Jay-Z has signed on to give President Obama's final campaign rally a huge push.  Get the deets inside, plus how he and his wife & baby girl jetted to a 5-star hotel to escape Superstorm Sandy...

Hov is giving President Obama another big push on his final day of campaigning.  Jay, along with Bruce Springsteen, will perform at O's final rally in Columbus, Ohio on Monday (Nov. 5th).  This comes after The Carters hosted a $4 mill fundraiser for the Commander-In-Chief. 

Other celebs stomping on the final campaign trail--Stevie Wonder, Marc Anthony and Gabrielle Union all joined First Lady Michelle Obama in Florida yesterday.  And Dave Matthews Band is rocking out in Bristow, VA on Saturday with the Prez & Former Prez Bill Clinton.

And being a celeb has its perks.  The Carters nabbed up a room at the uber swanky Mark Hotel on the upper east side of NYC this week as Sandy wrecked havoc on the tri-state area.  Hotels in the whole city have been completely sold out all week.

The fam had to leave their lower Manhattan Tribeca home as the entire lower half of Manhattan--beneath 40th street--lost power and steam.  Even running water in some places.

So the twosome joined a slew of other stranded celebs at the same hotel--their Trbeca neighbor Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Russell Crowe, French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld and more.

They also hit up a Halloween party to lift their spirits (in case a cushy suite wasn't enough) on Wednesday at Cipriani 42nd St.  Dita Von Teese hosted and Russell Crowe tweeted:

Must be nice...

By the way, check out The Carters on EBONY's 2012 Power 100 list.  Congrats to all!

Rihanna tweeted a sexy and playful pic following her Halloween party this week. See Rihanna's topless "morning after" look inside and get the deets on Kanye West's upcoming "Cruel Winter" project the G.O.O.D. Music folks are bringing out...

Following her Halloween bash, Rihanna apparently woke up camera ready the next morning and tweeted, 'The morning after! Hello November'. In the flick, the singer is topless and stares at the camera as if she's had a long night of....yeah.

Before the party, her bestie Melissa took a snapshot of Rih getting ready for the evening in her green "carnaval queen" gown and veil.  Earlier, Riri had been crowned the queen of the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

Folks at the party say the pop diva could be seen giving "lap dances" to her "friend" Chris Brown, who attended the party in a controversial costume.  We're sure...

BONUS: 

Rihanna just released behind the scenes footage from her Unapologetic photo shoot. Watch it above.

In other music news.....

Kanye West seemed to use former President George Bush as inspiration for his latest music trailer, a short film called "Cruel Winter."  The one minute clip, directed by Austin Christianson, shows stark and dramatic scenes from nature (trees, leaves, an open field) while audio from George Bush's "Toward a New World Order" speech plays in the background.  So what does all the mean?  No one knows...or at least no one is revealing anything.  Do we ever know with 'Ye though?

We do know that Q-Tip revealed the name of the project during the BET Hip Hop Awards, but he did not give up any details about what fans can expect.

But because Kanye also premiered a short film in Cannes before the release of Cruel Summer, we suspect this will be a musical project of a similar nature.  So maybe the avant garde film will give birth to a full out G.O.O.D. album?

He loves to keep folks guessing.....

Yesterday, fabulous women like Toni Braxton, Kellita Smith and LisaRaye helped raise money at awareness for Lupus at a fabulous luncheon in Beverly Hills.  See the pics inside and find out what Tamar Braxton and Vincent Herbert revealed to Wendy Williams...

Yesterday, Lupus LA marked the 10-year anniversary of the Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The sold-out event was attended by some of the most charitable "bag ladies" in the country including LisaRaye, Kellita Smith (new "The First Family" star) and Essence Atkins. 

R&B legend Toni Braxton was among the attendees, looking amazing int his orange Tom Ford dress, and was honored along with other past recipients of the “Woman of Achievement” Award.

The R&B chick was supported by her family and fellow "Braxton Family Values" stars Traci Braxton, Evelyn Braxton and Trina Braxton.

