Jennifer Hudson Looks Amazing!

Jennifer Hudson has been the new spokesperson for Weight Watchers for months now.  She looks absolutely amazing (she looked amazing before)!  J. Hud is currently promoting the new Weight Watchers "Points Plus" program.  Check out the video:



Here are some pics of J. Hud "Feeling Good" after her weight loss:

Keep it up, Jennifer!!!  Very inspiring.  Looking forward to what's next!!  Can't wait for your next album.

Photos from Jenniferhudson.com

Monica is Engaged!

Monica recently got engaged to her boyfriend, L.A. Lakers basketball player, Shannon Brown.  Monica posted the following on Twitter:

"Material things have never mattered to me. I prayed for inner peace that would attract a man who would love me mind body and soul. And see."  She also stated, "We realize people will have their opinions. That's the way of the world. But we know who we are&who's we are.We pray 2 an awesome God 2gether."

Congrats to the couple!

Photo from Twitter

MaLinda Sapp, Marvin Sapp’s Wife, Dies of Colon Cancer

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Prominent Gospel Music artist Marvin Sapp recently lost his wife to colon cancer. Marvin's wife, MaLinda, had been married to him for 15 years and they have three children together. MaLinda was an Administrative Pastor at the church they ran together, the Lighthouse Full Life Center, in Grand Rapids, MI.
Before she died, MaLinda was a college professor and licensed professional counselor. The following statement was issued by 92.1 Praise Houston about the death of MaLinda Sapp:

 

Click to read.

Dwight Howard and His Ex-Wife Royce Remind Us of the Ugliness of Relationships

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

One of my favorite films of all-time was "War of the Roses," starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. In the film, a divorced couple starts down a dangerous and hilarious path of mutual destruction, where the goal of each is to make the other person's life miserable. At the end of the movie, both parties find that while it was their goal to destroy the other person, they actually ended up destroying themselves. Just for the record, each character dies at the end.

I think about "War of the Roses" when I see the custody battle between NBA star Dwight Howard and his ex-wife, Royce Reed. Of course I don't expect anyone to end up dead, but it's already clear that Royce and Dwight have made each other's lives as miserable as possible. Royce recently called the cops after Dwight picked up her son from daycare at a time when he was not scheduled to do so. Before that, Dwight had filed a lawsuit against Royce for referring to him as a "douchebag" on the TV show, "Basketball Wives.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins Says Black Athletes Should Boycott the Heisman Trophy

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

 

When I read about the possibility that Reggie Bush may have his Heisman Trophy taken, I became irritated beyond imagination.  ”Here we go again,” I thought.  “Another self-righteous group of hoity-toity NCAA administrators making value judgments about the character of black male athletes.”
If they can’t defeat them on the field, the game is then to create artificially contrived mechanisms for evaluating the worth of the athlete from a morality standpoint.  The problem for the NCAA, however, is that when it comes to ethics, they have no room to claim the moral high ground.  In fact, you might say they are crooks.

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Dr. Boyce: Why Regina King Is Right About Hollywood Racism

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

I recently read an open letter written by Regina King, the famous actress who seems to be in every major black film and TV show I can think of. Ms. King is a black female version of Harrison Ford, the kind of actress who has been in more movies than we can name, yet unappreciated for the magnitude of her gifts to the industry.
Regina King's recent challenge to those who hand out little meaningless trophies called Emmy Awards was a very telling reminder that racism knows no boundaries. The Hollywood streets and screens that have been traditionally denied to us as a people continue to be granted to others who have exclusive racial access. Just like during the days of slavery, we do much of the work, but get very little credit.

 

Click to read.

Regina King’s Open Letter to the Emmys about Racism

Since the Emmy ceremony, I have been going back and forth about whether or not I should compose this letter. I try hard in my daily life not to engage in uncomfortable situations regarding race. But sometimes it's very difficult to find other reasons that better explain why certain events play out the way they do. It is impossible for me to ignore the published statistics regarding the number of people of color mentioned, celebrated or honored in the history of the televised Emmys. Up to and including this year, there have been only 53 non-white actorsnominated for Emmys out of nearly 1,000 possible nominations in the top four acting categories for drama and comedy.

