The Young, Black, and Fabulous

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• Chris Brown & Rihanna Join Forces In The Studio....Again
• Chanel Iman & A$AP Rocky: Is It LOVE....Or LOVE Of Fashion?
• Miguel COVERS "Prince" Magazine, Offers TIPS On Getting A "Happy Ending"
• LADIES WHO LOVE TO PARTY: Solange, Christina Milian, Estelle & Janelle Monae SOAR HIGH With Delta
• Blue Ivy Carter Shows Her Face A Bit...At Lunch With Jay-Z & Beyonce In L.A.
• DO WE LOVE IT? Fashion Guru June Ambrose Launches Her Own Footwear Collection!
• Mendeecees Harris Takes The Stand--"I Didn't Commit Those Acts To That Girl!"
• Trinidad James Covers Rolling Out, Talks How His Appreciation Of Music Got Him This Far...Despite The Critics
• SHOCKING DETAILS Released At Mendeecees Harris' Statutory Rape Trial--15-Year-Old Alleges Blackmail For Sex, Mendeecees Was DATING HER MOTHER!

Chris Brown & Rihanna Join Forces In The Studio....Again Posted: 08 Feb 2013 10:09 AM PST The night before his big court date where he had to explain his possible community service fraud, Chris Brown spent all night (five hours to be exact) in the studio with his sometimes-lover Rihanna.  Peep the pic from their session inside... Looks like these two aren't done with their collabos.  After their "Birthday Cake Remix" and "Nobody's Business" track, Breezy & Rih Rih are cooking up something new in the studio.  They're working with the hip hop-reggae group Planet VI (formerly Rock City), who snapped the above pic this week of the foursome pulling an all nighter.  They said: @AnythingILL @BadGalRiRi @FuckYoPictures And Me In This Bitch We Fucking Working RIGHT ABOUT NOW #richnigga #rightaboutnow #forthegram #ourtime Chris Brown has already announced that he's working on his new album.  And yes, his Instagram account is still private after his last tantrum. Gotta love it.

Chanel Iman & A$AP Rocky: Is It LOVE....Or LOVE Of Fashion? Posted: 08 Feb 2013 08:59 AM PST Victoria's Secret model Chanel Iman keeps herself a man.  And it looks like rapper A$AP Rocky may just be her newest conquest.  22-year-old Chanel Iman just posted a pic on her Instagram that caught everybody off guard.  She said "VERY RARE" while holding hands with 24-year-old "Goldie" rapper A$AP Rocky...and they're all hugged up while rocking matching Jordans.  Hmmm... Both of them have a serious love for fashion.  Chanel's a fashion and beauty model, while A$AP has talked endlessly about his love for designers clothes and his eclectic style. So were the two simply having a friendly fashion bonding moment--during NY Fashion Week?  Or is there more to the story? Meanwhile, both of the youngins have some shine time in magazines right now: A$AP is rocking the March/April 2013 cover of XXL, while Chanel is looking fabulous in the February 2013 issue of Allure, shot by Regan Cameron: Check out all her Allure pics over at CoCoa Fab.

