments.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h164/ybfchic/December%202017/camjuju.jpg

“It was kind of mutual," the rapper explained. "For me, it just wasn’t fun anymore. When Instagram came out, it was fun in the beginning and then it became serious. [Juju would say] ‘Why you following her?’ Or, ‘You like that person picture,’ or ‘People are saying this.’ And I’m like, ‘Yo, you gotta be my best friend for because that’s what I’m in it for.’ … It just stopped being fun and I think she felt that way too.”

He said in the beginning of their relationship JuJu was his bestfriend. As the relationship went on, she stopped being that for him.

“Once Instagram came out, I’m the one who was promoting her and marketing her, showing her body and showing people how beautiful she is, like, ‘Look, I got a beautiful woman,’ without being too untasteful about it to me,” he continued. “Basically it just stopped being fun.”

So did JuJu starring on “Love & Hip Hop” have anything to do with their uncoupling? Nope. He said his lawyer is the one who negotiated her deal on the show and he nabbed her the highest paid contract of any new cast member.

Outside of JuJu questioning Cam about his Instagram antics, there was also a situation that went down between the “LAHH” star and a chick named Roxxi. Apparently, Roxxi is one of Cam’s “homegirls” and she got wreckless on social media towards JuJu. Cam decided to stay out of the drama and JuJu felt some type of way about it. Hmph.

However, Cam said he doesn’t have any hard feelings against his ex-girlfriend. When asked why not just stay in a relationship with her, he explained, “it’s just not fun anymore.”

Find out what he said about JuJu at the 21-minute mark, plus why he and Mase are beefing below:

In another recent interview...

Ashanti has a new single she’s promoting, “Say Less,” and has a new album coming out in 2018, so she has been doing interviews all over NYC.

The R&B songbird, who currently on tour, stopped by Power 105’s “The Breakfast Club” to chop about her relationship with Murda Inc., her ex-boyfriend Nelly’s rape allegations, and whether a regular guy would have a chance with her.

During the interview, the “Say Less” singer said the federal indictment against the Murda Inc. label put a damper on her career an image. She said she had nothing to do with the indictment, but brands were dropping their contracts with her. “I was guilty by association,” she explained. However, she and Ja Rule are closer now than they have ever been.

With sexual harassment allegations running rampant in the industry, Shanti spoke on how a famed producer tried to play her. He presented all of these free things for her if she decided to go out with him. She declined, so he began asking her for thousands of dollars for his services. She said she had to get her “big brothers” involved to settle it.

As for whether a "regular" guy has a chance with her (i.e. a UPS worker,) she responded, “A guy that’s not in the in music industry? I don’t know. I don’t know if a regular guy would be able to understand the industry. An industry dude doesn’t even understand the industry. It’s hard.”

 

Be Empowered. #womenempowerment #sayless

A post shared by Ashanti (@ashanti) on Dec 4, 2017 at 12:53pm PST

Speaking of relationships, she was asked her thoughts on the rape allegations that were brought up (and then dropped) against her ex-boyfriend Nelly. She responded, “Say Less.”

Oh, and get this. Jay Z was originally supposed to be on Ashanti’s “Foolish,” but Murda Inc. honcho Irv Gotti decided to drop Hov from the track at the very last minute.  Irv told her she needed to do this one solo. Not only that, Shanti was supposed to be featured on Fabolous’ “So Into You,” but Irv took her off of it. Bloop!

Peep the interview below:

Photos: Instagram

Looks like they aren’t hiding anymore. Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes kinda put their love on front street. Find out what we mean inside….

Long gone are the days where they have to creep around. Well, kind of.

Rumors have been circulating for years that Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes are an item. And while they’re never confirmed the rumors, their latest outing proves the rumors to be true. Jamie tried to deny their coupledom status before, but he did a horrible job trying to convince us. And remember that Paris BAEcay they took while Jamie was working on a film earlier this year?