Legendary actress and upcoming "The First Family" sitcom star Marla Gibbs showed that good black don't crack as she went down the blue carpet.

LisaRaye rocked her white pants and a black and white sequined top to the luncheon.  She's been pushing the
Transforming My Body" diet & exercise plan and clearly it's paying off.

Actress Essence Atkins also stepped out in a white cocktail dress.

Emmy-winning actress Jackee Harry (who appears on "The First Family" with Marla) flashed her pearly whites for the cameras.

Marla and Jackee had a "227" reunion and posed with executive producer Carolyn Folks.

During the luncheon, the ladies were treated to a fashion show by designer Kevan Hall who has dressed FLOTUS Michelle Obama and plenty of celebrity gals.  Fab job ladies!

In other Braxton related news.....

Tamar Braxton and her husband Vincent Herbert, who star on WEtv's "Tamar & Vince", stopped by "The Wendy Williams Show" to dispel rumors that they are getting a divorce.  Tamar said she didn't know where the rumor came from (oh, could it be the fact Vince said e's knows what he wants and it AINT "this"?) and that she definitely didn't "plant it" because she doesn't lie.  

The couple revealed that they are selling their new mansion because Vincent found a new one.  Why?  Because their 15,000 sqft mansion "wasn't big enough" for the TWO of them.  Yeah, they said it.  Vince told Wendy that he wanted Tamar to have a beauty salon...and he wanted a gym.  When audience members laughed at him about making the gym comment, Tamar snapped "Don't do that.  My man looks good." 

Tamar told Wendy she does not regret sharing her and Vincent's marital issues with the world on reality tv and added that divorce is not an option.  The couple also said they never sleep in separate rooms.

Then the couple made the "big announcement".....Vince and Wendy will be creating a "Wendy's Next Great Voice" segment in the show where viewers will compete for a demo deal with Vince!

Photos via Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images North America

Actress Tamera Mowry-Housley unveiled her baby nursery recently as she prepares for the arrival of Baby Housley.  See photos inside as well as pics of Alicia Keys with her son in North Carolina and Garcelle Beauvais with her son on the red carpet.

Tamera Mowry-Housley, who also blogs for PEOPLE.com, recently opened the doors of her Napa Valley, Calif., home to reveal the nursery she helped design with celebrity designer Shalena Smith.

Shalena used personalized blocks from Gaga Design to add an inviting touch to the Newport Cottages changing table. Tamera also added a custom canvas featuring one of her and her husband's favorite quotes, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

And the nursery also features gifts from some of Tamera's celebrity friends.  San Francisco Giants baller Brandon Belt gifted a mini jersey. The glowing twin said, "It's the perfect addition to our nursery."

The nursery is also filled with vintage antiques that Tamera's husband Adam has had in his family for generations. And each piece has its own story like a toy plane that was "hand carved by an Italian prisoner of World War II and given to Adam's grandfather, an American soldier, for his kindness."

Tamera was due on October 30.....she's still waiting.  She tweeted, So tired today…hanging in there. Almost to the finish line.  Loves this nursery.  Adorbs!

And in North Carolina....

Alicia Keys hit the campaign trail for President Obama recently and she brought her son Egypt along for the stomp.  Never too early to participate in the political game!

And Hurricane Sandy may have forced Alicia Keys to postpone her Keep a Child Alive charity gala, but it won't stop her from performing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" tonight for his last show in Brooklyn.

And in Hollywood....

Gorgeous actress Garcelle Beauvais took her adorable son Jaid to the red carpet premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios’Wreck-It Ralph at the El Capitan Theatre.  When asked where her other son Jax was, she said, "Jax bailed on us last minute.”

Garcelle was all smiles despite being dropped from the cast of her former show "Franklin & Bash."

But luckily for Garcelle, she has other projects coming down the pipeline like "Arrested Development."

The Randomness:

1.  The NYC Mayor's office has officially CANCELLED the NYC Marathon after much controversy surrounding Bloomberg trying to keep it on schedule.  STORY

Chris Brown's mom recently defended her son's Halloween costume on Twitter.  Find out what she said inside and watch the "Girl On Fire" video from Alicia Keys featuring Nicki Minaj.