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NFL Announcer Makes Terrible Comments about Hurricane Katrina

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

NFL Hall of Famer Dan Hampton has a great deal to apologize for this week. During a broadcast of an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, Hampton thought it would be funny to bring up that little thing called Hurricane Katrina. Making reference to the fact that the Vikings needed to show up with their A-game, Hampton said, "The Vikings need to go down there and hit that town like Katrina."
Bad move buddy, bad move.
There isn't much to say about Dan Hampton other than the obvious. It didn't take him long to realize that it might be inappropriate to make jokes about an event that led to the death and displacement of tens of thousands of people. Hurricane Katrina affected real lives in a very real way, and Hampton needs to understand that. Additionally, invoking Katrina into the fantasy world of professional football is only productive to the extent that the success of the Saints has helped to heal the hearts of New Orleans residents who've lost everything. So, if you can't bring Hurricane Katrina up in a positive and uplifting way, please don't bring it up as a joke.

 

Click to read.

Black Athletes and Handguns: What Up with That?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Shaun Rogers, a Defensive Tackle for the Cleveland Browns, was fined $400,000 by the league for violating its personal conduct policy. Rogers was caught carrying a loaded gun inside an airport. The fine represents approximately 1/17th of his $6.9 million salary.
Some would say that Rogers got off easy, since it would have been no surprise to see him either suspended or sent to jail. The player was caught carrying a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his carry-on bag at Hopkins International Airport. There's no indication regarding whether or not he realized that TSA agents actually have the ability to see inside of someone's luggage with their x-ray machine. It's hard to imagine what he might have been thinking.

Click to read.

Team USA Player Says Europeans Smell Like Dead Donkeys

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

If I were an old man responsible for managing Team USA's public image, I would be cursing Twitter every day of the week. Apparently, giving young, bold athletes instant access to media was a cruel joke orchestrated by both fate and Mother Nature. At any rate, the latest athlete to embarrass himself with his Twitter account was Danny Granger. Making reference to the fact that deodorant is not as popular in Europe as it is in the United States, Granger said that Europeans smell like "dead donkeys." Here are his exact words:
"i'm dying over here ..how come nobody in europe wears deodorant? guess they didn't get the memo – smellin like dead donkey..no joke"

Click to read.

Dave Chappelle's Odd Behavior: How it's Destroying His Brand

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

What's the deal with Dave Chappelle? According to TMZ, Chapelle was reportingly acting strange on a private jet, so much so that the jet had to make an emergency landing in Pittsburgh. Their source is stating that the flight was headed from New Jersey to Ohio and that Chappelle "freaked out" refusing to put on his seatbelt.

The source also says that Chappelle repeatedly walked into the cockpit, asking the pilot how much longer the flight would be, and even grabbed the pilot's arms. That is when it was allegedly determined that Chappelle was a safety risk, and the flight was grounded.
TMZ then claims that after landing, Chappelle checked into a hotel. However, sources at the hotel are claiming that Dave told the employees that he wanted to rent a car to go back to Ohio, but that he didn't remember where he lived.

I'm not sure what the deal is with Dave Chappelle, one of the most talented and privileged comedians in America. He had the world at his feet, with a hit show and a $50 million contract to do what he does best. It does appear, however, that there is something inside Chappelle that simply can't handle fame.

 

click to read

Dr. Boyce Video on AOL Black Voices - 4/28/10

Dr. Boyce Video: Latino Studies Professor on What You Need to Know About Immigration

• With all the intense scrutiny on Arizona for its harsh anti-immigration legislation, the time has ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Apr 28th 2010 4:09PM | Comments (4)

Dr. Boyce Video -- Michael Bivins of Bel Biv DeVoe & Alfred Edmond of Black Enterprise on African American Music & Business

• Dr. Boyce Watkins brings you an exciting discussion on the business of media and entertainment with ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Apr 27th 2010 2:24PM | Comments (1)

Dr. Boyce Video -- Talking Black Finance With Expert Ryan Mack

• Dr. Boyce Watkins is taking his unique perspective beyond the printed page to the video realm on ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Apr 27th 2010 1:32PM | Comments (2)

Darius McCrary and Karrine Steffans

Darius McCrary & Karrine Steffans have filed for a divorce.  The couple married last April.  Word has it that they have been on-again/off-again for a while now. 