The YBF singer/actor/comedian was front-and-center for the grand opening of the Eyewear's New York Flagship launch event in NYC. And his rumored girlfriend Katie Holmes was there to show her support.

Peep the guy in the burgundy suit walking with both Katie and Jamie:

Mmhmm...

Yeah, we see y'all.

Another YBFer at the event...

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj was a walking promotion rocking a fur coat from her new H&M capsule collection when she rolled up on the scene.

Nice boots.

By the way, the visuals for Lil Uzi Vert's "The Way Life Goes (Remix)" video featuring Nicki Minaj just dropped. Check it out below, plus a behind-the-scenes clip:

 

A post shared by Barbie® (@nickiminaj) on Dec 4, 2017 at 5:06pm PST

Photos: Splash/Startraks/Backgrid/Wire/Getty

The YBF ladies are SLAYING the red carpet at several events. Peep flicks of Zendaya, Amber Riley, Kerry Washington, Erykah Badu and several more inside…

When FAB black chicks slay together!

Zendaya and Amber Riley were all smiles on the red carpet at the 63rd London Evening Standard Theatre Awards that went down at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. And Amber came out a winner.

The 31-year-old actress won the award for Best Musical Performance for her role as Effie in Dreamgirls. She has been slaying the London production; so much so, her role has been extended through June 2, 2018. Woot! Keep killing it Amber.

Daya, slaying in an Ellie Saab ensemble and Djula jewels, was tapped to present Amber her award.

"I started my year singing at the evening standard awards. I was terrified. In a room filled with people I had long admired. A year later, I was nominated and then I won. My God is greater. Thank you Evening Standard. This will be a constant reminder to keep my dreams in front of me, to stay focused, and work harder!," Amber gushed about her win on Instagram.

Congrats Amber!

Loving actress Ruth Negga also popped up on the carpet in all red.

At another event across the pond...

Zendaya switched up her fair into a blonde pixie cut to attend The British Fashion Awards 2017 held at Royal Albert Hall. We can’t even front, the Disney starlet normally slays a red carpet look, but this one is not one of our faves.

Something is just...off with this look.

Erykah Badu popped up on the scene showing off her eclectic style. We have to honest here as well, we're not feeling the Medusa style.

Runway stunna Naomi Campbell stepped out on the scene to show support of her friend/stylist Azzedine Alaïa, rocking one of his designs. On Instagram, she showered Azzedine with love, writing:

"Everyone in this room knows that Azzedine was able to transform a woman’s body into something special; make you look great and still like a woman. He captured the essence of femininity. But beyond his work as a designer, from the second day I met him, he became my papa. He was the most generous, kind, compassionate and humble man I have ever known, with a mischievous sense of humour in the glint of his eye, and he filled my life - and the lives of the women on this stage, and all of you in the room who met him - with light and joy. I moved into his home at 16 and he opened my eyes to the world: to artists, art and design, architecture, French and Tunisian culture. How blessed was I to have papa show me these different worlds?"

And we see where Naomi gets her good looks from. Her 66-year-old mother Valerie Morris. Black don't crack!

More models on the red carpet:

Model Winnie Harlow did NOT come to play. She slayed in this mint green Brandon Maxwell number like only she can. And threw in some leg action.

Model Jourdan Dunn was all about the leg action in a bold orange Versace dress and she killed it.

Model/pagaent queen Halima Aden struck a few poses on the carpet as well.

Back on this side of the pond...

Kerry Washington was a breath of fresh air as she snapped it up on the carpet at the 2018 Breakthrough Prize held at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

The hot mom-of-two showed off her stems in a floral Giambattista Valli mini dress, Giuseppe Zanotti heels and bag, Le Vian white diamond earrings and a Movado watch. By the way, she's the brand ambassador for Movado.

In a recent episode of "Chelsea", the "Scandal" star revealed before she got the role of Olivia Pope, she was considering leaving the acting world to teach yoga. Her agent just so happened to send her the script, which she felt was written just for her. She ended up competing against 12 other actresses, met with Shonda Rhimes and nailed it.  Despite the network originally wanting to cast Connie Britton. Nice!

