Sunnie, Tali, and Bunni Ray of Blushhh Music are bringing Old School Back

The newest group from Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment is more than a girl group they are a hip-hop trio consisting of rappers Sunnie and Bunni Ray, and vocalist, Tali, better known as Blushhh Music.

What's The 411 had an opportunity to talk exclusively with Blushhh Music about how the group came together; their raponizing art form; the people who influenced them; meeting Mathew Knowles; and Kelly Rowland's impact on Tali; and their first single, Old School Back, which can be purchased on iTunes.

How Blushhh Music Came Together

We all like to know how groups come together. So starting from the beginning, it all started with the help of digital technology. More specifically, Blushhh Music came together with the help of social media.

Group member Sunnie was part of a duo searching for a singer to complete the group. During an Internet search of singers in Houston, she found Tali on Facebook. Fortunately for Tali, she branded herself well with a profile name on Facebook, TaliBestSingerlastname. Additionally, Tali's photos represented her well and the way she responded to the inquiry were the icing on the cake that gave her an invite to audition to be part of the group.

Five years later, the original group of Sunnie, Tali, and another rapper met Mathew Knowles at a showcase and were signed to an artist development contract. Two months into the contract, the other rapper dropped out and consequently there was a need to find another group member. Sunnie and Tali found Bunni Ray on Instagram. Mr. Knowles gave Sunnie and Tali complete creative control over the selection of Bunni Ray, because, at the end of the day, it was their "sisterhood" that was important.

So, can these ladies sing and rap? Well, in a word, yes! They gave us a taste of their "raponizing" aka a Capella rapping harmony.

Musical Influences

In music, everyone is influenced by someone. As a trio, Blushhh Music's sound is their own. However, as individuals, you can hear their influences.

Growing up, Sunnie's musical influences were MC Lyte, Lauren Hill, Tupac, and Queen Latifah. Fast forward, her current influences are Drake, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole.

As a vocalist, Tali's influences come from the R&B/Pop side of the ledger. Michael Jackson's, "You are Not Alone," is the first song she sang at 3-years-old. Like many kids who were influenced by their parents' musical preferences, Tali followed her mother's path and became a fan of Janet Jackson and The Jacksons. Tali later became a fan of Destiny's Child, Sade, Shakira, and Selena. Since she has been raponizing, Tali's hip-hop influences include NWA, Bone Thugs n' Harmony, and Chance The Rapper.

Just listening to Bunni Ray, you can tell her influences are Left Eye (TLC), DaBrat, and Lil' Kim. What is surprising is that she is influenced by modern day Kanye West and the Flatbush Zombies. With What's The 411 being based in Brooklyn, shout out to the Flatbush Zombies! If we had known in advance of the interview, perhaps we could have arranged a meetup!

Blushhh Music's Defining Fashion Style

What's The 411 host and beauty expert, Courtney Rashon, is always focused on beauty and style. Courtney says when she first saw Blushhh Music, she saw their style as glam hip-hop, "Destiny's Child meets TLC, meets like a Run DMC."

"We do match, as you can see," responded Sunnie. "We're big on matching."

Their look is cohesive, a tip they learned from Mathew Knowles. When people see them, they should know that they are in a group even if they are not standing right next to each other.

Although there is cohesiveness, "we do have individual things about ourselves that you're always going to notice, Sunnie continued. "You're always going to notice Sunnie with the braids and a hat. Tali with the big blond hair."

"Artistic," Bunni Ray chimed in. "...she's super artsy with what she wears."

"I'm likely to draw on something or rip it up," added Tali.

"It is never going to be how she bought it in the store," says Bunni Ray.

Tali, who has a sexy style of her own, says that Bunni Ray brings the sex appeal, with Bunni Ray, "you're going to see thighs and boobs, you're going to see, sex appeal," said Tali with a finger snap.

Working With Mathew Knowles

What's The 411 host Onika McLean asked the question that many people want to know.