You may have heard about Chris Brown and his friends dressing up like "terrorists" for Halloween, and "you" might have been offended by it.  But one person who's in Chris corner is his mom Joyce Hawkins.  Joyce, who mainly uses her Twitter account to post inspirational messages and news about Chris, spoke about the controversy saying,

“Halloween is for fun, nothing more than just fun. Get a life please. So does this mean when we dress our kids as Satan we glorifying him or (is) it just out of fun???? … Keep smiling angel.”

Sigh.  A mother's love....she will defend Chris to the end.

And in new music videos...

The success of Alicia Keys' "Girl On Fire" single and video has prompted her to make a video for the "Inferno version" featuring Nicki Minaj. The track is the lead single off Alicia's upcoming Girl On Fire disc which she described saying, “This [album] is me stepping into my complete woman- hood, my journey to becoming fearless.”

Watch the new version ft. Ms. Minaj above....

R&B crooner Tyrese has released the visual for "Best Of Me" and it stars actress Eva Marcille. See the stunning black-and-white video inside and watch Alicia Keys on "Jimmy Kimmel Live".....

When Tyrese shot the video for his latest single, "Best Of Me," he tapped "Girlfriend Confidential LA" star Eva Marcille to be his leading lady. The pairing resulted in a beautifully shot black-and-white visual, directed by Matt Alonzo.  In the clip, which contains splashes of color, Tyrese and Eva frolick on the beach and share intimate moments at home.

Tyrese revealed that the video had many delays and setbacks but he is pleased with the outcome.   He tweeted,

 "Im In tears.._ @EvaMarcille I love you dearly .. You showed up for me.. I was lost and you showed up for me!"  AND

While others have jumped ship ... I'm fighting to keep real R&B ALIVE!! Enjoy my new video_~^~_ ~_BEST OF ME_~

The song appears of Tyrese's Open Invitation (in stores now)

Watch "Best Of Me" here:

And on late night tv.....

Alicia Keys stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live" where she told Jimmy that she and Swizz (who live in Soho which has been restored as of late Friday night) were still without power--at the tme--due to Hurricane Sandy.  And unfortunately, some of their musical equipment was drowned in six feet of water.  

She also talked about about dressing little Egypt up as Michael Jackson for Halloween and jokingly said that she's seen him with other two-year-olds and she knows "already" that he is special and talented.

And in addition to performing "Girl On Fire," she played a very funny PSA called "Helping Parents To Rock."

Watch the interview here:

So Floyd Mayweather is clapping back at 50 Cent after 50 said he's shutting down the Money Team and selling his paraphernalia for a whopping $1.  Check out the crazy tweets Floyd blasted his bestie with inside...

Floyd & Curtis are continuing their lover's quarrel beef on Twitter.  Late last night, the boxing champ posted suspect pics of his former bestie with some harsh words. 

 

A male boxing groupie.. hold my belts because your album sales have declined...Fuck Boy you look cute in that jacket....I respect the shooter not the one who got shot...Hold my money Fuck Boy

And then he ended with probably the harshest words:

Wayne, Kanye, Ross and Drake are running the rap world.

Y'all know 50 is steaming right now.  No word still on what caused this huge rift.  But ish has not been right with these two since Floyd got out of jail back in August.  Hmmm....

Last night, fashion loving couple Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz sat courtside to watch the NY Knicks battle the Miami Heat...with their equally stylish kiddies.  See courtside flicks inside....

Last night, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys (along with sons Kasseem Dean Jr and Egypt) watcedh the NY Knicks beat the Miami Heat (104-84).  Alicia looked rocker chic in her leather front jeans, a black role-neck jumper and leather jacket.  Swizz showed his support for the home team in a NY Knicks jacket and cap.  How fly is that Baby Egypt!
 

Too precious.  Alicia has been on a promo campaign for her upcoming Girl On Fire and stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live last night.

