Back when I first started BGG five years ago, I thought it would be fun to round up the best red carpet pics from our fave BGs and guys from the week. But now, since they're all on Twitter and Instagram, why not post the best shots from the always camera-ready showbiz shutterbugs? Enjoy!
Tyra Banks striking a bedtime-inspired pose.
Christina Milian and Lil Wayne getting cutesy in a corridor.
Swizz Beatz and his dad channeling champs with Mike Tyson's heavyweight belt.
Julissa Bermudez, Mashonda and BET's Stephen Hill at Trey Songz's albumrelease party in NYC.
Laz Alonso ready to take flight.
Besties Sanaa Lathan, AJ Johnson, and Gabrielle Union hanging out with friends.
Tamar Braxton and her hubby, Vince enjoying a date-night.
R&B singer Monica is back, but this time she’s letting you into her world with a new reality TV special called, “The Single.” The songstress, mother of two and soon-to-be wife gives me an update on what she’s been up to.
Check out our Q&A:
BGG: What can viewers expect from your new reality TV special, “The Single?” Monica: The show is basically focused on us trying to find the first single for my forthcoming fifth album, Still Standing. Trying to select a single can be a very hard process because you’re looking for a song that best represents you as an artist and also be a good representation of the entire body of work, the album itself; so it is quite a process. I actually saw the show for the first time today!
BGG: What made you decide to do a reality TV show? Monica: Well, I was approached with the idea from a producer who I had known for over a decade and had met through Noontime (record label). He knew that finding a single would be a hard process, so he thought that it would make a good show. At first I was hesitant, but I ended up being very comfortable with the group of people that were put around me for the show.
BGG: Will it show aspects of your personal life or simply just display your professional music side? Monica: It will absolutely show sides of my personal life. For one, my kids travel with me; I don’t necessarily put them in front of the television person, but they’re always there. My mother and my fiancé…everybody that’s around me will be on there. Before I go to the studio and after I come back from the studio, my family is my number one priority so I have to make sure that home is straight.
Check out this clip from the upcoming show:
BGG: How do you balance being a mother of two and being a hot R&B star? Monica: It can be very challenging, but you just have to prioritize. I know that my children come first so I just keep things in that order. So, it can be something as simple as making travel arrangements, things are different when you’re traveling with a 3-year-old and a 6-month old; or it could just be me working certain hours, all those things automatically change. So I just keep prioritizing and keep things in a certain order and that has definitely made it a lot less difficult.
BGG: You’ve been in the public’s eye for nearly 15 years now, what do think contributed to your longevity and popularity, especially when so many artists come and go? Monica: I think just being honest with the people. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes...I think that just being me with all my imperfections has helped me. So I’d rather just be me than someone that I’m not.
BGG: You’ve always seemed so down-to-earth, what keeps you so grounded? Monica: Your family is always going to be real with you as much as possible when you get out of line or your head gets a little big. You can get checked very easily when your mom or aunts and uncles are always there. Like when I see people now, they have one record and people think you’re only relevant or financially stable at that time. I see people who come out with one record and go gold the first week and then, BOOM!, they hit the red carpet one time and the next thing you know they have 10 bodyguards! (laughing) People have this big misconception that if you haven’t had hits in a while that your celebrity isn’t the same or that financially things aren’t the same, but that couldn’t be the furthest from the truth. I mean if you have 13 or 14 singles, versus one, you would think that common sense would come in to play, but it doesn’t. I stick to my own way and treat people the way that I’d want to be treated – ALWAYS.
BGG: I remember you did some acting in the past; do you plan to revisit that? Monica: Absolutely! I’ve been home by choice taking care of my children especially with them being in their early stages so I haven’t done as much, but I think this time around I definitely will.
BGG: Speaking of children, I recently saw photos of you and you look FANTASTIC, are you just genetically blessed or do you work out? How did you get your body back so fast? Monica: You know what? My whole family is really, really slim, so I’m fortunate in that area. But at a couple points in my life, I actually wanted to be thicker. I like the size that I am when I first get pregnant, but once I have my children everything disappears again! (laughing) But I think genetically you’re going to get what you’re going to get. I am learning to eat a little bit better because my mother has high-blood pressure and my father is a diabetic so I’m more conscious from that end; I’m not so much into working out or anything.