"How's it working with him (Mr. Knowles)...tell us something we don't know."

"He's not as intimidating as he looks; he's not as mean. We thought he hated us. Oh, he don't like us; I didn't even want to sing," responded Tali.

"If he's hard on you, it is because you have potential," added Sunnie.

"If he tells you that you're good, you might want to work," Tali said.

"Because you're never done growing," Sunnie continued. "Even with his daughter, he says all the time, Beyonce, every show, she's looking at something to improve. Every show, he's looking at something to improve. If you ever feel satisfied, and there's nothing in your mind that you feel you should work on, then he says you should just stop it here because you're not going to prosper. "

"He's funny," said Tali. "He's very funny, he has jokes, so smart. He knows what punch lines to say, what to make the topic of the day. Watch this be the headline because I said it."

"He's a marketing a genius." Sunni interrupted.

Kelly Rowland Makes a Great Impression on Blushhh Music

Aside from Mr. Knowles, who is the most interesting person that they have met since they became a group, Onika asked Blushhh Music

"Kelly Rowland!," Tali responded without hesitation. "Kelly Rowland to me; she played a big part when I was growing up period, in my high school days. When Sunni found me, I was telling Sunni about it, so Sunni was like, okay, okay. So when we got signed with Mr. Knowles, it was weird. So we just had the Atlanta Car Show, the car and bike show that we did, and she (Kelly Rowland) has June's Diary and they were there and they performed. So we got to meet Kelly, and when she saw us across the room, she ran over to us, and she was like 'hey I'm so happy to see you, great job.' So I finally got a chance to introduce her, and they were like, 'hey I heard so much about you.' She's just so sweet. She took a picture with us. She gave us great advice and that is something that we just took with us. It was like meeting the entire Destiny's Child group. It's really like we are Music Entertainment World family.

The Wrap-up

In answering Onika's question regarding what each member of the group would like for the audience to know about the group, Tali didn't hesitate to swoop in before Sunnie and say "original," which is Sunnie's line. After a laugh, Tali told Sunnie to "steal" her line, and she obliged.

"Always be you because no one can be you better than you in the words of Tali," offered Sunnie.

These ladies are so talented, humble, and focused!

Download Old School Back by Blushhh Music on iTunes and follow Blushhh Music on all social media at @BlushhhMusic.

Sunnie and Tali of Blushhh Music answer the question that you want answered on what it's like to work with Mathew Knowles

Since Blushhh Music is working with the legendary Mathew Knowles, and when What's The 411 had the hip-hop trio in the studio for an exclusive interview, host Onika McLean asked the question that many people want to know.

"How's it working with him (Mr. Knowles)...tell us something we don't know."

"He's not as intimidating as he looks; he's not as mean," responded Tali, the Blushhh Music vocalist. "We thought he hated us. Oh, he don't like us; I didn't even want to sing."

"If he's hard on you, it is because you have potential," added Sunnie, one of the rappers in the group.

"If he tells you that you're good, you might want to work," Tali added.

"Because you're never done growing," said Sunnie. "Even with his daughter, he says all the time, Beyonce, every show, she's looking at something to improve. Every show, he's looking at something to improve. If you ever feel satisfied, and there's nothing in your mind that you feel you should work on, then he says you should just stop it here because you're not going to prosper."

"He's funny. He's very funny," Tali quipped. "He has jokes, so smart. He knows what punch lines to say, what to make the topic of the day. 'Watch this be the headline because I said it'."

"He's a marketing a genius." Sunnie interrupted.

You can find Blushhh Music's debut single, Old School Back on iTunes and you can follow them on social media @BlushhhMusic

John Boyega Makes Forbes Top 30 List, Monique Pressley serves up the media something proper, Fay Ann Lyons sets the record straight

411 QUICK TAKES

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes Awards Show; and actress Taraji P. Henson won a Golden Globe award for best actress in a drama for Empire.

