WEEKEND R&B FAB!!!

It's been a slow week I know. So as it's the weekend, I thought I would do this update and round off everything that happened this week as well as this weekend's activities including things that I didn't get to write about. Oh, and I know today is mother's day in the US so happy sunday mother's day to all you American Toya's World readers! So what's been going on in th land of R&B lately? Well .....

Janet Jackson did a string of performances over the weekend at the grand opening of the $1 billion dollar Cove Atlantis on Paradise Island:



The event took place in the Bahamas where Janet performed "Rhythm Nation," "What Have You Done For Me Lately," "Nasty," "That’s The Way Love Goes," and "All For You," closing with a fireworks display that lit up the 171 acre resort. A host of R&B celebrities were in attendance including Ashanti, Usher, his fiance Tameka, Tyrese, Babyface and many more.

So this week, it was announced by Jermaine Dupri that his superstar girlfriend Janet was definitely going to make the transition from Virgin Records to Island (JD is now the president of urban music at the label who was assigned by LA Reid).

On top of that, Janet will also have one of the first singles off the “Rush Hour 3” soundtrack which will also be released on Island. The single is supposed to drop this summer. And I think the transition makes a lot of sense. What is there to negotiate? Virgin treated Janet really badly and JD also felt that his former colleagues over at Virgin didn’t do enough to promote Janet or put her on the map. JD’s departure from Virgin serves to prove that JD is 100% behind his woman and it makes even bigger sense for her to follow his lead. JD is also coercing his concentration on Mariah’s comeback too. Mimi is currently recording new tracks to the follow-up of her brilliant album The Emancipation of Mimi and the new set is expected to be released later this year. Can’t wait.

Janet's mother Katharine and two sisters Latoya and Rebbie Jackson was also at the event to show Janet their support, and R&B singer Tyrese crammed in the picture which would have been the ultimate classic Jackson family shot:

I just cannot get over how much Rebbie looks the spitting image of Janet. This is what Janet is destined to look like in the years to come.

It was all about R&B masculinity when Tyrese, Babyface, LA Reid and Usher hung out:

Seemed like one hot event to me!

Ashanti was also at the event with her mama Tina Douglas and her younger sister 19-year-old Shia:



Damn, Shia really has been eating those pork pies. I do recall her being chubby but not so .... top and bottom heavy. Ashanti looked really nice by the way.

And then there was Usher, who gave a full display of affection to his new fiance Tameka Foster:

Yuck! Man to man action is um, something that they could have kept behind closed doors. If this chick didn't have any kids I would DEEPLY believed she was a tranny who'd just recovered from the operation table.

Kelis was definitely caught out there when she performed at some showcase over the weekend:

Phew. Good job she was wearing knickers underneath that dress, which can't be said for some. And I'm glad her hair is no longer flamboyantly dyed and that she's gone back to a more natural look.

This weekend, Beyonce Knowles was spotted doing a spot of shopping in Milan with her sister Solange Knowles, nephew Daniel and cousin Angela Beyince (who is also her assistent):

Solange and Beyonce looked lovely. I thought it was nice that Solo and her son Daniel flew out to be with Beyonce whilst she was in the beautiful city touring.

Our knock off Aaliyah and Jennifer Lopez clones were seen at the Bartles & Jaymes Poolside BBQ which was hosted by Frank & Ed:





The Cheetah Girls and 3LW members Adrienne Bailey and Kiely Williams continued to make their weekend appearances where they hung out with the likes of Evander Ross and Kim Kardy. Over the weekend, they both attended the Supergirl Collection Launch at Intuition to Benefit Girls Inc. of Los Angeles.

Justin Timberlake did a photo session for Shrek 3:



Looking rough and rugged and that's for all you JT fans out there.