Also at the event...

Rapper Wiz Khalifa and his model girlfriend Izabela Guedes did their usual coupledom color coordinating outfits for the event.

Photos: Getty/Pacific Coast News/Instar

The Carters' birthday behavior involves trolling folks, while the cool moms (plus Karrueche) link up for a kids' clothing line pop up shop opening.  Get it all inside...

They told us ish goes down when there's a billion dollars in an elevator, so why not give the people a peek at it for real for real? 

For Jay Z's birthday Monday night, he and wife Beyonce hit the New York streets.  But before they hopped in the car, they posed it up inside a movie theater elevator and insisted the paps got the shot:

Ha.  These two.  They were def poking fun at the situation...

Baddie Bey kept it super colorful in her Versace Unity look for the night, while Jay kept it cool in an oxblood suit and Nikes.

Beyoncé & JAY-Z leaving a movie theater in NYC (Dec. 4). pic.twitter.com/nyUjZcnX3k

— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey_Legion) December 5, 2017

Gotta love it.

Speaking of cool MILFS, Teyana Taylor and Tia Mowry hit up Ladurée in L.A. this week to celebrate The Tot's holiday pop-up at The Grove all to benefit Children's Hospital L.A.  The ladies, as well as Karrueche Tran, were there to support the clothing line's mission to provide safe, non toxic items for kiddies:

Pregnant-again mama Tia Mowry rocked a sexy Tom Ford dress and Manolos for the occasion and was totally glowing.

She posed it up with co-founder Nasiba Adilova.

Karrueche rocked a hot plaid look and thigh high boots:

Sexy.

And she linked up with her homie Teyana.

By the way, this is what Teyana was up to last night:

 

When u fuckin da Cajun pasta up and ya hubby song come on!!! It’s a lit situation, this song make me feel a way #littlebootysmatter #Seducitve #Iman oh and if u don’t have friends that hype you up like my friends, they are just simply not ya real friends Song: “Seductive” by @imanshumpert

A post shared by Jimmy Neutch- Shumpert (@teyanataylor) on Dec 5, 2017 at 8:30pm PST

Get it!

Photos: Backgrid/Splash/Getty

City councilwoman turned the 60th mayor of Atlanta. What a story for Keisha Lance Bottoms! While her white opponent remains salty and big mad, the new mayor's election afterparty was LIT. We've got it all inside, plus a news anchor who had the classiest clapback for a racist constituent...

Come all the way thru black girl political magic! 

Keisha Lance Bottoms, who also has mom, wife, FAMU alum, lawyer and member of Delta Sigma Theta on her list of fabulous assets, is officially the next mayor of the 9th largest city in America.  And that's a big freakin' deal.

The former City Councilwoman will take the seat of Kasim Reed who has just finished out his final term, and it was definitely a fight to the end.

Lance Bottoms is a Democrat who seemed like a shoe-in for the job going up against Mary Norman, a white independent who Keisha claimed had plenty of Republican values that simply aren't good for the city.  Thanks to a low voter turnout and arguably, gentrification, Keisha only won by 759 votes!  It came down to the wire with a mere 92,000

Plenty of news publications claim the race is too close to call, but Lance Bottoms has already rightfully declared herself the city's new leader.  Naturally, her opponent is vowing to request a recount.  Something she also did when she lost to Mayor Reed years ago.

After getting the support of outgoing Mayor Reed, US Senators Cory Booker & Kamala Harris and tons of celebs and local leaders (former black female Mayor of Atlanta Shirley Franklin interestingly supported her opponent), Lance Bottoms has seemingly won by a less than 1% margin.  Only a little more than 92,000 people voted in a city comprised of almost half a million people.  Majority of the citizens are people of color and Democrat, so why is it so close?