Monica with her two sons.
BGG: Having had nearly half a dozen #1 hits, what is your favorite Monica song? Why? Monica: That’s a hard one! I’d still have to say that there’s something about “Angel of Mine.” It’s just a pleasant record. No matter when I perform it, I never get tired of it. It’s easy to sing and totally different types of people can relate to it. It’s definitely one of my favorites.
BGG: On the upcoming album, are you planning on writing any of the songs or producing? Monica: I’ve never tried the producing thing, but I do like to stay involved in the writing part. Sometimes we have songwriters that are just so good, that oftentimes I’ll just give them the concept and say, “Here, this is what happened to me. What’s your take on that? What’s a way to bring that song and those lyrics to life that will be relatable no matter what race, color or creed and we’ll do it that way. Sometimes I’ll get records that are just unbelievable and I don’t even have to touch them. For instance, there’s a record I got that’s called, “Believing in Me,” and it’s talking about how when you’ve been in a relationship and you’ve been through a lot that sometimes you lose yourself, it's great! Basically, the process is different with each record.
BGG: What would you like to tell BGG readers that they probably don't already know? Monica: I just want to say thank you to anybody who has ever supported me whether it was in the 1990s or now, I’m just appreciative that I can still do what I love, which is making music. And you can’t make the music if no one wants to hear it, so I’m just appreciative of that. Hopefully, they’ll like Still Standing!
"The Single: Monica" will air tomorrow (Aug. 5th) on Peachtree TV at 10pm EST. Right now, it can only be viewed in Atlanta, but stay tuned to see if it gets pickd up nationally.
I recently had a chance to chat with Grammy award-winning R&B singer, Ashanti. Known for her catchy lyrics and heartfelt tunes, this Long Island native is back and hotter than ever. Her latest single, "The Way that I Love You," is climbing the charts and is in heavy rotation across the country. She's declaring that she's no longer "Foolish."
Check out our Q&A:
BGG: Tell me a bit about your new album, "The Declaration." What makes it different from your other CDs?
Ashanti: Well this is my first album in 4 years. I’ve done a lot of growing up and I did basically everything on my own this time around with the project. I executively produced the entire thing…behind-the-scenes and the creative process. So I’m really excited about it. It’s very versatile and you can just tell sonically, musically, vocally and lyrically I’m at a different place than with my last album; so I’m very excited!
BGG: What producers did you work with this time around?
Ashanti: I worked with a whole bunch of producers. Every single one didn’t make the album, but the fact that I was able to work with them was really an amazing experience for me. From Babyface to L.T. Hutton (who actually worked on her latest single), Pharrell, Jermaine Dupri, Brian Cox, Polow, Rodney Jerkins, Robin Thicke, 7 Aurelius – a lot of very talented producers.
BGG: What’s your relationship with the Inc.?
Ashanti: The Inc. is signed to Universal so it’s the Inc/Universal. And that’s what it is (laughing)!
BGG: What’s your next single?
Ashanti: I’m not sure yet, which is a really good position to be in because we have 2 or 3 really great candidates. We’ll see!
BGG: I know that you write all of your songs. What’s the inspiration behind your lyrics?
Ashanti: Just real life. Usually it’s something that I’m going through or something that I’ve gone through or something that people who are in my circle are going through or have gone through. No matter what, it’s always something that is real. I’ve always been really genuine and sincere with my lyrics and I think that’s why a lot of people can relate to my records. I’ve just always had a passion for writing so I feel like when you hear a record and you can relate to it, it’s like “Ah,” it’s such a wonderful feeling. It’s like, “I’m not the only one going through this!”
BGG: Are you going on tour this summer for the album?
Ashanti: Definitely, I’m not sure when, but I’m definitely excited about touring.