Check out the article here

Black Money: Beyonce and Her Hubby are Rollin in Dough

What makes more than an uber-celebrity who earns millions per movie, album, or TV season? Two uber-celebrities who just happen to be married. Forbes is always giving us a behind-the-scenes peek at famous finances—don't tell us you weren't surprised by the top-earning dead celebrities—and their latest list shows the famous couples who made the most from June 2008 to June 2009. Topping the list—actually, clobbering the list (they made almost twice what the #2 couple grossed)—are Jay-Z andBeyonce. Together, they banked $122 million smackeroos. Interestingly, Beyonce is the one who brought home the most bacon—she earned $87 million to his $35 million. Also notable: While this is a massive amount of money, it's actually much less than these two made last year, when they pulled in $162 million cumulatively.

Click to read.

Everybody Hates Kanye

It looks like the actions of Kanye West in the past and his constant issue with checking his ego at the door hasn't paid off for the rapper even now.

In an attempt to bring as many supporters as possible to aid in the relief of Haiti, there have been countless telethons being conducted to raise awareness and donations for the country after the devastation that it's suffered.

Actor George Clooney is doing his part with his own telethon, but reports are saying that he won't allow West to participate in the fundraiser which will be broadcasted tomorrow.

Sources have added that they are going out of their way to ensure that West doesn't make an unwanted appearance, courtesy gawker.com.

“After what he said on the Katrina telethon and the way he behaved at the MTV Video Music Awards, everyone agrees it's just best that he does not participate,” said a producer.

 

Click to read.

Brothers Speak: Charlamagne Tha God on Dr. King’s Dream

 

Expand Your Reality - Expand your reality to the point where you pursue what you love doing and excel at it. Involve yourself in high-energy levels of trust, optimism, appreciation, reverence, joy, and love when you engage in every activity in your life.

-Dr. Wayne W. Dyer The Power of Intention

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a DREAM that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all men are created equal. A DREAM that his four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. He had a DREAM that one day the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. He hoped for a freedom that would allow blacks and whites to work together as well as pray together. He had a dream that one day we all would be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Click to read.

No, Wyclef Was Not Stealing Your Money

As musician Wyclef Jean tearfully denied recent allegations that he misappropriated funds from his Yele Haiti charity, experts on non-profits said they couldn't find serious wrongdoing, except for a lapse of discipline in filing his taxes.

"Did I ever use Yele money for personal benefits? Absolutely not," Jean said Monday at a press conference in Manhattan. "Yele's books are open and transparent, and we have a clean bill of health by an external auditor every year since we started."

The tears began as Jean addressed his fellow Haitians in his native Creole. "I do not cry for myself; I cry for them," he explained, translating for the English-speaking members of the audience. "I tell them, just permit us a little time."

The charges of misappropriated funds emerged over the last several days, as Jean was in Port-au-Prince assisting with relief efforts following last week's earthquake. Donations have poured in during that time, totaling "several million dollars," Hugh Locke, president of Yele Haiti, said at the press conference.

Click to read.

Black Celebrity News: 1/14/10

• 

  Legendary R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass dead at 59

  By theGrio

  7:55 AM on 01/14/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) - Pendergrass, who had been one of the most electric and successful figures in music until a car crash 28 years ago left him in a wheelchair, has died of colon cancer...

  > MORE

• 

  Eagles fan slaps a woman wearing Romo jersey

  By theGrio

  8:58 AM on 01/13/2010

  VIDEO - Jamie Wert allegedly received a slap to the face simply for walking down the street wearing her beloved Cowboys sweatshirt on the eve of the bitter rivals' Wild Card showdown...

