So it was definitely birthday galore in R&B land. R&B singer Craig David isn't the only one who had a birthday on the 5th May but another cute R&B artist had one on that very same day too. Yup, Chris Brown finally turned LEGAL this past weekend when he celebrated his 18th Birthday at Mr Chows:
As shown above, his proud mother helped him out with the celebrations. All you grown women who have had a thang for the handsome R&B prince no longer need feel guilty for having those naughty fantasies! Proceed with the post to see lots more pictures and a full write-up of the event.
Sister 2 Sister writer and editor Jamie Foster Brown was also at the celebration and whilst everybody sat at the table eating delicious food, Chris seemed totally mesmerised at all of his gifts. As he opened them all, everybody else looked on in total fascination:
Jamie has been really supportive of Chris Brown's career and even recorded the event on her camera.
You know she's going to do a write-up about it in her magazine. However, when she leaned over to give Chris a hug, the camera captured bald patches of scalp underneath that red-flaming wig of hers:
[Click image for HQ viewing]
That is so not a good look on Jamie's behalf. I don't mean to sound so critical but I don't think there is EVER a time where this woman hasn't looked a hot shitty mess. Fuck. I bet she was wishing she was 30 years younger during that little encounter of theirs.
Anyway more pictures of the event:
Chris was really busy the week before because he had jetted to Melbourne Australia, to support Beyonce Knowles on her World Tour. And as his new single Wall to Wall has finally hit the airwaves, he'll have quite a whirlwind of busyness surrounding him when he starts promotion for his new album Exclusive which is set to drop this September. All in all, it appeared that Chris was totally contented at the outcome of his birthday knees-up but he’s 18 now, so it was a bigger celebration for all of us. Hurray.
Usher who had recently proclaimed his "daddy" status to the likes of Chris Brown and Omarion, hosted a charity event in the Opium Room of TAO Nightclub at the Venetian Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada:
Things must be going good in "engagement" land as Usher looked pretty happy and clean-cut.
Last week, there was a little discussion going on in the comments section as to whether Nelly and Ashanti were still together. Well, we have our answer. Judging by this picture, Nelly and R&B princess Ashanti showed us that they were still very much loved up when they attended After Fight Party at TAO Beach which was hosted by rapper Jay-Z:
I am soooo happy that they have not split up. They both looked cute. I am not feeling the bangs on Ashanti though.
Usher and his very-mature looking fiance Tameka was also at the event:
I am sorry but she looked like a drag queen. But then again, rumours concerning Usher's sexuality have been circulating for years now so a masculine woman probably won't ruffle his feathers at all.
Over the weekend, Jennifer Lopez and hubby Marc Anthony attended the Mayweather vs. De La Hoya fight in Vegas:
Jennifer looked mad hot. She is reminding me of vintage Jen with that look. Absolutely stunning.
All last week, we have been bombarded with pure Mel B appearances. This time, she was spotted leaving her hotel room and heading to Heathrow airport. Along the way she was spotted hugging fans and taking pictures:
Mel didn't look so trendy when she put together a weird ensemble of spandex pants and a smart black jacket. I don't quite think she's trim enough to even go there as she still has the post-baby figure. And I notice how Mel has a fetish for those boots - she has the EXACT same pair in black and red! Mel spent a 2-day stint in the UK, not only to help celebrate David Beckham's 32nd birthday with the other Spices but to negotiate a Spice Girls one-off gig for the Christmas period. Apparently, they have reportedly signed a deal for 1 million pounds EACH to do the gig. Not that Mel needs it of course. Multi-millionaire Eddie Murphy is her baby daddy so like Misa did with Diddy, she should take full advantage of that. I know I would!
I mean, he was even happily signing autographs for the fans at his "Shrek the Third" Los Angeles Premiere:
Smiling and waving without a care in the world and looking like a fruity ass motherfucker with all that foundation caked on. After the way he treated Mel B this fool didn't seem to maintain any type of guilt or conscience. Punishing his baby daughter for no valid reason whatsoever. If I were Tracey Edmonds and I was seeing the fuckery he was carrying on with, I would have to ask myself - "what type of man am I dealing with?". I don't even know what women see in him. Dude is in serious need of dental work - that and some Colgate by the looks of it.
Other high-profile celebrities who attended were R&B stars Mary J Blige and Justin Timberlake:
Eek! Justin was captured on camera with his ex Cameron Diaz. That must have been awkward and Mary brought along her husband Kendu and his cute children.
Meanwhile, Beyonce did her concert in Stockholm, Sweden this past weekend:
It's good news for Beyonce as she is approaching her third week at no1 with Beautiful Liar in the UK singles chart.
Meanwhile, Beyonce did her concert in Stockholm, Sweden this past weekend:
It's good news for Beyonce as she is approaching her third week at no1 with Beautiful Liar in the UK singles chart.