Singer Natalie Cole was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. Her parents, sister, and brother are also buried there. Natalie Cole died from idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, which led to heart failure. She was diagnosed with the ailment after receiving a kidney transplant in 2009.

IN MEMORIAM

We bid a fond farewell to:

• Singer Nicholas Caldwell, a co-founding member of the legendary group, The Whispers. Caldwell passed away from congestive heart failure. He was 71.

• Rocker David Bowie, who pioneered Glam Rock, died at age 69. He leaves behind his wife, former supermodel and entrepreneur Iman, and daughter, Alexandria "Lexi" Zahra Jones.

What's The 411 - WHAT'S POPPIN"

Forbes Top 30 Under 30: John Boyega, Jewel Burks, Nailah Ellis-Brown

"Forbes recently released its Top 30 Under 30 List and to my happiness there are a number of black people on the list!," said Kizzy Cox. The list includes 23-year-old heartthrob John Boyega! Boyega is blazing trails in the new Star Wars film "The Force Awakens", as the first black storm-trooper we've ever seen in a Star Wars film. Boyega, who is British of Nigerian descent has proudly embraced his African origins, in an interview with the NY times he said:

"I'm grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I'm proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me."

Also on the list are several black women--can we say #blackgirlmagic??--including 26-year-old Jewel Burks an entrepreneur within a family of entrepreneurs, she co-founded and is CEO of PartPic which helps people find parts they're looking for their electronics or other machinery. Additionally, 28-year-old Nailah Ellis-Brown is founder of Ellis Island Tropical Tea. Incredibly, Brown started by selling her old Jamaican family tea recipe out of the trunk of her car! A silent partner eventually invested $150,000 for a bottling plant in Detroit and now she's selling her tea to Whole Foods and other stores throughout the US! Can we say #Caribbeangirlmagic??

UNDER THE RADAR

JANET JACKSON

Pop star Janet Jackson canceled some of her tour dates due to illness. A rumor spread that Janet had throat cancer, which prompted the singer to issue a statement on twitter to debunk the rumors:

"Remember...believe it when you hear it from my lips, the rumors are untrue. I do not have cancer. I'm recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled. Thank you for your prayers and love."

Monique Pressley: Bill Cosby's Attorney

People magazine is reporting that after failing to find sufficient evidence to back a model's claim that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby at a Playboy Mansion party in 2008, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that it would not file charges. No matter where you are on the Bill Cosby issue, you must admit Monique Pressley is serving the media up something proper! Just watching the eloquent way she executes her argument, you just want to snap your fingers in a circle. Ms. Pressley, a Howard University Law School graduate, is more than a lawyer; she is a minister and a member of the cut life. I love watching her.

FAB411

Tips for Teeth Whitening

Beauty expert Courtney Rashon gives her recommendations for keeping your teeth bright and white!

A great smile is important. And it's also important to make sure you have white teeth. Here a few ways to keep your teeth white and bright.

Baking soda. Baking soda does not contain fluoride but you can use this along with your regular toothpaste once a day. The baking soda keeps your teeth white

Whitening strips. Whitening strips are amazing for keeping your teeth gleaming. Whitening strips are easy to apply and come with instructions and can brighten up your smile in one week. The strips can be found in local drugstores and supermarkets.

Limit the use of drinking things like coffee and tea. Both can be good for you, but not always so good on your teeth. Heavy smoking and tobacco use can also stain your teeth. Brush regularly after having more than one cup.

Visit the dentist. Regular cleanings will also help to keep your teeth clean, healthy and white. This should be done at least once a year.

And as for cosmetics, teeth whitening using a machine with ultraviolet light and a special gel can brighten you smile in one hour. The results are instant and this can be done every 1 to 2 months.

