Rapper Rick Ross and Lira Mercer engagement is on again; Spike Lee puts Hollywood on blast; Patti Pies flying off the shelves

In this episode of What's The 411, the panel of Kizzy Cox, Onika McLean, and Courtney Rashon are talking about Rick Ross; Spike Lee; Lee Daniels; French President Francois Hollande's response to the attack on Paris; and Real Housewives of Atlanta's cast member, Cynthia Bailey.

What's Poppin'

Entertainment and Lifestyle mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, while promoting his upcoming album at Hot 97 in New York, told the audience that President Obama should unapologetically spend billions on black people. We helped him get elected and like other constituencies we should be rewarded and so far the president hasn't done enough. Puff Daddy made sure it was known that he wasn't "going after Obama" but that he believed the President should give "nice parting gifts" to Black people before he leaves the White House.

A follow-on story regarding President Obama is, "It's raining Men!!!" Obama, Obama, Obama! President Obama is giving a huge Christmas gift to over 6,000 families. He has signed an executive order that will free nonviolent inmates that have been sentenced under harsh drugs laws imposed after America lost its war on drugs in the late 80s and 90s. In a letter written to one inmate, President Obama said "you have shown that you deserve a second chance, what you do with this chance is up to you.

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Film and TV producer, Lee Daniels, may be close to a legal settlement. The "Empire" TV series co-creator and filmmaker may have come to terms with actor Sean Penn's lawyers regarding his statement about actor Terrence Howard's alleged spousal abuse by bringing up Sean Penn's name in a manner that implied that Penn abused women.

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R&B legend Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pies have been sold exclusively at Walmart for weeks but this past weekend they were flying off the shelves after a video from Patti LaBelle fan James Wright Chanel went mega-viral!

The video snagged nearly 7 million online views because of its funny and raucous review of the pie.

After just one bite Chanel, who is also a singer, began singing a Patti song and said, "I turned into Patti after eating this" and he continued eating and singing Patti songs in-between bites of pie.

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Rapper Rick Ross and exotic dancer Lira "Galore" Mercer are back together. The engagement is on again and the happy couple posted a pic on Instagram where Lira stated that they were going through a rough patch in their relationship, but it's now all good! Lira is sporting her engagement ring again. If you recall Rick Ross called it quits because pictures surfaced on social media showing Lira sitting naked on a well-known rapper's lap during her days as an exotic dancer. Will they get to the altar?

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Filmmaker Spike Lee has once again put Hollywood on blast.

"Everybody in here probably voted for Obama but when I go to offices, I see no black folks except for the brother man at the security who checks my name off the list as I go into the studio," the director said while receiving an honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' seventh annual Governors Awards. "So we can talk 'yabba yabba yabba' but we need to have some serious discussion about diversity and get some flavor up in this. This industry is so behind sports it's ridiculous.

"It's easier to be the president of the United States as a black person than be the head of a studio," he continued. "Honestly, it's easier to be president of the United States than the head of a studio or head of network".

Lee urged Hollywood executives to take a closer look at the people around them.

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Rapper Benzino and his wife, Althea Heart, are having trouble in paradise. According to Hello Beautiful, Althea insisted that Benzino stay away from her and the baby while at the hospital. She even made Benzino sign the birth certificate in the room next door. And, she also ordered her mother out of the room! Whoa!

Could Althea's behavior be a symptom of post-partum depression?

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FAB411: Caring for Curly & Coily Hair - by Courtney Rashon

Curly and coily hair can get wild, tangled, dry, and unruly at times. Here are 7 products that will help you maintain and manage your curls and keep them looking good and poppin' all day:

1. Miss Jessie's curly meringue
2. Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard
3. WonderCurl Get Set Jelly
4. Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie for thick curly hair
5. Curl Junkie Curls in a bottle hair styling solution
6. Matrix Biolage Curl Defining Elixer
7. Spiral Solutions Curl Enhancing Jelly

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ON THE CARPET: MAINSTREAM MEDIA - by Kizzy Cox