Miguel COVERS "Prince" Magazine, Offers TIPS On Getting A "Happy Ending" Posted: 08 Feb 2013 08:23 AM PST "Adore" crooner Miguel covers PRINCE Magazine and offer guys advice on receiving a "happy ending" for Valentine's Days. Get the tips inside and see Quvenzhane Wallis on the cover of JET. Miguel, who's heading out on tour this year with Alicia Keys, covers the latest issue of PRINCE magazine--a social, fashion & lifestyle publication for the young, stylish, metropolitan man. With a cover shot captured by Vihn Luong, Miguel stars in the "Music Meets Fashion" Issue, PT II. Inside, the sex-talker speaks about his upcoming performance on the Grammys, Frank Ocean, his fashion must-haves and offers advice to guys hoping to get a "happy ending" for V-day.  Here are the highlights: PRINCE MAGAZINE: How involved are you in the pre-production phase for your upcoming Grammy performance? MIGUEL: Everything kind of starts with my ideas and I allow my team to kind of handle it. I oversee everything to make sure it’s on point with the original concept. That’s also on the fashion side, wardrobe side and production side. PRINCE MAGAZINE: Is there anything you must have with you on tour? MIGUEL: I would have to have my Leather Biker Jacket with me everywhere I go! PRINCE MAGAZINE: New York Fashion Week has begun! Who is your favorite fashion designer? MIGUEL: My favorite designer is Hedi Slimane. Obviously, he is amazing! The way he revamped the Saint Laurent menswear collection, is exactly how I would rock it! PRINCE MAGAZINE: What is your favorite song to perform? MIGUEL: At the moment, it’s “Where’s the fun in forever”. I think it’s more of the arrangement on stage that has created some really unforgettable moments on this last tour in Europe. F*ck!ng amazing! The reaction from the entire crowd is not what you would expect from a traditional R&B show. I don’t know if you seen Usher’s last show, but just his energy, how he arranged it and the response was fun! PRINCE MAGAZINE: This year at the Grammys, you are nominated along with a handful of talented male R&B artists. Whose music do you enjoy or listen to? MIGUEL: Frank Ocean! He’s an amazing f*ck!ng writer. PRINCE MAGAZINE: You seem like the romantic type. What are 3 tips for guys that could lead to a happy ending on Valentines Day with their significant other? MIGUEL: (Laughs) If music has to do with the night, you will be alright. Also, right about now is the perfect time to pay attention to the conversations you are having with your girl. She’ll be dropping little gems of sh*t that she wants right now! So just pay some attention!   The complete story will be available February 9th, 2013.   Also on magazine racks..... Oscar-nominated actress Quvenzhane Wallis and her mother sat down with JET to talk about Lil Q's instant fame and how they are making sure she doesn't miss out on her childhood. Also, they talked about her well-received role in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Elsewhere in the magazine, Chris Rock talks about his upcoming tour and reveals that his family is one reason he hasn't signed on for his own show. “That’s why I haven’t taken many new jobs. I’ve been offered a lot of talk shows, but your kids are only young once…” This issue hits newsstands Feb. 11. BONUS: Quvenzhane offers actress Sherri Shepherd a little advice on acting out her emotions in "purple."

LADIES WHO LOVE TO PARTY: Solange, Christina Milian, Estelle & Janelle Monae SOAR HIGH With Delta Posted: 08 Feb 2013 07:57 AM PST Solange Knowles, Christina Milian, and Janelle Monae were spotted at a fab Delta Airlines party in LA last night as part of the GRAMMY weekend kickoff.  See the ladies soaring down the red carpet in a few bold looks inside... Style maven Solange Knowles rocked a statement making two-piece bold patterned ensemble at a Delta Air Lines celebrating LA's Music Industry at the Getty House yesterday.  The 26-year-old, who's hitting the road for her True tour, paired her two-piece matching ensemble with a glittery blue clutch and black Gucci Victoire sandals.  Loves it. British import Estelle stepped out in a sexy sheer paneled black Tadashi Shoji dress with a high slit with Jimmy Choo shoes, Michael Johnson jewelry and a white clutch.  Absolutely love this dress.  Estelle's been stepping up her style game recently. Janelle Monae wore her signature black-and-white uniform with knee-high leather boots with a few silver chains hanging from her belt loops. Janelle posed with Young Money's Christina Milian in a red peplum leather top, black pencil skirt and her leopard Louboutins.  Christina, who is also the social correspondent for "The Voice", is set to star in an upcoming tv series called "Maid In Miami" about a maid who wants to become a singer.   Photos via FayesVision/WENN.com

Blue Ivy Carter Shows Her Face A Bit...At Lunch With Jay-Z & Beyonce In L.A. Posted: 08 Feb 2013 06:54 AM PST Oh...hey Blue Ivy Carter.  The 1-year-old gave us a peek at her face while lunching with her superstar parents yesterday in L.A.  Peep new pics of the Carter Family inside... Jay-Z was the doting dad carrying his daughter Blue Ivy's bottle out of Gjelina restaurant in Venice, CA yesterday.  Fresh off their New Orleans SuperBowl trip, the fam is on the west coast gearing up for Beyonce's appearance at Sunday night's GRAMMYS. And now that Baby Blue is getting a little older, she knows how to snatch those covers back a bit to get a look at all those flashing lights:    Ha! Jay, Bey and Blue hopped in their awaiting SUV and sped away from the umpteen photogs trying to get a pic.  Meanwhile, after the GRAMMYS and the airing of her HBO documentary, Mrs. C will start gearing up for her Mrs. Carter Show world tour kicking off this April in Europe.   BONUS: Bey posted the below pic to her Instagram saying "#myclique" with herself, Mama Tina, cousin Angie, Kelly & Michelle having some fun at a Superbowl afterparty this past weekend:  Cute!   Pics: WENN/SPLASH