  > MORE

• 

  Usher burned by thieves: $1M in jewels, clothes stolen from star's SUV

  By theGrio

  2:58 PM on 01/12/2010

  Atlanta police say a thief stole $1 million in jewelry, clothing and other belongings from R&B singer Usher's SUV while he shopped last month...

  > MORE

• 

  Dungy questions if the NFL is benching diversity

  By theGrio

  9:45 AM on 01/12/2010

  Recent minority interviews for NFL coaching jobs in Washington and Seattle under the Rooney Rule have raised questions whether the spirit of the rule has been violated...

  > MORE

• 

  The NBA's top 10 ugliest moments

  By Glenn Minnis

  8:10 AM on 01/12/2010

  SLIDESHOW - Ostracized as he may now be, Gilbert Arenas is not alone. All the harebrained moves perpetrated by the All-Star guard over the last several days that have left him squarely in the crosshairs of NBA execs...

  > MORE

• 

  Tiger Woods Gatorade bottles found "mislabeled"

  By theGrio

  12:11 PM on 01/11/2010

  VIDEO - Shoppers at some Denver-area stores are finding Tiger Woods showing up on fake drink labels...

  > MORE

• 

  Does 'Avatar' have racist undertones?

  By theGrio

  9:22 AM on 01/11/2010

  PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Near the end of the hit film "Avatar," the villain snarls at the hero, "How does it feel to betray your own race?" Both men are white...

  > MORE

• 

  Mississippi Blues Trail honors jazz vocalist

  By theGrio

  7:15 AM on 01/09/2010

  Jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson can easily explain why the Mississippi Blues Trail would embrace jazz artists...

  > MORE

• 

  KFC feels global heat over Australian ad

  By Cheo Tyehimba

  11:28 AM on 01/08/2010

  OPINION - Some black folks are upset by a controversial KFC ad that has many claiming the company is perpetuating racist stereotypes...

  > MORE

• 

  'Diff'rent Strokes' star Gary Coleman hospitalized

  By theGrio

  8:51 AM on 01/07/2010

  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Diff'rent Strokes" actor Gary Coleman is in a Los Angeles hospital after suffering what he believes was a slight seizure..

  > MORE

Morgan Freeman to Replace Walter Cronkite

Nearly six months after his death, Walter Cronkite's voice is leaving the "CBS Evening News."

His introduction of anchor Katie Couric was replaced Monday by a voiceover featuring actor Morgan Freeman.

The legendary CBS News anchor recorded the introduction, played at the beginning of most newscasts, when Couric started at CBS in 2006. Cronkite's voice was kept on the air even after his death July 17.

"As comforting as it is to look back on the great career that Walter had, we're looking forward now and we just felt it was the right time to make the move that at some point had to be made," said CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus. "This seemed like the appropriate time since Walter's passing to make the move."

Click to read.

Hip Hop Wired – 1/4/10

Introducing Mr. Pigface, Weapon Waist

NEWS

» By Justin T. Stewart   Jan 4 2010, 15:40 Pm

Amidst all of the beef and the bullsh*t that has been plaguing Hip Hop as of late, there has been no time to remember when words meant anything and the impact of a lyricist lacing down a track.

Beyond the pending beef with Benzino, Crooked I looks to reestablish the lyrical aspect of the genre with the visual to the track “Mr. Pigface” off of his EP Mr. Pigface Weapon Waist, which was released back in November.

Giving an introduction to his alter ego, Pigface, Crooked looks to strip away all of the filter and chase and deliver straight shots for the fans to quench their thirst as he continues to wave the flag for Slaughterhouse.

Comments 0 Tags alter ego, crooked i, ep, Joe Budden, joell ortiz, lyricists, mr. pigface weapon waist ep, Music Video, pigface,pigface weapon waist, slaughterhouse, VIDEO

Elton John Admits To Helping Eminem With His Drug Problem

NEWS

» By Danielle Canada   Jan 4 2010, 15:39 Pm

Eminem is known as much for his problem with drugs as his music. After admitting to taking a variety of prescription pain killers, the Detroit lyricist released his Relapse album to play off his very real addiction. Now with the album grossing over 1 million sales worldwide, his comrade Sir Elton John is admitting to help his friend kick his habit.

