Teria: Hi Damon,
I’d like to know why damaged people still seek relationships when they know they shouldn’t, resulting in hurting a string of others?

D. Y. : Same reason why people eat chicken fried bacon burgers even though they know it’s bad for you. The immediate positives have a way of making us forget about the long-term negatives.

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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First of all, can I say I love the yellow pumps she’s rocking? In fact, the whole outfit is pretty cute, even the cheerleader ponytail is on point too. But anyway, Melanie Fiona, one of our favorite people, hit up Jimmy Kimmel’s sound stage to serenade a stiff crowd and her fans with “4 AM” LOVE, love that song (is your lover creeping with a dancer? Let’s hope not), and the performance is pretty awesome as well. This girl’s voice does not waver and is undeniably strong. I’m really going to need people to stop sleeping! Be sure to pick up her new album, The MF Life on March 20, but in the mean time, tell us what you think about Ms. Fiona and the track after you check out the video below:

As for our girl Estelle, she showed up looking pretty gorgeous in a floor length white gown and her fabulous dark red hair to sing her track, “Thank You.” This song is not bad to me, but live, Estelle seemed to sing it in a timid way and at times she did more yelling than singing. Not sure why, but I’ve heard her do better. Either way though, can’t deny she looks great! Check her out on Letterman’s stage and tell us your thoughts on the song and performance. And don’t forget to pick up her new album All of Me, which just was released:

Love these jams?

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It has been less than a week since Whitney Houston unexpectedly passed away in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, and ever since that day, it has been a frenzy. A wealth of media coverage, Internet trolls talking crazy about the singer for attention, interviews done with people who claimed to know her best and other interviews done by people who act like they know her but didn’t (sit down Dr. Drew). On top of that though, there has been a great outpouring of love for Whitney–for what she did in the past, a grief over what she could have done in the future, and just for the wonderful person she seemed to be, no matter what her trials were.

Everyday on the local news here in NYC, they show a crowd of people outside the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, signing cards, playing her music, leaving flowers and notes to commemorate the life of the Jersey-born songstress they idolized. They’ve been there since news broke of Houston’s death, and they keep coming back, more and more people. So when news broke earlier in the week that the family would not be holding Houston’s funeral at the massive Prudential Center where her face is currently emblazoned outside, some were mad, and some were sad, but understood the fact that the family didn’t want a huge “parade” as Pastor Marvin L. Winans called it.

But only a few days later, it was announced that to help Whitney’s fans get the closure they need, the funeral on Saturday would be streamed online, and could possibly even be available on television. As a fan, I can appreciate that the family would want to let the people, folks all over the world who loved her, share in the celebration of Whitney’s life. In Jersey, she was obviously a major figure, what with schools named after her and the fact that she used to rep Newark like no other. The sadness you hear in the voices and see in the eyes of those who wait outside the church (NOT those who peddle memorabilia outside of it…smh) is real, and they’re mourning too. I respect that the family recognizes how much Whitney loved her fans and how much they loved her back and want to share her in the end.

But I’d also like to say, as someone who lost someone very close to me unexpectedly as a young adult, I’m also a bit worried for Bobbi Kristina. Funerals in general are heart wrenching, but there’s something about a funeral for a sudden loss that occurs soon after that loss that are even more emotional. You never truly know how you will act on that day and during that ceremony until you step in the church and the reality of your loss sinks in. And when you’re younger and not used to such hits, it can be more difficult to hold it together. So while you might go in there with the hopes of holding it together, you never know how you’ll feel until it hits you. I was one year younger than Bobbi Kristina (she’s 18 now) when one of my siblings unexpectedly passed away. During the funeral, I think I held it together pretty well in front of the hundreds of friends and our family. However, I totally fell apart when they closed the casket. I yelped and literally could have fallen out right there in the funeral home. Emotions like that, which I’m thinking Bobbi might have seeing as she and her mother were more like sisters, in my mind, doesn’t really need to be seen or critiqued by the whole world, including the folks at CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and others.

I just think the grief of the family and those close to Whitney should remain amongst them. If Bobbi Kristina is all for it, then let it go on, but during it or when it’s all over, I’d rather not have the news or anyone else analyze, do a play by play, or make a mockery of how these people say their last goodbyes and how they pay their respects, because they’ve found every way possible to analyze how Whitney spent her last days (from analyzing old scratches on her to making accusations because her hair was messed up…smh again). Whether the family grieves quietly, or they find themselves rolling around on the floor in an inconsolable state, it happens, and if it does, that should be for them only if you ask me. But that’s just my opinion and something that was on my heart that I needed to say…

Photos courtesy of Topnews.in and People.com.

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One of the great things about watching a show live, other than sweating like a pig while standing shoulder to shoulder in a  room of total strangers, is the opportunity to see one of your favorite artists or performers go all out, no-do overs, putting some extra stank on every song and dance as if they were performing only for you. Yet we know not every live performance is like that. But some artists can be counted on to kill it, despite technical difficulties or costumes that can’t possibly be comfortable, all to put on shows you’re sure to be talking about for years to come. Here’s a few to stalk Ticketmaster for when they come to your town–if you’re so lucky.

Malinda Williams will be joining Madame Noire tonight!

The Madame Noire event, “8 Reasons to Address Romance in the Black Community” will be airing live tonight, right here, via USTREAM, from 6PM to 8PM.

WHEN LIVE, you will be able to watch the event here.

If you haven’t heard by now, Madame Noire is having its first annual debate panel at Columbia University in New York City, on Friday Nov. 5 from 6pm to 8pm. REGISTER NOW for this fabulous discussion and meet some of the real, live persons behind Madame Noire!

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