And little Egypt showed he has a flair for fashion to in his colorful winged Adidas kicks.

Standing in front of "The Swizz Room" Swizz joked that his presence may be the Knicks lucky charm saying,"FYI I never been to a losing Knicks Game wowwww #knickstape"

Mary J. Blige and others were also spotted at the game.

Photos via WireImage/Devaney/Instagram

Singer Keri Hilson passed out on a plane during a recent trip from China. Find out what happened inside.....

First Rick Ross, then Lil' Wayne and now Keri Hilson has been added to the list of celebs whose hectic lives have led to in-flight health disasters. And whoever is asking what "work" is she doing exactly....you aint right.

She tweeted yesterday:

Hopefully the experiences of these celebs will encourage management to make sure their artists are taking care of themselves properly and getting their rest.  Money aint everything.  Get well soon Keri!

The Randomness:

1.  Kurrupt, the father of Natina Reed's 10-year-old son, will be footing the bill for her funeral.   STORY

Kanye West was spotted hopping out of Kim Kardashian's Rolls Royce in Miami yesterday.  His chick let him roll around in er whip in the southern city while he stays away from the Sandy insanity back home in NYC.   See the pics and find out who he met up with inside.....

As he prepares to gift fans with aCruel Winter, Kanye West was spotting in the Florida on Miami Beach recently where he was seen driving Kim Kardashian's Rolls Royce.

The rapper's romance with his fave reality chick is still going strong with the duo attending a series of Halloween parties together recently.  

Mr. West later met up with Lyor Cohen, former Warner Music Group CEO.  We're sure the two businessmen (and long time friends) were discussing new ways to make money and expand their brands...

Photos via MCCFL / Splash News

Nelly makes 38 look nice & yummy.  The rapper celebrated his birthday yesterday as we continue on with Scorpio season.  And it's only right a person under the sign of sex would give us just that.

Check out his birthday suit...and birthday cake...inside..

Nelly lit up folks' timeline last night as he wished happy birthday to himself.  He posted a pic for fans showing his naked self holding a St. Louis style birthday cake....which was the only thing covering his goodies.  The sexy rapper tweeted:

Birthday cake in my Birthday suit!!!! # SHEEESH

This is the second time Nelly's done a naked birthday pic....and we hope he will continue the tradition.

By the way, his girlfriend Ashantiturned 32 just a few weeks ago and he gave her a big party in ATL.  Fun times!

Hip Hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs turns 43-years-old today. Pay salute to the original Bad Boy inside....

Sean "Diddy" Combs is the epitome of "cool" for his generation.  Leaving an unmistakable mark on pop culture through music and fashion, he's got everybody popping bottles of Ciroc at the club, mixing up drinks at home, and copping his Sean John designs at Macy's.

As an entertainer and businessman, his ability to triumph over tragedy and maintain relevance in a fast-changing industry will be an inspiration for many.  Especially to his pretty young things he likes to keep by his side...

Check out Diddy stylin' on 'em in the past year in the gallery.....

Celebs aren't letting the Sandy aftermath ruin their fun.  Jay-Z & Beyonce, who decided to flee their Tribeca digs to a swanky 5-star hotel on the upper east side to escape the storm, made their way over to BK for the Brooklyn Nets season opener last night.

Pics of the twosome kickin' it courtside inside...

Rocking a cute burgundy & white geometric jumpsuit and two toned black & cream ankle strapped Louboutins, Beyonce Knowles was all about cuddling up to her hubby last night.  And she rocked her Obama earrings for the second time--handmade by Puerto Rican jewelry designer named Erika Peña.  The first time Bey wore them, Erika went from selling only 5 pair total, to 1300 pair to folks all over the world in a couple days.   They're $32 bucks a pair.

The twosome watched Mr. Carter's Nets take on the Toronto Raptors at BK's season opener at the Barclays Center.  They were spotted chanting "Brooklyn" all night and smiling and having a ball with their homies Ty Ty& Michael Kyser:

The Nets won the match up 107-100.  Bet they're glad.