Amandla Stenberg Comes Out as Bisexual

Outspoken teen actress Amandla Stenberg, famous for her breakout role in the Hunger Games as 'Rue' came out as bisexual on a Teen Vogue snapchat. The 17-year-old said in a series of snaps:

It's a really, really hard thing to be silenced. And it's deeply bruising to fight against your identity and to mold yourself into shapes that you just shouldn't be in," Stenberg said "as someone who identifies as a black, bisexual woman, I've been through it, and its hurts. It's awkward and it's uncomfortable. But then I realized because of Solange [Knowles], and Ava DuVernay, and Willow [smith], and all the black girls watching this right now, that there's absolutely nothing to change." "We cannot be suppressed," the actress continued. "We are meant to express our joy, and our love, and our tears, and be big and bold and definitely not easy to swallow."

El Chapo Captured

El Chapo, a gangster's gangster, has been captured. The notorious Mexican drug kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is in the pen!

El Chapo met with actor Sean Penn via a hook-up by actress Kate del Castillo. Can you believe El Chapo was trying to shoot a film- got to give it to El Chapo, this was a real gangster move. Guzman thought his story was worthy of Hollywood. Unfortunately for Guzman aka El Chapo, this was how the Mexican authorities were able to track him down to a house in an upscale neighborhood in a coastal city according to Mexico Attorney General Arely Gomez.

In closing this segment, Onika McLean said, "Sean Penn, I know you came after Lee Daniels, but you better probably watch your back now, because now El Chapo, you gonna be on the chopping block!"

CARIBBEAN COOK-UP:

Trinidadian Soca Artist Fay Ann Lyons Fights for Power Soca

Carnival season is quickly coming upon us! Trinidad's carnival is only 2 weeks and 5 days (but who's counting??) And masqueraders everywhere can't wait to jump and wave their way down the road and across the stage...but some are wondering where is the power Soca they're supposed to be wining to? Because this year's power Soca songs haven't been strong. Fay Ann Lyons, famous Trinidadian Soca artist and 3-time winner of the carnival road march title (the only woman to have ever done so) called out those people who said that basically power Soca was on its way out. Elaborating on her comments in an interview with looptt, Lyons said:

"my next point was that Iwer and Superblue are known for singing power Soca and you telling them that dead and don't bring no power and you telling younger artistes don't do power cause we are not playing it so you already blocking people cause you are telling them there is no market for it. I turned to the crowd and said fight for your artistes, fight for your music and your culture. After I said what I said, I said anybody who disagree(s) that you should not support the art form could kiss my black ass."

FAY ANN is making a great point because at the end of the day, groovy Soca is great it's nice music to groove to: slow wine and chip, but if you're about to cross that stage and get wassy (Trini slang for turn up and get wild) you want a power Soca song to get you there! And if you want to promote cultural unity, you need all the types of Soca music--you can't put down one and uplift the other.

REALITY TV RECAP

RHOA Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker Name Son Ace Wells Tucker

There is lots of baby news going around. Real Housewives of Atlanta stars Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker recently welcomed a baby boy named Ace Wells Tucker. She made the announcement on January 7, after she gave birth the day before. Kandi and Todd were going back and forth about the name but the finally decided on a name that was unique that they both liked.

Interestingly enough, fellow RHOA cast mate, Phaedra Parks showed up at the hospital.

IN THE PIPELINE:

Upcoming Events

The Schomburg Center for research in Black Culture will Premiere the documentary, Black and Cuba on January 26. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com.

PEPSI has confirmed to the Associated Press, that Beyoncé will perform on the Super Bowl half-time show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Last month, Coldplay announced it would perform at the halftime show. Beyoncé and Coldplay collaborated on the band's new album, A Head Full of Dreams.

R&B LEGEND, Mavis Staples, will release a new album on February 19th entitled, LIVIN ON A HIGH NOTE.

The upcoming Stellar Awards, featuring the best in Gospel Music will take place on February 19th In Las Vegas.

You heard of Patti Pies...now get ready for Patti Cakes. Patti LaBelle will again partner with Walmart for three new additions to her dessert line. In addition to the sweet potato pie, Walmart will add a premium vanilla pound cake and a premium caramel cake.