The two unlikely friends keep in contact and according to Elton John;

Comments 0 Tags BBC Radio, Elton John, Elton John Helps Eminem, eminem, Eminem and Elton John, Eminem Drug Addiction, The Danny Baker Show

Papoose Pays Homage to the Fallen of 2009

NEWS

» By Justin T. Stewart   Jan 4 2010, 15:29 Pm

"2009 Obituary"

Looking into an endless future and possibilities that are beyond the sky's reach, it is necessary to take a glance back at what was and what has been lost in the journey.

For Papoose, the glimpse back has provided a chance to see all of those that have fallen in 2009 can pay his last respects to them on the track “09 Obituary”.

Opening up with Michael Jackson, the rapper touches everybody reaching out to great losses such as Roc Raida, DJ AM, Steve McNair

Comments 0 Tags 09 obituary, am, brittney murphey, dj,farrah fawcett, Juice Crew, kay slay, Michael Jackson, Papoose, roc raida, steve mcnair

Kanye West Preparing New Material for Hip Hop Return

NEWS

» By Justin T. Stewart   Jan 4 2010, 15:05 Pm

Every great star is meant to take a tailspin and fall to their lowest in order to deal with the adversity against him/her and rise back to reclaim their position.

Kobe Bryant went through it with his infidelity and Tiger Woods is currently going through it due to mistresses that seemed to open their mouths more times than it was asked for.

Kanye West is on a slow climb back into the public eye and his appearance accompanied with a verse for Jay-Z's “Run This Town” has been an indicator of things to come and show that the rapper is far from losing his step.

Always known to go against the grain instead of following the pack, his innovativeness has

Comments 0 Tags "blueprint III, 2004, college dropout, hip-hop, humility, kanye west, kanye west returning, run this town

Young Buck Continues Assault On G-Unit

NEWS

» By Justin T. Stewart   Jan 4 2010, 14:28 Pm

I'm not Banks, I'll say f*ck you to your face/ Hey Rick Ross, it take Buck to put him in his place/ Go head, f*ck Vanessa to get the front cover/  I'ma just address ya to get the front cover.

"Steroids"

While some brought in 2010 with a clean slate and a positive outlook with looking into the unknown, Young Buck took the time out to refresh the problems between himself and G-Unit, especially 50 Cent.

Already releasing his own rendition of a “Happy New Year” the rapper attacks the general and his soldiers once again with

Comments 0 Tags 50 cent, beanie sigel, beef, buck attacks 50 cent, diss track, g-unit, happy new year, lloyd banks, Steroids, yougn buck

Royce Da 5'9” Bears Arms for Benzino [Video Included]

NEWS

» By Justin T. Stewart   Jan 4 2010, 13:55 Pm

Even with the emergence of a new year, the same old problems continue to show its ugly face for 2010.

As the YouTube battle between Benzino and Slaughterhouse wages on, primarily with Royce Da 5'9”, Nickel has decided to respond once again.

The soap opera drama, unfortunately, continues.

Crooked I mentioned in his own response that there was no beef with Benzino and that he needed to just calm down and really think about what he was trying to do because Slaughterhouse never has any real issue or see the need to have a problem with the Boston native.

With mutual sentiments, Royce, at this point, is still in a state of confusion as to how the battle went from lyrics to weapons, but has assured his opponent that

Comments 0 Tags beef, benzino, crooked i, drama, Guns,nickel nine, royce da 5'9, slaughterhouse, the source, weapons

Lil Wayne To Voice The Role Of Jesus In Cartoon

NEWS

» By Danielle Canada   Jan 3 2010, 14:48 Pm

While Lil Wayne prepares for his impending jail sentence and embarks on his farewell tour, fans of Mr. Carter should prepare to support him during his first stint as a cartoon.

Wayne is set to lend his voice to a cartoon special airing on Adult Swim.

The cartoon titled