DO WE LOVE IT? Fashion Guru June Ambrose Launches Her Own Footwear Collection! Posted: 08 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST New York Fashion Week is officially in full swing, despite today's blizzard.  And in honor of the world's biggest fashion stage, we're zooming in on fashion guru and fab celebrity stylist June Ambrose's brand new shoe collection that she just launched.   Check out her designs inside... We've loved her style for years, and so have plenty of A-listers in Hollywood.  And now, stylist June Ambrose has moved from her own docu-reality show on VH1, to her own line of Selima Optique sunglasses, to now....her own shoe collection.  And if there's anybody's style advice we would take regarding shoes....it's Ms. Ambrose's. Recently, the fabulous mom of two privately unveiled her first footwear collection--The June Ambrose Collection for Theme Footwear.  And she launches it publicly and exclusively on HSN on March 22 during HSN’s Spring Fashion event. The “Onassis” Electroplated Clear & Neon Pump and the nude/pastel "Faye" ankle strap already caught our eye. Here's what we know: The eye-catching sandals and pumps, which incorporate the trends of wedges, bold prints, lace, lucite/neon and metallic designs, are reasonably priced from $59.00 to $119.90. The collection is inspired by June’s love of mixing textures and prints. She loves the idea of bringing “disco to the day time” and using fashion to live life on the edge. She has also inspired by Studio 54 in the late 70's, when glamour hit the dance floor. Cher, Bianca Jagger, Grace Jones were some of the notorious divas that June pulled inspiration from. June loves to dance even when there’s no music, that's how she wants women to feel when they wear her new HSN collection. So.... DO WE LOVE IT?!

Mendeecees Harris Takes The Stand--"I Didn't Commit Those Acts To That Girl!" Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:16 PM PST Today, "Love & Hip Hop" star Mendeecees Harris took the stand in a Hackensack, NJ court in a statutory rape/sexual abuse case involving a 15-year-old girl four years ago.  His baby's mother & co-star Yandy Smith was in the courtroom today as well.  And Mandeecees' denied everything.   We've got defendant Mendeecees' testimony inside... A woman who is now 19-year-old claims that when she was 15, she had a sexual relationship with Mendeecees Harris, and was blackmailed into doing so. Mendeecees claims not only did he never commit any of the acts the victim claimed in court yesterday--like him blackmailing her with the secret of her being raped when she was 8 (what he threatened to do with the info we're not sure) for sex--but that he rarely interacted with her at all. CliffViewPilot.com reported his testimony: “I never had a relationship with her, she never extended herself,” said Harris, taking the stand in his own defense. “She didn’t play basketball, she didn’t play Playstation, didn’t want to go to the movies. “She always walked around the house like she had an attitude,” he said. “That’s the truth – never, never – I never committed none of them acts to that girl in my life.” The victim previously claimed she lived with Mendeecees in Lodi, NJ for a period of time, because her mother--who she says was dating him--lived with him as well.  Mendeecees denies an intimate relationship with the mother as well, and says she was "just a friend" he met in Harlem.  Oh. He put down $50,000 on a home for them to live in as "just friends," and was upset that the woman (the victim's mother) only put her name on the deed.  He says she claimed it was because his credit was bad, and his name being on the loan would have raised the mortgage. He was upset about it saying: “I told her we need to either sell the house or you need to give me my down payment out,” Harris said. “My stuff was in boxes in the hallway for months.” He then claimed that his "friend", the victim's mother, rented an apartment in her name--putting her credit on the line--for Mendeecees to live in.  The prosecuter, Demetra Maurice, pressed him on why she would do this: “She offered that service,” Harris said, “because I had to get out of the relationship with [his oldest child Mendeecees Jr.'s] mom…. She put the apartment in her name and she didn’t have a key, didn’t live there.” “She put her credit on the line?” Maurice asked him. “Yes, yes, she did that – absolutely,” he said. “Anything to impress me, she would do. She bought me a mink coat as a friend.” Um, ok.  Then he attempted to explain further exactly why they were living together and why the teen was in his vicinity: They moved in together in Lodi “because I had credit problems,” Harris testified.“She told me if my name was on the loan it would cost more,” he said. So they decided that he’d pay the down payment, she’d get the loan and the deed would be in his name. He said he also paid the grocery, cable and other bills. Then, his voice choked with emotion, Harris said he went to the Bergen County Clerk’s Office and discovered his name wasn’t on the deed. This, he said, forced him to remain in the house. After living together in Lodi for three years, they were joined by the teenager, he said. Contradicting her testimony, Harris said he was rarely around the girl – although he admitted exchanging texts, mostly about “when her mother and I were going to be home.” Oh the questions we have.  Like, what was in those text messages that caused the victim's mother to throw a fit, if "nothing happened" between Mendeecees and the victim.  Where was the teen living before she "joined" her mother & Mendeecees?  Does anyone believe that Mendeecees and the victim's mother were "just friends" as she lived with and put her name on a house AND an apartment for that man?  Does Yandy care that this dude was very likely with someone else while they were together starting in 2009 (the date he gave in court that they started dating)? The level of MESS.... Check out CliffViewPilot.com for more details and pics from inside the courtroom...