Mathew Knowles, the creator and former manager of pop icons, Destiny's Child, Beyonce, and Solange Knowles, drops wisdom in his first book, The DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals

In this wide-ranging interview with What's The 411TV, entertainment mogul Mathew Knowles, is a business consultant, teacher, and adviser, as he imparts nuggets of information about the music industry and life in general, while discussing his first book, The DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals.

In 53 minutes, Mr. Knowles talks with What's The 411TV correspondent, Courtney Rashon, in a down-to-earth manner, about the inspiration for his book, The DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals; the importance of passion in realizing goals; the Talk-to-Do Ratio, a phrase Mathew Knowles coined that he uses as an indicator of success (and soon will everyone else); how music artists really make money; elements needed to be successful in the music industry; the effects of growing up in Alabama; challenges leaders face; social media; and more.

Clearly, as the genius behind the success of the Destiny’s Child, and the launch of Beyonce into super-stardom, Mathew Knowles is appropriately positioned to discuss the qualities of achievers. 

Each chapter of The DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals is focused on the ten traits that Mr. Knowles believes are essential to success.

Mathew Knowles is emphatic that passion is the primary trait for success and discusses passion at length in this interview with What's The 411TV and, it is the first chapter in the book. Mr. Knowles' 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals are:

1.  Passion

2.  Vision

3.  Work Ethic

4.  Team Building

5.  Planning

6.  Talk-To-Do Ratio

7.  Risk-Taking

8.  Learning From Failure

9.  Giving Back

10. Thinking Outside the Box

The teacher in Mathew Knowles wants to make sure that the reader really absorbs his message, so The DNA of Achievers:10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals provides a quiz at the end of every chapter.

As serious as Mathew Knowles can be in discussing The DNA of Achievers, he also displays a sense of compassion when discussing a student in his class whose family was the recipient of a home from Habitat for Humanity and his now raising his 13-year-old sister. He also likes to have fun (and who doesn't) and he showed off his zany side when talking about his fraternity and then again when he hilariously compared social media to yesteryear's rag magazines that are still positioned at grocery store checkouts. The bottom line of the comparison was to drive the point that many people are generating enormous wealth off of the emotions of undiscerning people.

The DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals will be out in time for the upcoming gift-giving holiday season.

True Beauty Requires a Sense of Self-Love and Self-Acceptance

We know intrinsically that beauty is deeper than physical appearance. We understand collectively that beauty has more to do with who we are as people than what we look like on the outside. We know this because most of us have encountered that man or woman who was aesthetically appealing but as soon as they spoke out loud, they didn't seem so attractive anymore.

Entertainment icons have tried to assist us in understanding beauty as more than just the exterior. Think Christina Aguilera, "Beautiful," Beyonce "God Made You Beautiful," One Direction "What Makes You Beautiful" (the list can go on).

The other side of the music and entertainment industries, however, has done an impressive job at convincing us that beauty is in fact, all about the exterior, and has managed to drown out the positive, inspirational songs and figures who are trying to tell us otherwise.

Men and women, boys and girls, young and old have all been influenced by these conflicting messages about beauty - the inner versus outer beauty. What is this pull that beauty has on us? Why do we strive to attain this abstract thing called beauty? In essence, what's so special about being beautiful?

Anthropologists tell us based on their research and studies, that beautiful people are associated with adjectives such as smarter, friendlier, better personalities, confident, more sociable, and they are awarded greater privileges in the workplace – higher pay, more promotions, etc.

In her book "Awakening Beauty" Susan West Kurz writes "The reason beauty draws us near is because it arises from love, which is itself the most nourishing and desired force in [this] life."

She continues, "Beauty is the consequence of love, and therefore announces the presence of love, which we are ultimately drawn to."

Those are all very compelling reasons why many would be attracted to the quest for beauty – we want the privileges associated with being beautiful and we also want the love associated with being beautiful as well.