And after she belted out the pre-game National Anthem, Def Jam chick Chrisette Michele snapped a cute pic with Bey. 

Fab times.

The Randomness:

1.  Oprah's back with her Favorite Things list.  Check out everything she posted on her site.   STORY

2.  Michael Wright of The Five Heartbeats was arrested for DUI in NYC early this morning after crashing his 1978 Rolls Royce into a POLICE CAR!  STORY

Pics: AP/Reuters/Getty

Zoe Saldana stays getting work.  And the actress' latest project is becoming the face of LensCrafters.  Check out her new as campaign inside, plus other folks getting work like Jamie Foxx& the cast of The Best Man 2 get a release date... 

She wears glasses when she's not on camera or in front of flashing lights, but now, the controversial star of the upcoming Nina Simone movie is putting her lenses on front street.

Zoe Saldana is the new face of LensCrafters, and she recently shot a cute campaign for the company.  Check out the behind the scenes pic and her newest ad: 

Cute pics.

Jamie Foxx just landed a new role.  Now that TheAmazing Spiderman 2 is in pre-production, Jamie Foxx is in early talks to become Spidey's big co-star--the villan Electro.  According to Variety:

Sony's "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" seems to be coming together faster than expected, as sources tell Variety the studio is in early talks with Jamie Foxx to play the villain in the movie.

Sources also told Variety that Foxx would play Electro.

As for what you can expect from the big bad Electro man:

Electro is the alter ego of Max Dillon, an enemy of Spider-Man who gains the ability to control electricity after being struck by lightning. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in "The Amazing Spider-Man #9" in February 1964.

Jamie even tweeted about dressing up as Electro for Halloween saying last Thursday, "Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night...Costume fits well."  He'll be starring oppsite Andrew Garfield (Spiderman) and Emma Stone (Gwen) who are both returning for the sequel set for 2014.  Nice!

And our wishes have been granted.  The Best Man 2 is officially underway with a release date set.  The same cast from the original movie have signed on, and the sequel will hit theaters Friday, November 15, 2013, this according to IndieWire.
 

It's been over 12 years since the classic romantic drama-comedy became a classic.  So plenty of fans are more than ready to see Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard and more take the big screen again. 

Rumors and requests started about a sequel when the cast had a reunion party last February.  And now, it's become a reality.  Malcolm D. Lee will also return to write and direct, but no other details about plot synopsis has been revealed.

We are SO ready for this around these parts....
 

Comedian Eddie Murphy was honored by Spike TV and a room full of his peers last night for his enduring contributions to comedy.  And he brought his girlfriend along for the ocassion.  See pics of Arsenio Hall, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson and others who can to toast him inside...

Last night in LA, Spike TV taped a special tribute honoring Eddie Murphy.   “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only,” (airing on Nov. 14 from the Saban Theater) featured some very funny men (Jamie Foxx, Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Keenan Ivory Wayans) telling funny stories about Eddie.

And Eddie was more than happy to walk the red carpet with modelPaige Butcher (who used to date Russell Simmons of course) on his arm.  Hmm...he never brought Rocsi out to events like this.

Charlie Murphy was there to support his brother and share some jokes.

And Jamie Foxx paid Eddie the utmost respect during his tribute.

Lovely ladies like actress Anika Noni Rose and tv personality Terri Seymour added a little beauty to the room.

And Samuel L. Jackson thanked Eddie for giving him his first speaking role in Coming To America.  He said,"If it weren’t for Eddie, we might not have all the wonderful films that I’ve made, He is a true movie star. You became an inspiration for all young African-American actors.”  His Coming To America co-star Arsenio Hall (who will be returning to television with a talk show) also attended the taping.

Meanwhile, Tracy Morgan dressed as Eddie from the classic Delirious movie, told a few stories too.

At the end of the tribute, Eddie took the stage and shared, “I am a very, very bitter man.  I don’t get touched easily, and I am really touched."

"This is really a touching moving thing, and I really appreciate it,” he said. “You know what it’s like when you have something like this? You know when they sing happy birthday to you? It’s like that for, like, two hours... and I am Eddied out.”

