TUESDAY'S CRUMBS ...

Here are more new pictures of Ciara. The first lot is when she attended the Knicks and Houston Rockets game last night in New York. And the other set sees her doing her thang on her Evoulution tour as she prepares for the big release of her sophomore album Ciara: The Evolution which is set to be released 5th December 2006.

Yesterday, Jennifer Lopez and her hubby Marc Anthony attended the Los Angeles Free Clinic Annual Dinner Gala honoring Paramount Pictures Corporation chairman and CEO Brad Grey. Her knees look really nobbly. She should stick to wearing long gowns instead, but as far as make-up goes, she's been improving lately.

Well, I got to listen to the Gwen Stefani album but I'm still waiting out for the CD quality because I just found myself listening to a bunch of low quality web rips. It's cool though. I enjoyed the album and may consider picking it up alongside Ciara's. The album comprises of production from The Neptunes (her long-term collaborator Pharrell), Swizz Beatz and Tony Kanal (her No Doubt bandmate). It's not the type of album that puts you deep in thought but its fun, catchy and you can get your groove on. There is something in it for everyone with great and catchy R&B pop like Now That You Got It which is my jam. Also, the typical but futuristic Neptunes beat which could be heard in Yummy, a duet with Pharrell. You have sweet street vibes of Breakin Up, another futuristic pop track in Don't Get It Twisted, catchy retro fun like Early Winter and Wonderful Life and the fantastic U Started It which is a nice midtempo track that I've had in heavy rotation since hearing it. Another great song to check out is The Sweet Escape which features Akon but overrall, nice album. The 5th December will be a very interesting day in deed.

Earlier, I posted pictures of Britney Spears partying it up in Las Vegas with her new friend Paris Hilton.

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So here are a couple more shots of the same event. Question. How much do you think she paid for that atrocious weave?

According to Monica Mania, Solange Knowles is rumoured to be working on her sophomore album. She is said to be working with Bilal so maybe we will get a more mature sounding album. If she IS going that direction just to try and get folks to take her more seriously as an artist, I don't think it would make much difference. I thought that her last album Solo Star was actually hot and I jam the hell out of Crush. Man of the moment Timbaland produced a couple of tracks and they were hot so I think she should hook up with him for at least a semi-hit. The man has been on top of his game lately and every R&B artist is queuing up to work with him. I think folks turned their noses up at Solange simply because they just pacified her as a wannabe pop star trying to leech off her famous sister's name. Kinda like a Ray-J and Brandy sort of thang but good luck to her because she's going to need it.

Here is a never-seen-before Christina Milian photo shoot that she did for GIANT magazine. Only one or two pictures were released for magazine coverage but now here is the full shoot, courtesy of Lady Milian.

She looks absolutely gorgeous, but there has never been a time where Christina has looked out of place. Chick just cannot do no wrong in my eyes. I wonder how she is getting along shopping for that new album deal.

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Jennifer Hudson has signed to J Records [SOURCE], and whilst I think its great that her Dream Girls hype got her a record deal (although with a voice like hers she should have been signed a loooong time ago) I WON'T congratulate her. I will just say good luck, because J Records already has a record of screwing their artists.

Check out Beyonce's performance of Listen on the Oprah Winfrey show yesterday when the whole Dream Girls cast were on it to promote the movie:

The chick is KILLING IT with those vocals. I am definitely going to see the movie with my friend Shantell in the coming weeks. Not so much for the acting but for the music. Now I keep receiving emails from dozens of folks asking me if I have the Dream Girls soundtrack and the answer is, I don't unfortunately. However, if Etienne or Booskee can hook me up with that, I'll let you all know when its in. I have been reading LOTS of reviews for the movie and I even know folks who went to an early screening. The movie is getting lots of mixed reviews. Some say the movie is definitely Oscar-buzz worthy, some say it isn't. However, 90% of the reviews have praised Jennifer Hudson to the ninth power regarding her performance, so it seems Beyonce's dream of winning her first Oscar may go down the pipes. Anyway, you can watch the whole Oprah episode here. Another thing, please do not send me albums on Yousendit because the server requires you to log in and I'm NOT registering to download an album so that they can get my I.P address, so some of you may need to be wary of that.

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For her Evolution tour, Ciara channels Janet Jackson this time. OK, maybe I have been a bit harsh on her lately but sometimes I feel that she needs to find her own identity. Still, I cannot wait for that album.

Judging by this very beautiful, very elegant and very classy photoshoot that Ashanti did recently, I would say a former Destiny's Child chick needs to look at this and start over. Ashanti looks absolutely STUNNING!

You all remember Latavia Roberson right? Well for those living under a rock, she was in the original line-up of the hugely successful girl-group Destiny's Child, along with Letoya Luckett, Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland. And there was a lot of controversy surrounding their departure. They got kicked out all because they wanted their own manager (they were not happy with how Matthew Knowles were running things and being Beyonce's Pimp Daddy, she supposedly got the better treatment and accolades). The controversy helped their single Say My Name to blow up and generated a huge sales boost for their critically-acclaimed sophomore album The Writings On The Wall which ended up selling 9 million copies in the US, making them one of the biggest selling girl groups of all time (not excluding TLC and Dixie Chicks of course *lol*) She is also the chick which Beyonce bitch-fully referred to as "tone deaf" in an interview she did for Vibe magazine back in 2000. I previously reported that Latavia is coming out with an album next year and here is a new photoshoot she did recently:

Absolutely atrocious. I'm not hating. Seriously I'm not. I think the chick is pretty in her own way, not overly gorgeous or anything but she is cute and was cuter during her Destiny's Child moment. However, this photoshoot is not her look and she is beginning to resemble Lil Kim. Well, unlike Kim, she doesn't look like a stroke victim but she will do if she's not careful. She's had a second nose job by the looks of it and it looks horrible. It looked pinched. I wonder if she and Letoya got their nose jobs done at the same time. By the looks of it, they definetely used the same surgeon. I will say this though, her body is on point, but this photoshoot is wrong on so many levels.
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Yesterday, the Dream Girls cast were on Oprah and they spoke about the movie which hits theatres this christmas. Beyonce also performed Listen which also features on the Dream Girls soundtrack. Beyonce will premiere her video for Listen on 29th November 2006. I can't wait because the song is absolutely amazing and she sings the hell out of it. Speaking of Beyonce ...