But if Kurz is correct that beauty announces the presence of love, could it also be true that beauty requires a level of love that must circulate in our inner selves first? Before it can be seen on the outside?

No, this article isn't an attempt at psychotherapeutic, positive thinking, look in the mirror and tell yourself you're beautiful kind of advice. What this article is suggesting is that if we are to truly understand what beauty is then we must understand what beauty requires. And true beauty – according to sociologists, pop stars, entertainers, psychotherapists, theologians, and Oprah – requires a level of self-love and self-acceptance.

It is hard to love yourself if you don't feel beautiful or if you have been told by others that you are not. Words do hurt. But it is important to do the things you need to do to address those issues of lack of self-love. Speak to a trusted confidant about your issues, eat healthy foods to improve your appearance, eliminate unhealthy foods that scientifically do impact your thoughts and emotions, maybe changing your wardrobe might be required, and yes look in the mirror and speak well of yourself. All of these things are essential to filling the tank of self-love in you and achieving the true beauty that is inherently yours.

Rihanna Stuns the Met Gala Crowd; Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, and Jennifer Lopez Set off the Battle of the Booties on 2015 Met Gala Red Carpet

The MET GALA 2015 was a night filled with everyone's favorite celebrities wearing couture. Celeb such as Jay Z and Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Rihanna, Justin Beiber and Jennifer Lopez all attended and were looking fabulous.

The look of the evening for women seemed to be, jeweled garments, sheer, cut out gowns showing lots of skin, while the guys kept it sleek and traditional by wearing tuxedos.

The showstopper of the evening was Rihanna wearing a canary yellow elaborate gown with major detailing created by Chinese designer Guo Pe. The dress took two years to make.

It was the "battle of the booties" for Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Beyonce. All celebrities looked amazing in sheer, see-through and cut out gowns. Beyonce wore a sheer flesh tone colored jeweled Givenchy gown, Kim was wearing a white sheer and lace Roberto Cavalli and Jennifer Lopez aka J-Lo wore a wine colored sheer cut-out Versace gown.

Beyonce; Kim Kardashian West; and Jennifer Lopez on the red carpet showing off lots of skin at the 2015 Met Gala

Actress Taraji P. Henson was also in attendance wearing a gorgeous gown by designer Alexander Wang.

Actress Taraji P. Henson

Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union were also spotted looking fabulous. It was reported that Wade's two Versace ensembles' for the night costs a whopping 900,000 dollars. His beautiful wife was dressed in a wine colored draped Zac Posen gown.

Miami Heat guard, Dwayne Wade and his wife actress Gabriel Union

The men who were flying solo that evening were also looking sharp.

Justin Beiber sported a flashy Balmain jacket adorned with gold, film and television director Lee Daniels was dressed in a Burberry tux, while rapper/actor Common wore a tux by Prada. All of these guys looked handsome.

Not to mention Jay Z and Kanye West who wore tuxes by Tom Ford and Roberto Cavalli respectively.

Derek Jeter and girlfriend, Sports Illustrated cover model Hannah Davis were also spotted at the gala. Hannah was wearing a red sheer one shoulder fitted J. Mendel gown and Jeter wore a Rag and Bone tux.

Former New York Yankees short stop, Derek Jeter and girlfriend, Sports Illustrated model, Hannah Davis

More News: Chicago Reparations; P. Diddy's New Fragrance; The Booties Rock the 2015 Met Gala Red Carpet and more!

Watch the video of What's The 411 Episode 51:
Featuring What's The 411 host Glenn Gilliam and special guest host, Courtney Rashon, President, Courtney Rashon Industries

Quick Takes:

THE UNITED NATIONS recently unveiled a memorial dedicated in memory to those who were killed and sacrificed in the transatlantic slave trade and its atrocities. The memorial is entitled The Ark Of Return.

At the recent unveiling ceremonies, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called slavery "a stain on human history." The U.N. has declared 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent. The memorial, designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, is at U.N. Headquarters in Manhattan.