 

“Atlanta, Georgia, nationally you are a symbol for Black people”. #killermike said a whole word in that first statement. We (in Atlanta) don’t know how privileged we are to be raised, employed, socialized, and educated by our own. OUR OWN! Friends have visited and been in awe with the Blackness of Edgewood on a Friday night. Some have relocated from other states claiming to never leave. Others make it a point to visit multiple times a year. My father who was raised in little ole Ridgeland, SC said he couldn’t believe the level of Black people in Atlanta when he first visited in the 90s. His first time being employed by a Black company helped him achieve his goal of running the largest rail yard in Georgia. And I quote “Aside from my great grandfather I never saw a Black man in charge of a company until I moved to Atlanta. I knew one day I could be in charge too.” I’ve been in Texas for about 4 months now and there is a stark difference between being a MAJORITY in Atlanta and just another number here in TX. BIG DIFFERENCE. So, y’all voting today, or nah? #vote #atlanta #keishalancebottoms

A post shared by Breian Be Everywhere (@breian_sb) on Dec 5, 2017 at 9:04am PST

If you ask Killer Mike, it's due to the different type of citizen living in ATL now.  It could also be linked to gentrification inflating housing costs and pushing out the blacks.  The number of blacks in the city has indeed dropped over the years and the number of white citizens has risen exponentially.

Lance Bottoms touched on the changes she's ready to make during her speech Tuesday night, and also as part of her platform.

And this swag & surf turn-up:

Inside the @KeishaBottoms watch party. @wsbtv#AtlantaMayorpic.twitter.com/SvbaTt0USA

— Dave Huddleston (@DaveHWSB) December 6, 2017

Race remained an obvious element to this election, and as usual, certain white folks want to act like the issue doesn't exist. So when CBS news anchor Sharon Reed got called the N-word by a viewer, all for speaking on the issue, she had the classiest clapback that has now gone viral. Check it:

News anchor Sharon Reed responds on air to a viewer who calls her the N-word. This Atlanta Mayoral race has people fiesty tonight. pic.twitter.com/Vgri3oXnGN

— Billy Michael Honor (@BillyMHonor) December 6, 2017

Congrats to Keisha Lance Bottoms on her (almost official) win!

Honeeeeey. Beyoncé was snatched and Spanx'd to perfection at last night's Sports Illustrated show and probably had everybody in the place ready to risk it all. Watch her surprise Muhammad Ali Award recipient Colin Kaepernick inside...

Just when we thought the highlight of Tuesday night's Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year show would be Colin Kaepernick receiving the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, Bey was like "nah, hold my beer."

The Lemonade queen floated all her cake & thickness into the Barclays Center to present the Award to Colin, and had us reserving a damn bike at Soul Cycle within minutes.

She rocked a mini, curve hugging LaQuan Smith dress for the occasion, and delivered her praises for the people's champ.  Check it:

 

A post shared by Beylite (@beylite) on Dec 5, 2017 at 6:52pm PST

You'll be able to watch the former (for now) NFL QB's full speech when the show airs on NBCSN at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 8.  Until then, here's a snippet:

 

A post shared by Beylite (@beylite) on Dec 5, 2017 at 8:15pm PST

Congrats Colin!

Photos: Getty

A woman who claims to be Tupac’s ex-girlfriend has put his d*ck pic up for grabs. Deets inside…

Everyone is looking for a quick come up and they’ll do so at anyone’s expense.  ANYONE'S.

A woman claiming to be the ex-girlfriend of the late Tupac Shakur claims she has a picture of his genitals and she’ll be auctioning it off for some cash.

According to TMZ, the explicit picture (seen above) was taken during a house party in Marin County, California back in the 90s. Apparently, Pac had a thing where he liked to show off his manhood no matter who was around. That night, the woman threatened Pac saying she was going to take a picture of his penis if he didn’t put it away. In true Pac fashion, he didn’t care and left it out, so she snapped the pic.