Well well well, Amerie's new album Because I Love It leaked last night. I gots mine and here is my track-by-track review. But first here are the OFFICIAL album scans. You can now view who wrote and produced each track and amazingly, Amerie contributed towards every single one:
[CLICK ALL IMAGES FOR BIGGER VIEW]
Because I Love It - Amerie (album review)
1. Forecast (intro)
2. Hate 2 Love U
This beat-filled 80's tune is full of energetic live instrumentation with those overpowering drums in full effect. It demonstrates how a woman is so into her man that she will stay with him no matter what, even when he treats her like shit.
3. Some Like It
And some don't. This track samples Malcolm McLaren's 'World's Famous' and effortlessly brings back that 80's old-skool funk. It was produced by Amerie and Len Nicholson with Amerie being the only one to write the track. She gets bonus points for doing something completely out of her comfort zone but this is one of the least appealing on the album in my opinion.
4. Make Me Believe
This track is a cover of the 1975 song by Curtis Mayfield protege Patti Jo. I am not feeling this track at all and according to the album's credits Amerie is also the one responsible for the fluke instrumentation.
5. Take Control
The first single off the album is carefully crafted with infectious horns and edgy guitar rifts. It doesn't hurt that the song is really catchy. As much as I like the track it certainly isn't one of her best offerings.
6. Gotta Work
This track is an old-skool 70's jam full of soul, attitude and live instrumentation. The whole vibe is reminiscent of One Thing and she sings the track with so much aggression it just adds more to the tracks fierceness. On the track, Amerie angrily bellows: "People think I'm agressive cos I know what I want" and in order to gain any sense of achievement, you've got to work for it, even through the pain and the struggle. I dig the eloquence of the track.
7. Crush
This track is pure hotness with an energetic rawness reminiscent of when 80's music was powerful back in the day. Could be one of my favourite tracks on the album. I am honestly addicted to this beat. It has now become one of my favourite summer anthems for the summer. Loves it!
8. Crazy Wonderful
This is another track that I'm feeling wholeheartedly from the 70's and 80's catalogue. Vocals are a lot more softer and the melodies are beautiful. Amerie certainly didn't do wrong here. I love the breathy vibe of the song and how it gives off that Prince vibe.
9. That's What U R
A very sexy offering with a sensual undertone. This track has been floating around for quite some time now and I liked it in an instance. Lyrically, this has got to be the most sexually-appeasing track on the album. Amerie sings with so much poise and provocativeness that it adds to the songs sensual demeanour.
10. When Loving You Was Easy
This track is another favourite track of mine and maybe one of those old-skool ballads which is probably a lot closer to the standard of her classic debut album. This is more the Amerie that I totally dig.
11. Paint Me Over
The consistency yet again continues when Amerie brings us a superb track with those slinky piano sounds which sets the song in its pace. Amerie is reminiscing the times when her relationship was all sweet and candy before it all turned sour. It's sweet but provides a timeless melody and euphonious harmonies. Another reflective track worth checking out.
12. Somebody Up There
This is a really nice track. A swifty slow-tempo. Amerie sounds best when she's singing in her range and not out of it.
13. All Roads
A beautiful piano-laid ballad and one that's emotionally-appeasing. She is trying to sing her heart out but it just doesn't sound right. The song would be pure perfection if Tamia was singing it. At times though, she seems to have problems separating the difference between range and loudness.
14. One Thing
I have no idea why Amerie would put this on the album other than the fact that it was a huge hit for her. It's not even a remix. It was the first single taken off her Touch album back in 2005. OK, so the track fits in with most of the album's key elements but it's as if she's trying to stop us becoming oblivious to who she is, which is why she felt the need to put it on here.
15. Losing U
A dance-floor riden retro track. It appears that she had a lot of fun with this but it appears she's had a lot of fun with this whole album, period. She's had so much creative control with this album as far as arranging, producing and writing is concerned. This is her breakthrough.
Summary ....
My album highlights would be Crush, Hate 2 Love U, Paint Me Over, When Loving U Was Easy, Somebody Up There, All Roads and Crazy Wonderful. 7 out of 13 (excluding the intro and One Thing) really isn't that bad because it means I liked 50% of the album. The album had a nice polish to it towards the end. The second part of the album was pretty euphonious. Wasn't feeling the first half all that much though. Mixing old-skool 80's and 70's sounds of a vintage era and incorporating it with blends of funk, soul, R&B and live instrumentation was done well to an extent. But most of all, Amerie gets major props for having an album that's not generic-sounding or repetitive.
Rating: 3/5
Next album review:
Another R&B album that has leaked is "Princess P" by Paris Bennett. I've downloaded this but have yet to listen to it. I am told the album is really hot so I am going to give myself some time to check it out. And you can read my review the next time you visit Toya's World.
Fire - Raz-B [Download]
Remember Raz-B from former R&B group B2K? The very group that spurned successful R&B singer Omarion? Well, Raz-B's new single "Fire" has been hitting the airwaves lately. The track is a smooth R&B laced type song and Raz-B is showing us that Omarion isn't the only one with singing talent. So why was Omarion the only one singing leads back then? Judging by this track, I think that Raz-B has a better singing voice than Omarion. And judging by those lips I wonder what else he's good at.
Stay tuned. Stay entertained for all of your latest R&B scoops.
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