BGG: Tell me your secret to staying in great shape!
Ashanti: It’s about being healthy. I do have a trainer. I do try to hit the gym as much as I can. I don’t eat a lot of fried foods and I don’t eat red meat or pork. That’s just my own personal preference. It’s just about being in shape and again trying to hit the gym. If you really 'wild-out' with pizza, chicken, cake and all kinds of stuff then you really should hit the gym. You have to make up for it.
BGG: I know you once wrote a book of poetry (Foolish/Unfoolish), do you think you’d ever do something like that again?
Ashanti: Yes! I had a really good time writing that. I’ve been thinking about doing another book. I’m not sure if it will be poetry, maybe or maybe not. I have had an idea of doing a book called, “Ashanti’s Style.” It would basically be about beauty secrets and fashion tips. A lot of behind the scenes stuff that most people don’t talk about too much like, the miracles of double-stick tape! (laughing) Look for that maybe later this year or early next year.
BGG: If you could do a duet with someone that you admire, who would it be?
Ashanti: Wow, I don’t know. I’ve honestly taken it one step at a time and working with a variety of producers is already a huge step for me. I’ve always worked with in-house producers. But as far as collaborating, I feel like anytime you get two artists in the studio, you could potentially come up with something incredible just with a lot of talent and creative juice flowing, but I don’t have anybody particularly in mind right now. I’m still stuck on the high of, “wow, I’ve worked with so many different producers this year alone!”
BGG: What are a few of your must-have beauty products?
Ashanti: Lip-gloss!! MAC! Recently, I’ve actually been into the MAC color glosses for the last couple of months.
BGG: I’ve seen a few photos of you in shades similar to what you’re wearing now.
Ashanti: Yeah, I like it. Oh and lotion. I have 3 things of lotion (travel size) in this bag right now. You never know when you’re going to have to lotion up those toes! (laughing)
BGG: Your latest video, "The Way That I Love You," is like a mini-movie; are you working on any new movie projects?
Ashanti: I definitely want to venture more into the movie side of things. I had a really good time filming all of the films that I’ve been in. It’s a different experience than recording. It’s good so I definitely want to get back into it. I’ve been out in L.A a couple of times this month working on a couple of things so I have my fingers crossed!
Check out her video here:
BGG: Is there in any role that you’re more drawn to than others?
Ashanti: For me I would love to get everything in one big ball – drama, comedy, action and romance! That would be ideal for me.
BGG: What would you like your fans to know about you that they might not already know?
Ashanti: Well, I don’t know because they usually know everything! (laughing). Wow, I guess I would tell them about…(long pause) My favorite bike was my Strawberry Shortcake bike that I received when I was 5-years-old. It was pink and I got a pink jacket to go with it. The bike had a basket with strawberries on it!! I loved it! It was my best toy for like so many years! (Her mom adds, more like “FOREVER!”) And I would always wear my pink jacket with my pink and red bike!
BGG: Is there anything else that you want readers to know?
Ashanti: ALBUM IN STORES JUNE 3rd!!! Oh yeah, I also have this website site called, Gotchagram.com, which is a viral tool that you can use if you find out if that your boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating on you, you send them this email blast that you can fill out and customize. It shows a snippet of my video (The Way That I Love You) and basically it says my boyfriend is cheating on me and the way I’m going to get him back is that I’m going to put a boot up in his ass! You can use a boot, Timbaland, high-heel, a machete or whatever it is and you kind of put him on blast so you can be like, "I caught you!" And he could be guilty of not being emotionally available, he cheated, or he’s trying to talk to your cousin and you just put him on blast! You have to see it! Just log-on to www.thewaythatiloveyou.com.
One of our favorite celebrity BGs, Beyonce Knowles seems to have finally tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, Jay-Z. According to People magazine, the couple got hitched yesterday in a ceremony taking place at the rapper's penthouse in New York City. Guests included, Mathew & Tina Knowles, Solange, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Kanye West and others.
Reps for the couple neither confirmed or denied these reports. If it's true, congratulations to the happy couple!
