Photo courtesy of HooplaObsessed

I could possibly be alone in my opinion, but I feel as though I’ve noticed open references to Aaliyah, her music and her style more than ever these days. Blame it on Drizzy Drake and his Stan-like I’m-bringing-Baby-Girl-back-to-life-whether-you-like-it-or-not campaign, but everywhere we turn, there’s a style spread or a make-up tutorial to tell you how to look exactly like the late singer. Add to that the actual singers dressing and acting like her in their videos and you’ll notice what I’m saying. I’m not saying I didn’t love me some Aaliyah, and some people actually do her legacy some justice with their tributes from time to time, but most folks know they need to quit while they’re ahead. We have both types of examples to show you in this slideshow. Keep on a-clickin’.

It’s fall! So away with the bright colors and let’s bring out all the clothing with character! That’s right, I’m talking about all things–dresses, jackets and more–that are embellished to the nines. These ladies got beaded and braided up in their ensembles this week, and the results? Well, that’s up to you and your fashion sense. Let’s proceed.

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Diddy’s girl Cas-boogie showed up for Paper Magazine’s 8th Annual Nightlife Awards in NYC wearing this leather mini-dress that definitely turned heads. The leather Balmain shirtdress was embellished with ornate beading and stitching, a high collar. The gold, black and white combination was paired with strappy gold and black heels.  The hair was in a side ponytail that was bumped in the back (and made uber cute with a bang), and she accessorized with gold bangles and a watch. I absolutely love this look! And that includes the makeup and the hair (good to see that half-shaven ish finally being covered up). It’s a laid back type of outfit in the fact that it’s a simple shirtdress, but with the leather and all the ornaments, it works for the event. Steal!

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Instagram

In Twitter/Instagram lurking news, Mr. Playa Playa, aka Diddy, and his rumored boo, Cassie, decided to be a bit open about their feelings for one another through their Twitter pages today. For the most part, it has been just pure speculation that the mogul and model/singer/whatever-you-feel-like-calling-her were an item, but they’ve been very lovey-dovey lately. From butt grabbing in public to Cassie’s cryptic/angry messages to the haters that she has been in a committed relationship with “someone” for a LONG time and is “sooooo in LOVE with HIM!”, things have been getting really real.

Today, things got interesting. It all started when Cassie posted the photo below of Diddy getting his jet-ski on shirtless and with a fitted cap on. When she posted it via her Instagram, she captioned the photo with, “.love.him.” And if you were wondering, the emoticon next to her proclamation below is the smiley face with hearts on the eyes.

Followers were excited for her, and of course, about the same amount of followers threw a bit of shade for her to catch. For example:

“Is he going to marry you though? Does he love you that much?”

“About time he claimed you!”

“You forgot to add love him……& his money lol”

” I knew ya’ll were f***ing!!!”

Always so eloquent with their feelings aren’t they? Anyway, Diddy got wind of the photo, and he retweeted, adding, “I am blessed!”

Instagram – Cassie/@CassieSuper

He also proceeded to post a photo of Cassie looking all dolled up and with that damn signature half-shaven cut. His caption: “I’m a very lucky man #knowthat” She retweeted his response for her followers, just so they know ish is real.

Instagram – Diddy/@iamdiddy

Well, there you have it, folks. And if you say “Who cares?” know that you do, especially if you’re in the post. Anywho, now that you #knowthat as Diddy would say, we can all rest peacefully at night knowing that 42-year-old Diddy has finally found an interesting way to claim his 26-year-old love interest after all these years. It seemed to be important to her for him to do so (as I’m sure it would be important to any woman), as some people just assumed she was a side piece messing around for tracks while he still got cozy with other ladies. Maybe she might be the one to get him to finally settle down, or maybe, she might end up in a Kim Porter type of situation. Either way, they’ve taken their love to the streets! Stay tuned ya’ll…

What are your thoughts on their professions of…love/like/something like that?

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Source: Fashion Bomb Daily

While everyone else was having a chill Labor Day cooking out, hanging with friends, and having a cocktail or two, Cassie was taking the time to get some angry things off of her chest. For some reason, Monday afternoon seemed to be the moment Diddy’s “girlfriend” had enough of the back talk about her seemingly one-sided relationship with the Bad Boy and her so-so career, so of course she decided to pop off about both — and the critics who have something to say about them — on Twitter (and Instagram because you know you gotta do both).

Last thing: F**K a blog & anyone that makes up bulls**t – you ain’t s**t. I never even give a thought to unvalidated s**t that gets posted online, but I’m tired of it. Been committed for a LONG time to someone and I am sooooo in LOVE with HIM! Continue to call me names that you don’t even know the definitions to and wait for this fall, #RockaByeBaby. I’m getting mine. Have a great f**kin day. This is dedicated to YOU :: http://bit.ly/ON2MRh – Please get YOUR thirsty a**es some water.

Umm, OK.