Trinidad James Covers Rolling Out, Talks How His Appreciation Of Music Got Him This Far...Despite The Critics Posted: 07 Feb 2013 11:41 AM PST "All Gold Everything" rapper Trinidad James is answering the critics in the newest online issue of Rolling Out magazine.  Check out his cover, plus how "doing him" lead him to a million dollar record deal... People can sell anything these days.  And apparently, selling a 2013 version of Martin Lawrence's "Jerome" character teamed with elementary yet catchy lyrics can be a multimillion dollar hit with labels like Def Jam.  While some folks think this doesn't equate talent, Trinidad pretty much says he doesn't care.  He believes in his sound and his lyrics...and "doing him" has gotten him this far. The ATL "rapper", who was working in a clothing store called Ginza Boutique just a year ago, is now living out his dreams.  He's also covering this week's issue of Rolling Out as the mag calls this era, Hop Hop's Golden Age.  Here's a few of his quotes from the issue: On how exactly he became an overnight sensation “I didn’t do anything too crazy when it comes to making this music.  I just believed in my sound and I believed in my lyrics. It was easy for me to believe because all I did was rap about my life. I feel like I have a good ear for beats, picking the right beats and I’m big on sound placement — and it came out dope. It didn’t matter to me what anyone said, it was dope as hell to me. And it ended up getting me pretty far, pretty fast. And I thank God for it.” On why he thinks he receives negative criticisms “My success came so fast — and it’s different.  A lot of times in life when we don’t understand something, 8 out of 10 times, we’re gonna go negative before we go positive. It’s very rare that something happens that you don’t understand and you [respond with] ‘Oh, that’s good.’ You’re gonna think it’s bad because you don’t understand it. And with misunderstanding, comes negative thoughts. That’s just how life is. It’s something to get used to. But it is what it is. I gotta do me." On what inspires him musically “I just appreciate music, man.  I listened to so much stuff over the years. [And] there’s music that I hear currently and I think ‘I love this’ and I love it for it what it is. And there’s music I heard back in the day that I loved in the same way. Who am I to say that because these people did it a long time ago, it’s better than right now? I just appreciate music as a whole.” On how other rappers treat him “Lots of [older rappers] gave me their fair share of [praise] — [saying] they’re proud of me and [telling me] to just do me,” James explains. “Whatever that consists of — just do me, because they see the originality in it. They understand it because they’ve been down this road. When you’re a real listener of music, and not just a radio type of person, you get a better understanding of my music, because you’ll listen to it for what it is. Then you’ll be all right. Most people that come out usually sound like someone. But I really can’t think of a rapper that I sound like. I really have my own unique style.” Will be interesting to see how his career plays out.  Check out RollingOut.com for more.   The Randomness: 1.  First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett will attend the funeral of slain Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton. STORY