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Singer Bobby Brown has been awarded a small victory. A judge has appointed Brown, along with his former sister-in-law Pat Houston, co-guardians of Bobbi Kristina Brown.

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Shonda Rhimes' shows: Grey's Anatomy; Scandal; and How to Get Away With Murder have been renewed by ABC.

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Everyone's still talking about the May-Pac fight that wasn't. But an equal number of people, on social media, are talking about how Jamie Foxx 'fizzled' doing the National Anthem, Foxx later told Ellen Degeneres, that his earpiece came out.

"My inner ears were out and I'm singing with an organ, so I can't hear what the organ is doing with the big crowd. So some of it was a little off."
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Walking Dead star, Seth Gilliam was arrested in Atlanta and charged with DUI, reckless driving, drug possession and speeding. He has since been released.
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A touching tribute took place at the recent Sports Emmys. TNT host Ernie Johnson won the Sports Emmy for Best Studio Host. But Johnson turned to the audience and said "there is only one place it belongs and that is on the mantle of Stuart Scott's house." Johnson then asked that Scott's daughters come up, where he presented them with the Emmy.
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The Gap Band has won songwriting credit and a share of the royalties for the Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars hit Uptown Funk. The group consists of Charlie, Robert, and Ronnie Wilson.

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BET.com is reporting that The Carters may be purchasing a new home....in New Orleans! And, to top things off, it used to be a Presbyterian church.

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Vibe and essence.com are reporting Beyoncé has offered 3 teenage girls a chance of a lifetime. Sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, 17 and 19 years-old respectively, and Sophie Beem have been scouted by Queen Bey's Parkwood Entertainment and been offered multi-year contracts.

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In memoriam, we remember:
• Errol Brown, the lead singer of the band Hot Chocolate, has died at age 71 from liver cancer. The singer was best known for the hits You Sexy Thing and It Started with a Kiss.

• Guy Carawan, a white folk singer who stood up before a group of black students in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1960, and sang a little known folk song. That song was We Shall Overcome. The song became the anthem of the civil rights movement. Carawan, whom the New York Times called the Marseillaise of the integration movement, has died at age 87.
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What's Poppin'!!!

Sean "Diddy" Combs and his singer/model girlfriend, Cassie, are heating up the internet due to the release of Diddy's new fragrance called 3. a.m.; the commercial features the couple engaging in simulated sexual acts and nudity. Diddy defended the ad by saying:

"The concept, for the video, represents one of the things that 3 a.m. is for me. It's a very one-on-one time. It's a time to have fun and push the envelope a little bit. It's definitely an hour where you would find yourself with a young lady. Anything can happen at 3 a.m., and in the video, you see a fantasy that's in my head of what happened that night."

According to hollywoodlife.com, Macy's has rejected the fragrance ad.
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The 2015 Met Gala brought out a who's who of A-Listers to the red carpet. Raven Symone led the pack on throwing shade when she said on The View that, Beyonce, J. Lo; and Kim Kardashian should "put some pants on." Additionally, a meme has been circulating on social media asking people to pick out the porn stars by comparing the celebs at the Met Gala to porn stars attending an Adult Video Awards.

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THE 2015 MET GALA was a night filled with everyone's favorite celebrities wearing couture. Celebrities such as JAY-Z, BEYONCÉ, KIM KARDASHIAN, KANYE WEST, RIHANNA, JUSTIN BIEBER, and JENNIFER LOPEZ all attended and were looking fabulous or not!.

• The showstopper of the evening was Rihanna wearing a canary yellow elaborate gown with major detailing created by Chinese designer Guo Pe. The dress took two years to make.

• It was the "Battle of the Booties" For Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé. All celebrities looked amazing in sheer, see-through and cut out gowns. Beyoncé wore a sheer flesh tone colored jeweled Givenchy gown, Kim was wearing a white sheer and lace ROBERTO CAVALLI gown with an elongated train and J-Lo wore a wine colored sheer cut out VERSACE gown.