Candie's Foundation "Event to Prevent" raised money in New York this week and it saw singers Ciara and Jennifer Hudson being amongst the guests who were there to fight teen pregnancy:




It appeared that Jennifer could now qualify as the spokesperson for those sickeningly annoying Slim Fast ads. You have to admit, the chick has been losing those pounds and looks fab with all the new weight loss. She has been looking rather slender as of late and extra svelte here. Soon she’ll be giving Beyonce and Janet Jackson a run for their money when it comes to dramatic weight loss. As long as she doesn’t overdo it and still maintains the curvy nature of her figure, she’s all straight with me.

Also, that gorgeous Amerie chick certainly couldn’t put a foot wrong when she and Fergie attended Lyric Culture’s launch party and runway show this week at Avalon in Hollywood:

Amerie really has been using every opportunity to show off those sexy luscious legs of hers which she had recently insured for 2 million dollars. This week, in an interview that she did with UK tabloid The Sun, she said she would love to write a song for Britney Spears in a bid to help the fallen pop princess with her comeback. Oh really. The irony of such statements when (outside of 1 Thing) Amerie often seems to struggle getting a hit of her own, never mind trying to get one for others. Also, she claims that Some Like It was originally intended to be the first single off her new album Because I Love It but then she heard “Bossy” by Kelis and “London‘s Bridge” by Fergie and felt that the sounds were too identical to that track. On that aspect, it‘s good to see her having more creative control with the writing, producing and arranging side because this is a more colourful aspect to Amerie which we are now seeing.

And Tatyana Ali was there too:

Eating well and looking purty in the process. Her face has become a lot more fuller over the years and sometimes as you get older that does happen. But Ms “Ashley Banks” has left her mark.

Mya made an appearance at the Bay Area's 106 KMEL radio station to promote her latest album "Liberation":

I think Mya will be drawing up her pension by the time her album drops. Her and Kelly Rowland really need to put a stamp on all of these damn album pushbacks, or just, well - call it a day. None of these bishes are coming with anything amazing anyway. And I bet when that CD finally drops, it will reach its journey to flop town simply because by then people would have lost interest (I know I have). Her lead single “Lock U Down” was nothing major and I really did believe she was going to shut down Ciara with that damn video but um, I think Ciara can sit on that throne and stay feeling smug. Mya is just one of those artists that don’t sell records. You can look so hot, you bring down melting eyes but it still won‘t make a lick of difference. People like to look at you, but they just don’t want to buy your music unfortunately. Call it Christina Milian syndrome. Anyway, I am waiting on Mariah and Alicia Keys. I know those two will come hard later this year.

Beyonce attended her official afterparty which took place at the Indochine Club in Zurich, Switzerland:

I absolutely love this hair colour on her and it should be the one that she sticks to instead of rocking all that bleach blonde schmuck! Over the years, as Beyonce’s success soared, her hair also got blonder and blonder - a testimony to mainstream appeal. And blondes don’t always have the fun either. Brunettes do too! And Beyonce was continuing to cause up a right stir during her stint touring Denmark. Her strict diet entails "Boston Market rotary chicken, garlic steamed broccoli, steamed spinach, green beans, fresh fruit, sugar-free jello and Pepsi products only." And um, no delicious junkie around the queen B because she’ll flip and do a Sasha by “ringing the alarm” and capping a foot in your ass if you come near her with candy, chocolate or crisps. Anyone ready for some jelly?

Well, Beyonce performed in Milan, Italy this week also:



She must be a really happy bunny as Giorgio Armani made the announcement this week that Beyonce will be the face and the voice of his next women's fragrance, called Emporio Armani Diamonds, due this fall.

And earlier this week, Beyonce was spotted leaving her hotel in Venice:

All in all, Beyonce’s journey around Europe continues as she makes the most out of meeting the fans, going to parties, shopping at designer stores and well, being a big pain in the butt with those diva demands. She must be missing Jigga like hayell. There’s just nothing like a camel sandwich made and ready for when you hit those home shores.

And her step-sister Kelly Rowland stopped by FUSE’s The Sauce this week in New York City:





Me no like this look at all. She has it all wrong. I’m a big fan of the sleek long styles myself but when your face is really long, sometimes you need those bangs just to even it out and to give your face some kind of balance. I just don’t quite think Rihanna got the memo yet either. Pretty girl and that but you need to know what works for you.