SHOCKING DETAILS Released At Mendeecees Harris' Statutory Rape Trial--15-Year-Old Alleges Blackmail For Sex, Mendeecees Was DATING HER MOTHER! Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:04 AM PST As previously reported, "LAHH" star Yandy Smith's baby's daddy Mendeecees Harris is on trial for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was more than four years older than her.  The newest testimony at the statutory rape trial has revealed some shocking details.   Get them inside.... Mendeecees (pictured above in court yesterday) has formally been charged with seven counts of child abuse in connection with a sexual relationship he allegedly had with a 15-year-old girl four years ago.  He’s also charged with promoting prostitution.  And by the way, the news outlet CliffViewPilot.com--who was inside the Hackensack, NJ courtroom yesterday--reports that Yandy showed up to the trial with an entourage following her every move and with her face covered with a coat the entire time.   Then the case turned into a scene ripped straight from the movie Precious. The now 19-year-old woman claims she went to stay at Mendeecees' Lodi, NJ home several times (that his GIRLFRIEND lived at as well) due to friction with her mother at home.  She said he was always there for her, "made her feel comfortable" and listened to her vent about her problems with her mother.  She said he soon began to ask her for sexual favors, and did so even more when she asked him for money. And he even supposedly bribed her with a secret he learned from her mother about her being raped by someone else when she was 8-years-old. The CliffViewPilot.com reports: “Mendeecees made me feel comfortable. He would give me advice. He’d say ‘It’ll be okay between you and your mom’,” the woman said. Then came an afternoon when, with no one else home, she realized in the shower that she didn’t have a towel. “I asked him to get me one, and he did,” the woman testified. “Then he came into my room and suggested I let him masturbate on me, but I just laughed.” The suggestions continued, she said, until she relented. She said Harris then gave her $15 or $20 “for lunch or maybe a ball game.” But that wasn’t enough for him, the woman testified: Using an extremely private piece of information, he coerced her into providing oral sex. “He told me he knew I had been raped when I was 8 years old,” she said, “and he found out from my mother. “ ‘Your mom doesn’t want you here’,” the woman said Harris told her before exposing himself. She said she complied with his desire out of spite “to get back at my mom.” “I felt betrayed by her,” she said. “I didn’t tell her about [the rape] until I was 14, and it was something I didn’t want anyone to know.” Similar favors were demanded – and provided — for “$15 or $20” when she needed money for expenses, the woman testified. Eventually Harris enlisted her younger brothers by suggesting, when they asked him for money, to “talk to your sister. She knows what she has to do.” Why did she finally fess up?  Because Mendeecees also dated the victim's mother at some point....and they supposedly had planned on getting married!  The victim also said at one point, he told her that sexually she "was better than her mother".  Gross. Mendeecees and the victim's sexual relationship ended though, she said, when her mother took her phone for missing curfew, and she found a message from Mendeecees.  A fight ensued between him and the mother....and ish hit the fan.  The mother also ordered the victim to leave the house: “My mom didn’t know where I was,” [the victim] testified, “but Mendeecees did.” The next day he came to find her, she said. He told her that her mother had packed her belongings – and then asked her: “Please don’t tell her anything about us,” the woman said. “He said she didn’t know anything, so don’t say anything. It was something he would ‘take to his grave.’ He [also] told me they were done. “I felt horrible,” the woman said. “At one point Mendeecees and my mother were going to get married. I felt it was all my fault.” She also said that when she saw him on TV as Yandy's baby's daddy, she knew nothing about Yandy.  But apparently, he was with Yandy at the same time as his live-in girlfriend. Mendeecees claims the victim is lying about everything.  He denies ever having sexual relations with her, ever blackmailing her, and says she simply wants money because he's a TV star.  And he believes that since the woman now lives in the south (and claims she had to drop out of nursing school to attend this trial), she is doing everything she can to stay in New Jersey. Triple sigh. If convicted of the charges, Mendeecees would face up to 20 years in prison.  He's already turned down the 5-year prison stint offered to him before the trial.  We'll keep you posted on developments....and hopefully where this dude got his name from... STORY EDIT: Mandeecees was not 19 years old at the time of the alleged incident(s).  He was more than four years older than the then-15-year-old woman, which legally qualifies as  statutory rape in the state of New Jersey.   BONUS: On a recent episode of "Love & Hip Hop," Yandy did a bit of a strip tease performance for Mandeecees on his birthday.  She now wants the whole world to see.  For some reason.  Check it out in full below:

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