My favorite singer of all time is the 8-octave-hitting, Mariah Carey. Now that she's officially surpassed Elvis' record of the amount of #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 charts (2nd to the Beatles), Mariah has definitely and justifiably secured her a place in the record books. Her current single, "Touch My Body," is Mariah's 18th chart-topper.
I remember the first time I heard her first single, "Vision of Love," back in 1990 when I was 10-years-old. I thought, "Wow, this person sounds like Whitney Houston." I don't know, maybe it was because I was only a kid and couldn't differentiate voices that well, but nonetheless I loved what I heard!
Now nearly 2 decades later I'm still enjoying Mariah's music. No one can sing a pop/R&B tune like her!! That's why I am anxiously awaiting the release of her latest CD, E=MC2 on April 16th.
I recently had a chance to talk with Keisha Nash-Whitaker about her line, Kissable Couture. For those of you who don't know, this beautiful and ambitious woman is the wife of Oscar-award winner, Forest Whitaker.
Being a wife and mother of preteen/teen girls is a full-time job that keeps her pretty busy. Lucky for us, she finds the time to keep our lips kissable with her line of perfectly textured glosses that go on fluidly sans the gooey stickiness akin to other brands. Plus, all of the shades are named after the men in her and her friends' lives. Of course, the Forest hue is her favorite!
If you want a smooth, sexy shine with the right hint of color, these glosses are for you!
Check out our Q&A:
BGG: What inspired you to create a line of lip-gloss? Keisha: I collaborated with AJ Crimson and we always talked about working on something together. I started out as a model and he’s a makeup artist. So with my background in fashion and his in makeup/beauty, it was a natural transition to merge the two.
BGG: How did you come up with the name Kissable Couture? Keisha: Well, with AJ being in makeup – the lips are kissable and with me being in fashion, came the couture part. Put them together you have Kissable Couture!
BGG: What was the biggest challenge you faced getting your line off the ground? Keisha: I wanted be taken seriously. I didn’t want to be seen as this fly-by-night celebrity-endorsed product. I wanted to be known for having a fantastic product. I just had to keep knocking on doors until they eventually opened. BGG: I know that you created a special Valentine’s Day collection a few months ago, do you think you’ll continue to produce special collections? Keisha: Absolutely! Life is a special occasion! As we continue to grow, we will continue to surprise customers with new festive collections.
BGG: Do you plan on expanding Kissable Couture to more than just lip-gloss? Keisha: Absolutely! This fall we will add nail polish that will accent and complement the lip-glosses. In the summer we, we will add 3 to 5 new colors that will evoke hope and change. With the state of the world right now, people want to be positive and uplifting and we want to do that with Kissable Couture.
BGG: How do you balance being a businesswoman, wife and being a mom of 3 girls? Keisha: For me, I always put family first. I work on Kissable Couture during the day when my kids are at school. Evenings and nights are reserved for my family. I am very multi-faceted. I believe women are able to balance it all.
BGG: Do you have any other makeup must-haves besides Kissable Couture? Keisha: Yes! I love Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick in Bronze. It's great!
BGG: You have a killer sense of style; do you ever think about launching a fashion line? Keisha: Definitely, I’ve thought about it a lot. If I did it would consist of chic & comfortable clothes; something that feels like me. I have been known to be in a grocery store in the afternoon wearing pumps – I’m an everyday chic girl!
BGG: In your spare time, what do you do to relax and have fun? Keisha: I’m always with my hairdresser David; he’s a lot of fun! I also enjoy doing Pilates, yoga, going to the movies in the afternoon with my hubby, attending book club meetings, going to lunch and just hanging out with friends and family.
BGG: What advice do you have for young women of color who aspire to start their own makeup lines? Keisha: Stay in the game and believe in your product. Know that it’s about quality and perseverance. Iman was my role model. Now there are so many role models out there. Young kids can see presidential candidates that look like them and know that anything is possible. I would say to dream and dream BIG!
Visit www.kissablecouture.com to order online and for store locations near you.
With presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama winning the Democratic caucus in Iowa last week and leading in New Hampshire so far, there’s a very great chance that our new First Lady will be the beautiful Michelle Obama.
I am a such a huge fan of Mrs. Obama because she exudes confidence, intelligence and appears to be a loving and devoted mother to her two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Not to mention, she’s a native Chicagoan just like me!
Her impeccably chic style is always polished and professional; making her an ideal fashion role model for professional women across the country.
Here are a few facts about Mrs. Obama that you might not know…yet.
1. She was born on January 17, 1964.
2. She majored in sociology at Princeton University.
3. She is a Harvard Law School graduate.
4. She met Barack Obama at a Chicago law firm in the late 1980s
5. She is a devoted supporter of the Women's Treatment Center located on the West Side of Chicago, which is a facility for the treatment and detox of women dealing with substance abuse.
6. She enjoys early morning workouts.
7. The Obama Family travels mostly every year to Hawaii to visit Senator Obama's grandmother and sister.
Additional Sources: BarackObama.com, Chicago Suntimes, Newsweek and Essence
Celebrity BGs and their beaus came out last night to support the Conde Nast, "Movies Rock" event at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The special program honored the enduring relationship between music and film. If you subscribe to any Conde Nast magazines like Lucky or Glamour, you surely received the "Movies Rock" free supplement in the mail where they heavily promoted this star-studded event. You can watch the program on CBS airing Friday at 9 pm EST.
You may remember her as the cute kid from CBS’s hit TV show Cosby, not The Cosby Show, but the show that came after the pop culture hit. Whether you remember her from that show or as the precocious young girl in Eve’s Bayou or the sassy teen in Roll Bounce, you’re sure to remember 21-year-old Jurnee Smollett after what seems to be a riveting performance in the Oprah Winfrey produced and Denzel Washington directed film, The Great Debaters.
Inspired by a true story, the movie tells the story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas who encourages African-American students to form the school’s first debate team.
I’ve only viewed an extended trailer of the upcoming film, but the clips that I have seen, have shown Jurnee performing an excellent portrayal of an impassioned lawyer and orator in the South during the mid 1930s.
With the undoubtedly helpful Oprah and Denzel promotion and influence, I’m sure that the film will be a box-office hit, which will surely make her the hottest young African-American female actress in Tinseltown.
Watch the Great Debaters Trailer here:
Here are 5 Facts about Jurnee:
She has 4 brothers and 1 sister and all of their names begin with the letter “J.”
She did a TV show with her brothers and sisters called, On Our Own on ABC in 1994.
She’s been in front of the camera since she was 10 months old.
She appeared on ABC’s Full House several times.
She is on the Board of Directors of “Artists for a New Africa,” a group dedicated to dealing with HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Remember last week when I said that I was going to check out a few other Tyler Perry films after seeing the brilliant Why Did I Get Married? Well, I got that chance this weekend. On Saturday I curled up on my comfy futon and wrapped myself in my favorite super soft pink robe and popped in the first movie in my personal Tyler Perry Catch-up series -- Daddy’s Little Girls. I had heard that it was a great movie with a positive message. I was really impressed with Idris Elba; I don’t know if I was moved by his character or mesmerized by his sexy swagger. At any rate, I thought that the movie was ok, but definitely not as good Why Did I Get Married. However, the performance by Tasha Smith was strong and I think that she could become a household name very soon. Her incredible and hilarious portrayal in Why Did I Get Married is going to catapult her into a new stratosphere. So here’s to our new “it” girl actress. Move over Kerry and Gabby!
5 Facts about Tasha Smith
She was born in Camden, NJ.
She has an identical twin sister, named Sidra.
She is a motivational speaker for kids in disadvantaged communities.
At the age of 18, she started doing stand-up comedy.
Brown Girl Gumbo combines my love of writing, fashion, beauty, celebrity, travel, and more! In addition to my blog, I've written for various outlets including Parade Magazine, People StyleWatch, Ebony and more! -Karla Borders Pope