I, like many people around the world was appalled and saddened by the senseless terrorist attacks that injured hundreds and killed 129 people in Paris. ISIS like Al Qaeda before is a terrible scourge and threatens freedom in many parts of the world. In light of that, I thought the wall-to-wall coverage the attacks received was appropriate and warranted. BUT, it bothers me that the same attention is not brought to terrorist acts that happen when the victims are black and brown and are in locations outside of the Western world. When terrorists killed a few dozen people in Paris who worked at Charlie Ebdo earlier this year, it also received extensive coverage, as it should have. However, what about the Kenyan massacre where Al Shabob killed 147 students at a Kenyan University back in April. Where was the extensive coverage? Kenyans are also our allies against terrorism. There is no ongoing Civil War in Kenya, which would make these types of attacks commonplace. The casualties in Kenya were also innocent victims--young college students. And yet, little coverage was given.

Racism works very subtly; so subtly sometimes we don't see it happening, but racism isn't just about what we see it's also about what we don't see. Thousands upon thousands have also been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Syria is being torn apart by war but those victims are brown and a world away. True we can't always control what images get shown to us or what the media chooses to cover but in the age of social media WE ALL HAVE THE POWER to drive narratives, when we do the media will have no choice but to follow.

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Reality TV Recap

The Real Housewives of Potomac, Maryland

The Real Housewives franchise has added two more cities. The Real Housewives of Dallas and The Real Housewives of Potomac, Maryland; is airing on Bravo in January 2016. The Housewives of Potomac will feature wealthy African American women who reside in a sophisticated community. It will also include Courtney Rashon's friend, Charisse-Jackson Jordan, who is the socialite wife of former NBA coach Eddie Jordan, who is now the basketball coach at Rutgers University.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta

The What's The 411 panel is sick of Peter's treatment of his wife Cynthia Bailey. They believe that it is time for Cynthia Bailey to kick Peter to the curb. Do you agree?

Untying The Knot

What in the hell is a "Hall Pass"?!, asks Onika McLean.

I know you guys remember Tiny and Toya - well just in case you don't, Toya Wright is the mother of Lil' Wayne's oldest daughter. Toya and her estranged husband, Mickey "Memphitz" Wright are joining the reality TV show, Untying The Knot. When the couple sat down to discuss the particulars of their relationship, the mediation lawyer asked Mickey, "do you cheat on your wife?" Mickey responded, "No - not without "a Hall Pass".

Can you imagine, Toya gives her husband a hall pass 8 times a year where he can be with other women no questions asked?

Would you give your husband or wife a hall pass?

VIDEO: James Wright's funny and raucous video sends throngs of shoppers in search of Patti Pie

R&B diva Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pies have been sold exclusively at Walmart for weeks but this past weekend they were flying off the shelves after a video from Patti LaBelle fan James Wright Chanel went mega-viral!

The video snagged nearly 7 million online views because of its funny and raucous review of the pie.

After just one bite Chanel, who is also a singer, began singing a Patti song and said "I turned into Patti after eating this" and he continued eating and singing Patti songs in-between bites of pie.

If you want to snag a pie, you better call Walmart central because the sweet potato pie is sold out in Walmart stores across the country. Walmart is moving pies from low demand areas to those where the sweet potato pies are in high demand.

So what's Patti LaBelle's response?

LaBelle tweeted some love to Chanel. She later called the singer to say she loved him and to thank him for the Patti Pie review.

Now I want some Patti Pie!

What's The 411, a weekly celebrity-driven urban entertainment and lifestyle television show, celebrates its 20th year with a change in format.

What's The 411's leaves behind a straight magazine format and embraces a format of news, commentary, and featured interviews.

The first episode of this new format also sports three new hosts BIANCA PEART, GLENN GILLIAM, and JACINDA MOTTON. A search is on for the fourth host and will join the show in a couple of weeks.