Now, she’s looking to bank thousands. She will reportedly sell it privately to a rock ‘n’ roll auction house and she’s looking to get $7,500 for it. If they don’t agree to the amount, then it's said she will sell it to the highest bidder.

Chile…

She also plans to sell other pictures of Pac at the party that you can see here.

If the auction house doesn’t buy, would you??

Photos: TMZ

Tyrese is publicly speaking out via media interviews for the first time to address everything that went down during his social media meltdown while he was being investigated for child abuse.

Find out what he said about his ex-wife Norma Gibson and the Fast & Furious spin-off. Plus, deets on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and more inside…

It has been a rocky couple of months for singer/actor Tyrese as his ex-wife Norma Gibson brought him up on child abuse allegations and his public social media meltdowns. By the way, he blames his outbursts on him taking psych meds, speficially Rexulti.

Now that the dust has settled and he has received joint custody over his daughter Shayla, the Fast & Furious actor is speaking out for his first on-air interviews about what actually was going on behind the scenes.

The Black Rose singer stopped by HOT 107.9 to chop it up with “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show” about why he ultimately put a ring on his ex-wife Norma Gibson’s finger. And it had nothing to do with love. In fact, it was more about being able to have his daughter near him so he wouldn’t have to fly out of the country to spend quality time with her.

"Now I could say to [Norma], 'Listen. Norma, I love you. I appreciate you. I appreciate what we did. We had an angel but I married you to keep you in the country,” he explained. “I never married you because I was happily married. You're from London. I married you because we had a baby on the way and I had to do whatever I had to do so that I'm not travelling all the way to London to spend quality time with my baby'.”

Ouch. We're not sure about the statute of limitations on marriage fraud but um....

Ty went on to say his ex-wife suffers from pathological enmeshment as well as parenting alienation. He claims Norma is doing everything in her power to get their daughter Shayla to hate him, and he said manipulating their child mentally, emotionally and psychologically is child abuse.

Check it:

Ty also stopped by “The Ed Lover Show” where he addressed the story about him asking Will & Jada Pinkett Smith for money (he said he’s NOT broke), why he said his wife was pregnant and his relationship with his co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He also revealed he and Ludacris were offered a spin-off FIRST, but he turned it down because he felt like the franchise wasn’t about him. He said he expected The Rock to do the same, but as you can see, that didn’t happen.

Can't say we believe it, or would even believe Tyrese if he told us the sky was blue, but to each their own.

Also....

 

Paramount has officially greenlit a sequel to Four Brothers ( no lies here lol )..... it’s all over the net the script is almost done to the sequel and it’s magic- Gonna be cool as hell just getting back with the crew..... #Detroit ( give me 4 Favorite quotes from the movie )..... Go!!!

A post shared by TYRESE (@tyrese) on Nov 30, 2017 at 5:04pm PST

Tyrese also claims there's a Four Brothers sequel in the works. He made the announcement on Instagram, writing, “Paramount has officially greenlit a sequel to Four Brothers ( no lies here lol ). It’s all over the net the script is almost done to the sequel and it’s magic- Gonna be cool as hell just getting back with the crew.”

He might not be lying about this one. Comingsoon.net also reported a sequel could be in the works. Time will tell....

By the way, Tyrese has wasted no time getting involved in Atlanta politics.  He was spotted cheesing hard after councilwoman Keisha Lance Bloom became the 60th mayor of Atlanta HERE.

Speaking of The Rock, he remains unbothered by Tyrese speaking out.  Becuase he's super busy and super booked.

 

Every once in a while moments like this will give me a great reality reset. The reminder to never forget the struggles I came from and more importantly, share the work ethic and kindness I try and deploy daily. Work your ass off, be kind and enjoy your roses.

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Dec 4, 2017 at 6:11am PST

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And he couldn't be happier. Peep the video above to watch how he found out about nabbing the honor. He'll receive his star on December 13th.

On the magazine front...