I don’t think anyone ever questioned Cassie’s commitment to Diddy, what we’ve all been trying to figure out is just how committed, if at all, he is to her. Sure, he laces her with bags of money and expensive vacays, but when you’re trying to pull a Beyonce and Jay-Z but look more like Ashanti and Nelly, people are going to talk.

Cassie’s rant didn’t stop the backlash either. One angry tweet got Cassie back in her feelings with a “shut the eff up” and the user was subsequently blocked for saying:

@CassieSuper Perhaps if you weren’t f**king your creepy old boss………. Poor that  thinking the blogs or anybody for that matter cares that much about her outside of the weirdo f**king her old a** boss. Mod?? Go serve Diddy his Viagra and hush nasty child prostitute. You brought this all on yourself.  Gorl. You are fuming. Get off twitter and go suck Diddy’s wrinkly p*nis for a record that ain’t never coming out

That was a bit harsh, but not far from what most people think about Cassie. Someone should have told her shade comes with the biz.

What do you think about Cassie’s rant?

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• Single Black Male: The 5 Steps to Approaching A Woman
• Where Are They Now? 11 Singers and Rappers Who Didn’t Blow Up Like We Thought They Would…
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• You Don’t Have To Be Wonder Woman: The Importance of Vulnerability In Relationships
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Shyne and Diddy earlier this year – Source: globalhiphopbattles.com

I know you guys remember Shyne! “That’s Gangsta”? “Bonnie & Shyne” (“On the telephone, she heard my voice, tell me to pick her up in my Rolls Royce…”)? Anywho, Shyne (nee, Jamal Michael Barrow, aka, Moses Michael Levi) was of course a burgeoning rapper under Bad Boy Records, and during that time, he was cool with Diddy and then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez. Shyne and his own then-girlfriend, as well as Diddy and J.Lo, infamously went to Club New York in Manhattan where they were involved in a shooting that injured three people. The end results included Shyne facing 10 years in prison for his involvement, Diddy going free, and J.Lo chucking the deuces at him. But what also happened, according to Shyne, was that Diddy betrayed him. The mogul and Shyne were supposed to be co-defendants, but he went ahead got his own lawyers, only looking out for D-I-D-D-Y. Diddy’s lawyers even called witnesses that would pin everything on Shyne. Only 20 at the time, the Belize-born, Flatbush raised rapper had to do his time. While incarcerated, he was in talks with a label or two (but couldn’t really sign) and throughout it, spoke to the media about his career and beef with Diddy…who was still Puffy back then:

“How do you call a witness to testify against your comrade?” wonders Shyne, who called Myers’ testimony more damaging than any witness the prosecution called. “That don’t make no sense. I’m telling you this woman is lying and you’re saying, ‘Eh, you know, well, she’s helping me.’ But I’m facing 25 years and you’re looking at probation. You don’t have to hold my hand, you don’t have to do nothing, but don’t try to hurt me. That’s intentional, when I tell you that she’s lying, when every witness that you call said that they didn’t see her where she said she was at.”

But eventually, after a name change,  finishing his time, being deported and drastically changing his style, the two men squashed their beef. They even appeared front row at fashion shows together early this year during Paris Fashion Week. But the real reason the two were getting chummy again was because, according to Shyne, Diddy was supposed to be helping him get back into the United States since he was deported back to his native Belize due to his conviction. But Diddy hasn’t done that, and now Shyne’s got beef with him again.

Source: Sohh.com

After conversing with Missinfo, she says Shyne, who is now residing in Europe, owes the people who went down for him so that he could keep his freedom and his luxuries. Ironically, Shyne passed on Diddy’s effort to give him money, because all Shyne wants is for him to lobby for U.S. residency on his behalf. Allegedly, even if Diddy tried and failed, the effort would just be enough. But he hasn’t even tried. “Homeboy did me dirty, he knows that, he apologized. He’s said he’s gonna spend the rest of his life helping me get my life back…so how you don’t help your man come back to America?!”

On top of that, he says that Diddy owes the family of his former bodyguard’s family. Anthony “Wolf” Jones was Diddy’s bodyguard and friend to both men for years, but was killed in 2003. Shyne claims the mogul hasn’t done enough to help take care of Jones’s mother, and only dropped a little bit of money when Shyne asked him to:

“Don’t give me any money, I don’t need it. But take care of Ms. Jones. [Diddy] gave her $10k when I started talking to him, but that was it. But while we were in Paris, he spent half a million on his chick, Cassie…If it weren’t for Wolf, if it weren’t for me, things would be very different. There would be no Ciroc deal, he wouldn’t be worth close to a billion…”

Though all seemed to be fine just a week ago (kidding), it’s not anymore. Shyne even decided to drop a previously-recorded diss for Diddy entitled, “You’re Welcome” so he can air a few things out. Lyrics include the following:

This kid got millions, that’s how he talks/Should’ve took that paper, made his soul walk./Talking about he ain’t responsible for my actions
/Man, if I was yapping the world, would know what happened/Them kids was about to wrap him/Shyne, they should thank him. But nooooo, they hate him

Hmmm…looks like ish just got real.