He told the crowd, “I’m just a retired old song and dance man. That’s what you do when you’re retired: You come out every now and then and talk about the old days.”

Retired?  Oh.

Photos via Getty Images

E! has released a new sneak peek at Nicki Minaj's upcoming reality series ""My Truth" where she blasts her fellow "American Idol" judge Mariah Carey.  Find out what she said inside and listen to her latest track, "Freedom."

We told you previously about Nicki Minaj landing a reality series on E!, and now the network is ready to air “Nicki Minaj: My Truth”  tonight at 10:30 p.m.

The three-part series offers an unscripted behind-the-scenes look at Nicki building her pink empire which includes music, fragrances, and her role on "American Idol."  When ask about her rival Mariah Carey, she said, "I think that Mariah met her match this time, and I don’t think she was expecting to meet her match.”

Watch the trailer here:

And in new music.....

And as Nicki preps for the  release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up, she's dropped a new song called "Freedom." The song mixes Nicki's "pop flow" with a few grimy drum-beats and lyrics.  She raps about her rise to the top and brags that her career is the"pink print."  She also claims that her success is helping put other chicks in the game, “Man I’m birthing these artists and it’s starting to show.”

Due November 19, The Re-Up features collaborations with Ciara, Lil Wayne, Tyga, Cassie, and more...

Rita Ora was among the entertainers who walked away with trophies at the 2012 MOBO Awards held in Liverpool, UK.  See pics of Rita, Trey Songz, TLC and others inside....

Rita Ora was spotted in Liverpool last night accepting an award for best newscomer at The Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards in the Echo Arena in Liverpool..  She wore an Alexander McQueen dress and tweeted"In memory of the legend McQueen! LETS GO HAVE SOME FUN!! Wish me luck!!"

Earlier in the evening, the "R.I.P." singer and ROb Kardashian's girlfriend rocked a structured white gown on the red carpet.  One of the few looks of hers we actually love.

Meanwhile, Scottish singer Emeli Sande was the big winner of the evening taking home Best Album, Best Female and Best R&B/Soul Act.

She said, "I really didn't expect to win three and getting the Album of the Year was a big thing for me, so I feel like all the hard work pays off when you get acknowledgement like that".

On the carpet, she posed with the legendary Dionne Warwick, who was honored during the show.  They've got matching blonde coifs!

Dionne walked away with the MOBO Lifetime Achievement award.

Chapter V crooner Trey Songz drove the females wild in the audience with his performance.

And pop group TLC received the MOBO Outstanding Achievement award. It's good to see the ladies are still together.

On the red carpet, English R&B girl group Stooshe posed with T-Boz and Chilli.   And Chilli showed off her abs of steel with her sheer gown.

Singer/songwriter and former "X Factor" contestant Rebecca Ferguson wore this gorgeous sequined silver gown to the show.  Love her music.

Photos via Getty Images/Shirlaine Forrest

Liya Kebede, Vivica A. Fox and Chanel Iman are all supporting President Obama's re-election so they took their message to Ohio to surprise early voters.  See the fab ladies on the campaign trail inside.....

Vivica A. Fox was among the celebs who surprised early voters in Cincinnati, Ohio yesterday. 

The "Prank My Mom" host was joined by gorgeous models Liya Kebede and Chanel Iman, who spent the morning chatting up voters and encouraging Obama support.

They even brought coffee and doughnuts.

And Vivica was rocking the "OBAMA" earrings that Beyonce has also been wearing.

Producer and pop star Will.I.Am also helped get the word out to the early voters about supporting Obama. 

And in case you missed it.....

Will.I.Am wrote a new song called "#GreatTimes" to remind people to be optimistic, activated, connected, united, and focused. He spoke about the clip and video saying,

"It plays on lesser than and greater than... It plays on past vs. future... It plays on crime vs. education... It plays on foreclosures vs. sold... It plays on big oil vs. big green & big clean... It plays on forfeit or forward... It plays on a 20 year plan vs. a 4 year sales pitch."