 

The last time @TheRock was photographed in a turtleneck (in his high school days), it went viral. Following our shoot in his @brioni_official shirt, he tweeted "All I’m missing is my sexy leather fanny pack and silver chain,” and @GuillaumeTC stepped up to the plate. #DwayneJohnson #regram

A post shared by instylemagazine (@instylemagazine) on Dec 4, 2017 at 6:45am PST

The former wrestler is featured in InStyle magazine's January 2018 issue. Below are a few excerpts from his interview:

LB: I want to know, quite honestly, how the eff you do everything you do with such rigor and positivity.

DJ: Thank you for that. I start with gratitude. I’m in my 40s now, my fourth level, you know, and for me, in my 20s, I thought I knew everything—didn’t know shit. In my 30s, things started to cave in a little bit, and I began questioning myself and the decisions I was making. Divorce happened. Fatherhood was taking a challenging left turn. I was trying to figure out what kind of dad I wanted to be, so there was a lot of shit happening. Now, in my fourth level, I can honestly wake up every day, be present, and be grateful for everything. And I keep the tougher times I’ve had in the forefront of my mind—like when I was 14 and we were evicted from our house, or when I had 7 bucks in my pocket. The gratitude motivates me. I like to get up before sunrise, before the baby [Jasmine, 2] wakes up, so I can get my work done and get going.

LB: And what makes you feel weak?

DJ: When I’m unable to see a mistake I made right away. Maybe this is my Taurus mentality, but sometimes I don’t see it and I don’t see it and then, before you know it, I finally see it, and I’m like, “How the hell did I not see that? It was right in front of me all this time.” And I have to look at the wake I left behind, the disappointment. That makes me feel weak.

LB: What role do you see yourself playing in the culture now and going forward into your fifth level?

DJ: I think the most important thing is authenticity, just being as real as I can be. But also flexible and open to change and other ideas and thought processes. Back when you and I last talked, I was at a turning point in my life, and I was having a tough time. I was hiding it, but I had a really hard time just being me. So now it’s important that I’m just me.

You can read his full interview here.

The other night...

The Rock hit the red carpet with his co-stars Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas for the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle premiere at Le Grand Rex on December 5, 2017 in Paris, France. The film hits theaters December 20th.

Photos: Ty's IG/Getty

It’s cold outside, but Serayah is heating up the magazine circuit. Peep her hot GALORE magazine photoshoot shot in a totally unconventional way inside…

Leave it to Serayah, our sometimes #hairgoals inspiration, to serve up some sizzling shots to warm us up during these winter nights.

The “Empire” songstress graces the cover of GALORE magazine and her spread is electrifying the pages of the new issue. And get this, the entire shoot was shot on a Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The quality is flawless. 

Yeah, you can gon' ahead and get your own Holiday IG shoots together at home.  Y'all know how y'all do.

The Cali-bred YBF starlet has been keeping us entertained at the R&B/pop star Tiana Brown on FOX’s hit series “Empire” since the show took over our televisions in 2015.

Now, she’s ready to make a name for herself in the music business as she gears up to release her debut titled, Addicted. Oooo…Addicted. Sounds tempting. Not only that, she's also starring in an upcoming film.

Check out a few excerpts from her cover story below:

On upcoming projects in the film or TV:

I have a film in the works. Also I’m looking forward to doing some other projects hopefully in spring in the new year. I’m also releasing my music project and another video, but I’m keeping consistent in roles and music.

On her upcoming album:

Yeah it is. You’ll basically see more R&B. I guess you haven’t really seen a lot of R&B from me on the show as far as sonically-speaking. It’s going to be a story about being addicted; whether it’s addicted to having fun or always being out or a relationship that’s not good for you. That’s why I’m calling the project Addicted because the past year or so when I was making the music I felt very vulnerable and extreme with my relationship with people in general, so I feel like it’s a story about my experiences like that.

On her go-to fashion brands:

I love Moschino, Gucci and Jeremy Scott. Some other brands I love are Yves Saint Laurent. I love Tommy Hilfiger — he’s amazing. I also love designers that are more affordable like Missguided. I love to pair together high and low.

