Source: WENN

Antoine Ashley, better known as Sahara Davenport from Season 2 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has passed away suddenly at the age of 27, NewNowNext is reporting. Logo, the network behind the drag show also confirmed the news in a statement, saying:

“Logo is profoundly saddened by the passing of Antoine Ashley who fans around the world knew and loved as Sahara Davenport. He was an amazing artist and entertainer who’ll be deeply missed by his Logo family. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, especially his boyfriend Karl, in their time of need.”

GLAAD spokesperson Rich Ferraro also made a statement on Sahara’s passing, saying:

“In addition to being a talented performer, we also remember the great work of Antoine Ashley, known to many fans as Sahara Davenport, in support of LGBT youth organizations and GLAAD. This is a saddening loss and our thoughts are with Sahara’s friends, partner and family.”

According to Queerty.com, Sahara was born and raised in Dallas, TX, and attended Southern Methodist University, where he earned a BFA in dance. When he moved to New York, he landed gigs on One Life to Live, Judge Karen, and appeared in videos for David Guetta and Chris Willis. Sahara was also an artist himself, landing at number 50 on the Billboard dance charts with the single “Go Off”  earlier this year. His boyfriend, Karl, better known as Manila Luzon was also a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

So far, no details on the cause of death have been revealed, but several members of the LGBT and drag community have expressed their condolences online, including RuPaul who tweeted:

We’re definitely keeping the entertainer’s family and friends in our thoughts.

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hotnewhiphop.com

Well look at what we have here: Jay-Z is being sued…again.

This time, Dwayne Walker, a clothing designer in New York City, is suing Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke (who just started serving a 5 year prison sentence for drug trafficking charges) for $7 million in unpaid royalties, according to the lawsuit filed on Thursday. Walker says back in 1995, he saw the idea Dash was trying to come up with for the Roc-a-fella logo and told him he could do something better.  He claims he created the finished design which features the letter “R,” a record and a champagne bottle and should be paid handsomely for the logo which was featured on everything associated with Roc-a-fella Records.

Soooo you waited 17 years to file this lawsuit, Mr. Walker?  I could understand if he’d waited until like the early 2000s to file the suit; you know, wait until the label has money rolling in and cash out.  But no, not only did he not ever ask for payment upfront (I mean, you have to be pretty naive to believe they’re going to pay you something “eventually,” if that’s what happened), but he then waited until Roc-a-fella was basically defunct to try and get a check. Did he forget that he created and realized it was his whilst looking through old Roc-a-fella cds? Cds that he’s probably owned since 1995?

On the other hand, Damon Dash has always been known as a hustler and so I must say, hearing something like this doesn’t surprise me.  If Mr. Walker did, in fact, create the logo, he should have given the guy some money upfront so that this wouldn’t ever come up again (especially if there was some paperwork on it but I know that may be too much to ask for that time period of these dudes who were just tying to “make it”).  He could have hooked the young designer up with unlimited concert tickets or something if that would have made him happy.

I suppose we’ll see how this plays out and if there’s any truth to it, Mr. Walker might get a settlement. Either way, I hope that since he is labeled as a clothing designer, he’s smartened up about the business and is making good decisions. By the way, Universal Music Group now owns Roc-a-fella Records.

What do you think? If true, should the former owners be made to pay millions of dollars? Would you ever wait that long to file a lawsuit regarding something this big?

By Andrea Williams

Despite being a few weeks into 2011, there’s still ample opportunity to get those New Year resolutions underway. But for those who aspire to lose weight and eat healthier at the top of their list, the odds may not be in their favor.

Interestingly, it’s not mere coincidence that people—namely those with limited willpower—have a hard time avoiding the McDonald’s drive-thru when they see those famous golden arches looming ahead. When the omnipresent red and gold carton of french fries appear within eyesight, all diet bets are off.

It may sound excessive to suggest that logos and the brands they represent are so persuasive and controlling that they render consumers completely mindless and weak, but smart business owners have known for some time that a carefully designed logo and a meticulously developed brand can, in fact, elicit some pretty strong reactions.

From the shape of the logo, to the size and font of the text, there are an abundant of theories regarding the psychological effects logos have on consumers. Many believe that the key to triggering a consumer’s psyche is the logo’s coloring.

“I always advise people to start with the color palette first when designing a logo,” said Lori Sawaya, a professional color strategist based in El Paso, TX.  “People see color first so everything else is secondary.”

As an associate member of The International Association of Color Consultants North America, which is an organization of professionals trained in the “functional application of color and the human response,” Sawaya believes that color can elicit certain psycho-physiological effects, and it would be an advantage to business owners to take those effects into consideration.

“Restaurant owners want to stimulate hunger,” she said.  “The use of the color red may do that by subconsciously making people think about all of the different delicious foods that are red.  On the other hand, there aren’t many foods that are blue, so the color blue may actually suppress appetite.”

Studies have shown that the combination of red and yellow is particularly effective in appetite stimulation, hence the knee-jerk reaction to the carton of McDonald’s fries or the logos of competitors, including Burger King, In-N-Out Burger and Wendy’s.

Crystal Washington, a business marketing consultant and owner of the Houston-based firm Black Market Exchange, stresses the importance of creating the right logo that will effectively communicate a brand’s message.

“I tell my clients that it is important to not be egocentric and design a logo that reflects their personality, but to instead think about their target market and design a logo that reflects them,” said Washington.  “You wouldn’t have a logo with rhinestones all over it if you were trying to market to middle-aged conservative women.”