And as we’re on Kelly, her 2nd single "Comeback" hit the Net this week. Um, I'm not really feeling it. Kelly needs to do better than this, and even her track “Ghetto” with Snoop is mad corny. A comeback this is certainly not. I guess she’ll be putting out another vid for this when her album Ms Kelly gets released 3rd July ----- yup, another album pushback.

Ya’ll think if Kelly had no connection to the Knowles fam and she wasn’t the “adopted” member of the family, would she have garnered better success as a solo artist? It appears that Kelly’s self-esteem is at a very low level right now (and has been for the past couple of years now) and she always appears to put Beyonce’s needs before her own. Her last album was pushed back just so that Beyonce could release hers (had it not have been for her massive success with Nelly‘s track Dilemma, her album would not have been pushed forward ahead of Beyonce) and history repeated itself again last year. Kelly’s album was suppose to drop last summer but Beyonce released hers instead when Beyonce’s album wasn’t scheduled for an early 2007 release. It’s as if she feels it’s owed as the Knowles took her in, and she doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes or appear ungrateful.

She’s not in Destiny’s Child any more so the moment DC’s reign ended is the time she should have cut Matthew off as her manager and concentrated on having him as a continuous father figure in her life. After all, it’s pretty evident that Matthew puts his blood-daughter Beyonce ahead of EVERYONE, and that hasn’t changed since and never will.

This week, Kelis performed at the Hennessy Mixing Event in San Francisco:

I totally look forwards to her reality show with hubby rapper Nas. It may not reach the same calibre as Nick and Jessica’s "Newlyweds" but it should be pretty interesting. As long as they don’t suffer the reality show curse which sees their marriage dwindle quicker than you can say divorce, then everything is all good.

Omarion and step-brother Marques Houston attended the Seventeen's Rock-N-Style Concert and Fashion Show:

.... alongside America's Top Models Eva and Mercedes Yvette.

And these two were certainly joined at the hip when they attended yet ANOTHER event earlier this week:

Meanwhile, Omarion and Bow Wow are teaming up to record an album together and will hit those studio’s before the ending of May. Bow Wow says: “Me and O have been trying to put this together for so many years, and now we’ve got the opportunity to do it. We’re in the creative process right now, still trying to come up with a title and everything. Me and him are coming up with ideas daily, so the process is gonna go real smooth. We’re anxious to get in the studio together and make this whole thing happen.” And I say cool. It might not sound corny if they do this right. Some folks are actually comparing this hook-up to Jay-Z and R.Kelly but without the paedophilia and the golden showers. HELL, it still bugs me that this perv is still putting out music. But I guess the people who buy his music give him that power. As long as people continue to support his pissy ass, then he will continue to put out music and STILL have a career in tact. I will NOT be promoting his album (and video‘s) on here at all. I know where my priorities lie.

Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussy Cat Dolls was spotted on a Hawaiin beach with her man Talan, and she did a spot of yoga to tone up for when she comes out with upcoming album Her Name Is Nicole later this year:

Wow. Without all the make-up candies, Nicole is a very regular all-the-way looking type of chick. Not that I’m complaining, because without the assistance of a make-up artist or the airbrush magic of a glossy magazine photoshoot, Nicole is no different from you or me.

Last but not least, Mary J Blige is on the latest cover of Essence magazine (do people still read this magazine?). Anyway, here are the outtakes:

I think she looks nice on the front cover but I’m on the fence about the rest.

Yeah, okay, so I had quite a lot to say in this entry and again, it’s me making up for slacking off in the world of blog’o’sphere yet again. You know if that happens, you can expect a big, fat and juicy update real soon so I hope ya’ll pulled out your forks and got stuck into this beef because there is more to come. Stay tuned and enjoy the weekend (or what‘s left of it anyway).

See ya’ll tomorrow for your latest R&B scoops!