On any regrets:

No, because I don’t like to live in regret or think I could have done anything different with how I got Empire and how my life is in general. I’m very spiritual, so I don’t like to think about life like that.

You can read her full interview here. In the meantime, peep her hot spread below:

Werk!

A new episode of "Empire" premieres tonight at 8pm EST on FOX.

Photos: Prince and Jacob via GALORE

We’ll be seeing more of LaLa Anthony on “STAR,” while Courtney B. Vance is gearing up for a new movie role. Deets inside….

LaLa Anthony is killing the acting game.

After guest starring in Lee Daniels’ hit FOX series “STAR,” the YBF actress has nabbed a recurring role on the show. The former “TRL” VJ plays the role of Paola, the estranged mom of Angel (played by Evan Ross) who ends up having a connection to Jahil (played by Benjamin Bratt).

Also, Migos rapper Quavo will reportedly guest star as himself. Hmm…we wonder why the rest of the Migos aren’t making a cameo.

It’ll be interesting to see LaLa’s character get developed on the show. She's been good on “Power” and she totally slayed her role on “The New Edition Story.”

In movie news…

Courtney B. Vance is gearing up to put some interracial love on the big screen.

The EMMY winner will be playing the husband of Julia Roberts’ character in the upcoming drama Ben Is Back.

According to Variety:

Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges are starring as mother and son in the family drama, to be directed by Hedges’ real-life father, Peter Hedges.

Lucas Hedges, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in “Manchester by the Sea,” will portray a charming yet troubled man who returns home to his unsuspecting family on Christmas Eve. His wary mother welcomes her beloved son’s return, but soon learns that he is still very much in harm’s way.

Courtney’s character will offer a different philosophy on how to handle his stepson’s return, which puts him at odds with his wife.

Production for the film started this week.

EXTRAS:

1. "Leave It To Stevie" returns for a 2nd season on Wednesday, January 3rd at 10pm EST on VH1. Stevie J's homie Safaree Samuels is joining him as well.  Is this really needed?

2. "Atlanta" writer/producer Stephen Glover (Donald Glover's brother) has inked an overall deal with FX productions.  Nice! STORY

Photos: LaLa's IG/Getty

Ciara is joining forces with her husband Russell Wilson’s charity foundation. Meanwhile, Sofia Richie and her boyfriend Scott Disick are still going strong. Coupledom deets inside…

Ciara and Russell Wilson continue to prove why they’re #RelationshipGoals!

The R&B singer has signed on to become a member on the board of directors for the Seattle Seahawks quarterback’s Why Not You Foundation. This doesn’t come as a shock at all, especially since CiCi accompanies Russell during his philanthropic efforts and events. The couple makes weekly visits to the Seattle Children’s Hospital to chop it up with the kiddies.

“I’m honored to join the board of the Why Not You Foundation,” Ciara told PEOPLE in a statement. “I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact the Foundation has on improving the lives of children. Every girl and young woman should have the opportunity to grow in a healthy and positive way with access to education and empowerment skills needed to be successful. I truly believe our foundation is positioned to make a lasting difference in the world.”

The hot mom-of-two will help spread the foundation’s message on her social media platforms, reaching over 50 million people. Loves it!

Meanwhile...

 

Getting Ready...

A post shared by Ciara (@ciara) on Dec 6, 2017 at 7:11am PST

CiCi has been heating up Instagram with some cake. Aye!

As for a newer couple...

19-year-old Sofia Richie and 34-year-old Scott Disick are still going strong.

The couple took their love to Miami Beach for a fun BAEcay together. And this isn't their first. A few months ago, they were all loved up in Italy.

While in Miami, Sofia flossed her bod for her man in a red thong bikini while soaking in some sun:

Must be nice to just lay around on the beach and not really having to work for your coinage.

How long do y'all think this will last?

Photos: Ciara's IG/Instar