• TARAJI P. HENSON was also in attendance wearing a gorgeous black and white strapless gown by ALEXANDER WANG.

• DWYANE WADE and GABRIELLE UNION looked fabulous. It was reported that WADE'S two VERSACE ensembles' for the night costs a whopping 900,000 dollars. His beautiful wife wore a wine colored draped ZAC POSEN gown.

The men who were flying solo that evening were also looking sharp.

• JUSTIN BIEBER was wearing flashy Balmain jacket adorned with gold, LEE DANIELS was dressed in a BURBERRY tux and COMMON wore a tux by PRADA. All of these guys looked handsome.

• Not to mention Jay Z who wore a black Tom Ford tux

• Kayne West wore Roberto Cavalli

• Derek Jeter and girlfriend, Sports Illustrated cover model, Hannah Davis, were spotted at the gala. Hannah was dressed in a red sheer one shoulder fitted J. Mendel gown and Jeter wore a Rag and Bone tux.

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Under The Radar:

MARLENE PINNOCK, A 51 year-old great grandmother, recently spoke out about the horrors of her beating by a California Highway patrol officer. Pinnock received a one million dollar settlement.

QUESTION: Is a monetary settlement enough?

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History has been made in Chicago. The CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL has passed reparations legislation for the victims abused by former police commander Jon Burge. Burge gained notoriety for torturing over 100 prisoners (majority being black men) from 1971 to 1992, in order to gain confessions. The council approved a settlement of over $5.5 million dollars which will be divided up between them. The deal also requires that Chicago teens learn about police brutality in school.

QUESTION: What about the officers involved, what punishment do they receive?

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WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY (WWD) called out JAY Z on his appearance at 2015 MET GALA. WWD essentially said that JAY Z needs to lose weight, that his suit did not fit well and perhaps JAY Z needs to see his wife's dermatologist to get cosmetic surgery or some fillers because the lines on his face are getting too deep.

QUESTION: Why is WWD going in hard on Jay Z? What's behind this shade?

On The Carpet

The Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, Frank Johnson, because he did not know that Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice, the 12 year-old boy who was shot by a Cleveland police officer was living in a homeless shelter. Ms. Rice gave up her apartment and moved into a homeless shelter because she could not bear to look at the park where her son was murdered.

Question: Should the Mayor of Cleveland have assigned someone in his office to oversee Ms. Rice's well-being?

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BROADCAST AND CABLE NETWORKS are being called on the carpet because of the monopoly of white men on SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS and EVENING NEWSCASTS.

Question: Should the broadcast and cable networks have more diversity on their Sunday public affairs shows and evening newscasts?

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In the Pipeline

Director Ava Duvernay's African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM) recently launched its second annual membership drive. The drive, designed to financially assist Black women and Latinas filmmakers with distribution of their films, will run from May 4 through June 5.

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Parker Sawyer and Tika Sumpter are set to play Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson in an upcoming romantic drama SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU. The film centers on the then future first couple's first date and is currently in production.

YouTube Teenage Sensations and X-Factor Contestant Pick up $1.5 Million Contract with Beyonce

Today, three special ladies who have made YouTube their performance venue have been signed to Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment, according to several sources.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Chloe Bailey, 17, and Halle Bailey, 15 are sisters with impeccable voices. Now living in Los Angeles, the young singers astonishingly caught the attention of Beyoncé's manager. After uploading a cover of them singing Beyonce's "Pretty Hurts" from her self-titled album, the video went viral and has 10+million views.

As if the attention wasn't amazing enough, the girls got the attention of Beyonce too. Reportedly, Queen Bey has signed the girls to a $1 million contract for up to six albums over the next five years.

Beyonce also has signed Sophie Beem a teenager from New York. Beem was a former X Factor 2012 contestant and she was offered a $560,000 contract.

YouTube Teenage Sensations and X-Factor Contestant Pick up $1.5 Million Contract with Beyonce