He added,

"I recently went to my old ghetto and selected some of the best students from one of the worst school in America to mentor and trans4m their lives...

And I wrote this song as an anthem for this mission to TRANS4M Boyle Heights first then TRANS4M every inner city like it in America...

please VOTE on 11.06."

Although "RHOA" doesn't premiere until tonight, former Miss USA Kenya Moore has already become a fan favorite and standout.  Find out what the former beauty queen revealed to TheYBF.com about the upcoming season, her private life and what she thinks about child pageants.

She's a beauty queen, an actress, a businesswoman and if the BRAVO trailer is any indication, she's on her way to becoming one of reality tv's most exciting troublemakers.  

Kenya Moore chatted exclusively with TheYBF.com on the reasons she chose to join "RHOA," her favorite and least favorite housewife and what she thinks about Honey Boo Boo and children in beauty pageants.  Here are the highlights:  

On how she hopes her appearance on "RHOA" will change perceptions of women:

There are a few women on the show who endeavor to uplift and help our community- not tear it down as sometimes portrayed. I'm hoping my presence will raise the bar and show a unmitigated side to what it is like being over 40, Black, single and looking for lasting love all while trying to maintain a career, my dignity and self worth at the same time- AND not settle. I don't have it all. I hope a lot of women will be able to identify with my personal struggle. With that said, we are all real women and it's as real as it gets on season 5 of RHOA. It's not always peaches and cream. No pun intended :-).

On how she makes a living and if she has a man:

I've been a business owner and entrepreneur for more than 25 years and have worked since I was 14 years old. I am a hard worker and fighter from Detroit and I've fought for everything I have, including my crown, and am very proud of my achievements. I am an accomplished producer, author, writer, actor, astute businesswoman and I'm educated. So therefore, I'm not a literal housewife. This season of RHOA is extremely enlightening and sheds a candid light on my personal life-which I've never done before. There is a man and you will meet him soon enough on the show.

On why she joined "RHOA":

My motivation was the desire to change my lack of success in my personal life. The show was an opportunity to take a risk to do something I've never done before and step outside of my comfort zone. Additionally, the stability of being on a show affords me time to focus on having a family as it is part of my journey. There are also several charities close to my heart that I endow on the show and hope others will support. It will be evident why they are so important to me once the season airs.

On Honey Boo and if she supports children in pageants:

 

No ma'am! I am of the opinion that pageants help young women excel in life, teach them poise, self esteem, confidence, independence, and they promote philanthropic work. How is clown makeup and hair extensions on a child promoting anything positive? I don't support this type of child exploitation.

On her favorite/least favorite housewives:

Wow you are going to get me in trouble! I love Lisa Vanderpump from Beverly Hills but I only know the RHOA women. From them, I can say I do have a least favorite... But you have to watch this season to find out.

On what her ex-boyfriends would say are her flaws:

I have body issues; cellulite, stretch marks, weight issues... I put my spanx on one leg at a time just like everyone else! With that said, my exes always say I'm bossy! It's good in business but not in romantic relationships.

On her "celebrity" friends:

 

I hang out with a few celebs... but I love Tracey Edmonds and we are very close. Lamman Rucker is my best male friend. I find "celebrity friends" tend to come and go. I hang out with people who love me for me and are not my "yes" men and keep me grounded. My true friends are friends I've had for 25+ years from Detroit. Who knows... Maybe RHOA will yield one or two truly genuine friendships... or not. Only time will tell.

Watch "RHOA" on Bravo tonight at 9/8c.

Photos via Drexina Nelson

Brandy just dropped her "Wildest Dreams" video...and she brought her dancing skills to a warehouse in L.A. for the occasion.  Check out her video for the song inspired by her boyfriend Ryan inside...

B Rocka put on her short denim shorts and rocked the stage in a warehouse in front of an audience of friends for her new video for "Wildest Dreams."  The YBF chick says the song was inspired by the love she has for her boo Ryan Press.

"Wildest Dreams" was the second single off her sixth studio album Two Eleven, which now tops the Billboard R&B charts.

Check it.