This episode featured a conversation about Hollywood couple ROBIN THICKE and PAULA PATTON'S split; the NAACP Image Awards; NICKI MINAJI'S inappropriate use of a MALCOLM X'S photo; KEVIN HART'S seemingly meteoric rise; BEYONCE'S position of top of the earnings heap; DENZEL WASHINGTON and LATANYA RICHARDSON in the Broadway production of LORRAINE HANSBERRY'S A Raisin in the Sun; MICHAEL B. JORDAN'S upcoming role in the Fantastic Four.

The celebrity-laden red carpet at the NFL's Super Bowl Gospel Celebration founded by MELANIE FEW-HARRISON is the featured interview. What's the 411 reporter CRISTINA TWITTY hosts this video package, which includes gospel sister duo MARY MARY, American Idol Season 12 Winner, CANDICE GLOVER; AJ CALLOWAY, former host of BET's 106th & Park; gospel singer NATALIE GRANT; and members of the NFL Football Players Gospel Choir: JASON AVANT, TRENT SHELTON; and QUINTIN DEMPS.

The NFL Super Bowl Gospel Celebration was hosted by WENDY WILLIAMS and AJ CALLOWAY. R&B songbird PATTI LABELLE was the featured singer.

Check out video of new episode here:

Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker talking with the media backstage at the Soul Train Awards are hilarious

What's The 411's west coast correspondent Wanda Formey gives us a backstage pass to a hectic media room at the Soul Train Awards.

In this video, the focus is on Patti LaBelle; she talks about a LaBelle reunion for a song on the To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar movie soundtrack.

Ms. Patti also gives success tips in a manner in which only she can.

The 1995 Soul Train Awards show, held on March 13, 1995, was hosted by Anita Baker, Babyface, and Patti LaBelle.

Anita Baker won two Soul Train awards at the 1995 Soul Train Awards.

Enjoy!

Brandy wins a Soul Train Award and for her, the moment is quite surreal

What's The 411 correspondent Wanda Formey captured singer/actress, Brandy, backstage at the 1995 Soul Train Awards show.

Brandy received her very first Soul Train Award for Best New R&B/Soul or Rap Artist, and she was ecstatic, while at the same time, you can see for Brandy, the moment was surreal.

Held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, the Soul Train Awards, a product of Don Cornelius' long-running television show, Soul Train, honors the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year.

This year’s show was hosted by award winners in their own right, Anita Baker, Babyface, and Patti LaBelle.

Anita Baker also won two Soul Train Awards at this awards show. The awards were: R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Female, and Best R&B/Soul Single – Female.

Diana Ross wins a Soul Train Award, and backstage with her family and Berry Gordy Jr., the hilarity is nonstop

In this video, What's The 411 correspondent Wanda Formey was backstage at the Soul Train Awards in Los Angeles and captured Diana Ross' conversation with the media.

Ross, the original lead singer of the Supremes, received the Heritage Award for Career Achievement.

Ross, accompanied by her family members Tracee Ellis Ross, Rhonda Ross, Evan Ross, and Ross Arne Naess, and of course, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. who was instrumental in creating the Diana Ross that we know today, which made for some interesting conversation between Ross and Gordy.

Held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, the Soul Train Awards, a product of Don Cornelius' long-running television show, Soul Train, honors the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year.

This year’s Soul Train Awards show was hosted by award winners in their own right, Anita Baker, Babyface, and Patti LaBelle.

Anita Baker wins two Soul Train Awards and his blown away by Diana Ross and Berry Gordy in the audience

In this video award-winning singer Anita Baker, along with Patti Labelle, are talking with the media backstage at the Soul Train Awards.

Ms. Baker is expressing her excitement about seeing Motown founder Berry Gordy and Diana Ross, lead singer of the original Supremes, in the audience while she was performing.

Ms. Baker, a Detroit native, explains that Detroiters view Gordy and Ross in high regard, in effect the First Family of Detroit.

Anita Baker won two Soul Train Awards at the 1995 awards show.

Held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, the Soul Train Awards honors the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year. 

This year’s show, held on March 13, 1995, was hosted by award winners in their own right Anita Baker, Babyface, and Patti LaBelle.