Last Monday, I didn't catch that concert Beyonce did for the BBC because I was working but I caught the repeat yesterday and between each performance, they showed Beyonce getting interviewed by top urban DJ Trevor Nielson. Trevor said to her, "a woman with your accent HAS to know how to cook". Beyonce replied: "I don't know how to cook but I know how to eat". As a 25-year-old how are you going to be a BLACK WOMAN and brazenly admit on British TV that you can't cook as if that's something to be proud of? Is it a southern thing or what? I mean, look at Jessica Simpson's ditzy ass. Beyonce has been heavily criticised for being illiterate and not knowing how to speak as fluently as her other counterparts or her inability to intelligently tackle tricky questions in interviews or speak up for herself. Mama Tina always has to come to the rescue and make a right mockery of things acting like the loud, brazen, ghetto and immensely intimidating big black mama and that just aint cute. Hellz no.

Well, check this. She says that one time she tried to cook Macaroni cheese, oxtail, rice and beans but it didn't come out right and the other time she burnt the shit. No wonder Jay-Z hasn't wifed her yet. Over 90% of black men come from good homes with BLACK MOTHERS who knew how to slap up some good well cooked soul food. Then Trevor said: "Beyonce, you have to learn how to cook" Beyonce replies: "I DO have to learn how to cook but I have to have a break" Riiiight, because if you don't know how to cook at 25, you never will. My mama was teaching me how to cook from since I was 13 years old. "Toya, put your hand in that chicken gut and clean out the chicken" she once told me, and she stood over my ass watching to see if I was cleaning the chicken properly, watching me convulse at all the slime and blood from the lining of the chicken's belly. She made me cut off the tail of the chicken's butt with her sharpest kitchen knife and I had to pick off the tusks and whatever else that was left on it.

Then once I accomplished that task, she delved through her cupboards and took out all her seasoning ingredients and told me to season the chicken exactly how I see her do it. I can cook but it's not something I enjoy doing in particular and I am the same age as Beyonce save for being a few weeks younger. Other interview highlights - she's been living on West Indian food since her stay in London, she wants to live in Paris for a year. She wants to learn another language and she'd like to attend an art class because she likes to er, paint. In chronological order, she performed the following tracks: Deja Vu, Baby Boy, Naughty Girl, Independent Woman, Survivor, Say My Name, Ring The Alarm, Irreplaceable, Dangerously In Love and Crazy In Love so you may want to seek those out on You Tube.

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Blu Cantrell and Eric Benet attended the Day & Night Party (19th Nov 2006). We've been seeing Blu all over the place lately looking a hot wreck. I am still not understanding the relevance of her attending certain events as of late. She must be coming out with an album real soon. I would love these two to do a duet together like Eric did with my favourite singer Tamia. Spend My Life With You is such a gorgeous song and these two are mad talented despite being super underrated.

I love the show Girlfriends but Persia White was looking the worse for wear when she attended the "Comic Relief 2006" along with Jerome Dillon (18th Nov 2006).

Nick Cannon and Vivica A. Fox attended the Diversity Awards (19th Nov 2006). I hate to say it but that Negro Nick Cannon has been looking kinda good lately. Even Vivicia Foxx looks great.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Shemar Moore also graced the event with his too fine self. This man is just beautiful on so many levels. This is definitely my type of man. Never quite understand why people think he's gay. He's dated Halle Berry, Toni Braxton and is currently dating Kim Elise. He's just a well-groomed/light skinned pretty boy and a fine one at that. Leave him alone!

Um, since when has Britney Spears and Paris Hilton been friends? She must be desperate as the two new pals partied away in Sin City Las Vegas. Brit has also been partying away with Latin heartthrob Mario Lopez and according to certain reports, romance could be brewing between them. I don't believe it but if that's the case, she has some serious issues. Yeah, I'm all for someone moving on and getting on with their life but can we wait until the ink on those divorce papers have actually dried? Can we wait for the stitches from her given birth 8 weeks ago to fully heal up?

More spectacular appearances from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes wedding this past weekend. I was deeply shocked to learn that Oprah Winfrey didn't get an invite though. Anyway, Jennifer Lopez and her hubby Marc Anthony were spotted out and about in Rome during the occasion as was Jada Pinkett-Smith and hubby Will Smith.

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Woooo, the wonderful world of Hollywood celebrity and I actually resent Jennifer for that Dior bag. I even love those alien goggles she loves to wear so religiously. I shouldn't joke though. I know they probably cost much more than I spend in like a whole year but I'm going to get myself an imitation pair for the summer. Jada's shoes are fab!

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Last but not least, more Leona Lewis news. She has cracked America it seems. The Sun has reported that the X-Factor favourite has made a big breakthrough in the US after landing a gig on a major chat show. Her mentor Simon Cowell did say on Saturday's show that she would be huge across the atlantic. She has been invited onto The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Lesbian comic Ellen's daytime show frequently attracts A-List guests such as Tom Cruise, Bill Clinton and Justin Timberlake. They basically check out her performances each week and she is said to be on par with Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. Check out her fabolous performance on Saturday.

Bridge Over Troubled Water - Leona Lewis