Does he have a point? Do you think Diddy needs to help him get back in the States or should Shyne move on by himself?

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VissaStudios.com

Somewhere in between a Velvet Remi full sew-in with red highlights and a head full of jet black Bohemian Kinky Curl, for ten minutes I contemplated taking it all off, leaving my hair very short.  Not just my weave (everyone knows that my mantra is, “All I need in this world of sin, is me and my sew-in”) but my natural auburn shoulder length hair as well. And by short I didn’t mean Halle Berry or Nia Long-short. I was talking little to no hair. I mean, if Amber Rose could do it, why couldn’t I? I’ll tell you why: Because I am a member of the Tyra Banks Five Head Club and had absolutely zero faith that I could pull off that look with the confidence that my cute face would make up for my “high hairline.” I was also bothered by the fact that my man might feel some type of way if he reached to touch my head and felt something that was similar to his own.

Every woman can admit to coming to a point of defeat after weighing her options of weave vs. wash vs. curl vs. braids vs. locs before wondering, “What if I just shaved it all off?”  But few of us actually make the final cut. I‘ve always admired women like Chrisette Michele, Erykah Badu and even Willow Smith whose beautiful faces emerged from behind long locks with confident cool. Even Cassie’s partially shaven do was edgy, but before I could commit to it I wondered, “What about when I need to pull my hair up into a ponytail?” Shaving my head will probably remain a figment of my imagined edginess because I can admit that I attach much of my femininity and style to my crowning glory.  As beautiful as I feel my face is, I attribute half of that beauty to a flattering hairstyle.

Fortunately, I was able to live vicariously through a friend. We’ll call her Katrina.  On March 12, she posted a Facebook pic of herself wearing a short cropped fade which simply read, “My new look.”  She had publicly debated for weeks between box braids or a simple wash and curl. On one occasion she gave all her Facebook friends an inside look into her husband’s thoughts on beauty, writing:

“My husband asked me last night why don’t I cut my hair short. I told him bc I wear alot of sweats, t’s, & sneakers, & I don’t want him to feel like I’m not being lady like. He said, ‘I wouldn’t care, as long as we don’t have the same/similiar cut.’— He made my heart smile. l’ve been contemplating either cutting my hair short or starting dreads for awhile. Without knowing it he gave me a little more confidence & courage to go for it.”

This has been a big week for fashion thanks to all the events going on for Hollywood’s A-listers. And some of our favorites didn’t disappoint as they had jaws dropping and flashbulbs on fire as they hit the scene. Now was it a good jaw drop or a bad one? Let’s look through the following photographs and find out.

Source: keepyourrosariesoffmyovaries.tumblr.com

This woman is 46 years old? WOW! The stunning singer hit up the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala at Cap d’Antibes in this flowing Emilio Pucci gown. The halter dress also had a deep v-neck which definitely showcased Jackson’s girls, and a slit that went up her lower thigh to show off those gams. The train was long, as were her locks, and on her feet were futuristic Giuseppe Zanotti wedges that didn’t have a heel. While I’m not feeling her makeup, otherwise, Ms. Jackson looks pretty freaking awesome. Steal! Just let me get in the gym real quick first…

Source: popstar.com

thisis50.com

Some of our favorite duets have come from celebrities who were actual couples or…had a “connection,” if you get my drift.  Some of the songs came from places of genuine love while others came from some good ol’ “gangsta, boo lovin’.”  Some of the couples lasted, some didn’t. Either way, they’ve made some beautiful music together (well, it at least had you in your groove).

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Source: stupiddope.com

In 2006, Cassie performed her hit song at the time, “Me & U” for the young crowd. During that performance, she was off-key, seemed stiff, and was basically a hot a** mess that proved to all those watching that singing was not really something she was very good at…

Fast forward to 2012, and the model/singer/Diddy’s alleged paramour returned to “106 & Park” to perform her newest hit, “King of Hearts.” This time around, she sounded pretty good (though some called foul for auto-tune…), and the dance moves were 10 times better. I was pretty entertained at the performance, which also included her singing to the remix of the track done by Kanye West (which I believe is better than the original). But you check out the performance, as well as the horrid one from 2006, and let us know what you think.
   

And here’s the 2006 performance…(*severe side eye*) It’s clear that she’s improved greatly.

And Ashanti also hit up “Live! With Kelly” to perform her song, “The Woman You Love.” Surprisingly, folks (Mario Lopez actually) still call her the “Princess of Hip Hop and R&B.” But anywho, she wore leather shorts and a leather jacket to sing the track for the crowd, and it seems she’s still doing a lot of yelling. But this time, I might have to blame her band for that (they were loud as hell and were off, which was throwing her vocals off). It wasn’t a bad performance though, just okay at this point…but what do you think? Check her out and let us know: 

 What do you think?

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blackvoices.com

For better or worse, society has always tried to set the standard on how women should wear their hair. Long and bland has always been a particular favorite. But these seven celebrity women have taken their cues from an asymmetrical school of thought. They’ve worn their hair just a buzz cut above the rest and dared to be different.