Source: The YBF

Unfortunately, we have some sad news to report on this morning. Rapper Trina’s brother Wilbrent “Gonk” Bain was shot and killed Tuesday morning in broad daylight in Miami. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to NBC 6, Bain was shot by his longtime friend, Rob Dobson following a feud that spiraled out of control. A police affidavit suggests that following a dispute between the two men, Bain was getting off of his bicycle when Dobson pulled a gun out of his waistband and shot Bain multiple times.

After he was arrested, Dobson confessed to his involvement in Bain’s shooting death. He is currently facing second-degree murder charges. Friends, family and neighbors mourn the loss of Bain, fondly remembering him as a “good kid.”

“Now, I’m hurt because this man is gone for no reason at all. He was a close friend to me,” said neighbor Demetrius Hammond.

“He’s a very good kid. It’s unfortunate. It’s a terrible tragedy,” said Rev. Gary Johnson.

“It hit me hard because I just talked to him. This killing has to stop. It has to. All of us grew up together and that’s just senseless,” said neighbor Trimel.

It’s unfortunate that Wilbrent’s life was senselessly snatched away. We send our prayers to the Bain family.

Turn the page to watch NBC 6′s full report.

Before there was Nicki Minaj, Azealia Banks, Lil Mama, Remy Ma, Rye Rye or Kid Sister…before there were iPods, wireless Internet or digital music stores…there was the golden age of hip-hop; where female rappers such as Yo-Yo, Lady of Rage, Roxanne Shante, Da Brat, Mia X and Jean Grae were a mainstay on the scene-always delivering enthusiasm, originality and wisdom in a verse. They rapped persuasively apart, and also came together to make masterful collaborations (ex. Ladies Night and Ladies First). Of course, none of this is to say that present day female artists aren’t throwing down in the studio, but that back-in-the-day, raw talent and frill-less music videos could go a long way, especially when you already have the qualifying skills to be regarded as a true rap/hip-hop legend.

QUEEN LATIFAH

Queen Latifah is inarguably one of the most highly regarded female emcees of all time. She had a powerful, even flow that made audiences want to stop and listen.  In her heyday, she produced energetic songs that were socially and politically conscious, often dwelling on gender issues and street violence. She gave us classics like “U.N.I.T.Y,” “Just Another Day,” “Ladies First,” and “Come Into My House”.

Source: Shutterstock.com

When you’re going out for a first date with someone, it’s easy to feel a bit nervous. Wondering if he’ll like you, if your chemistrys will mesh, if your breath stinks and if you’re wearing the right outfit etc. It can be a bit rough on the ego. So, when you’re getting ready to step out with a new man for the first time, you might need some auditory courage. The following songs should do the trick.

I think I’m ready
Been locked up in the house way too long,
It’s time to get it…

Freakum Dress- Beyonce

Honestly, this whole list could have been compromised of Beyonce anthems; but variety is the spice of life, so we’ll shake it up a bit. But even Bey’s biggest haters would find it hard to deny that she will get you right on the confidence tip. When you’re trying to determine what to wear for your night out, you might not want to go as far as the freakum dress but you certainly want to make sure it’s an outfit, preferably a dress or skirt, that doesn’t show the whole movie but gives him a bit of a preview.

Source: VH1

If you were able to catch the special Valentine’s Day episode of VH1′s “Tiny Tonight”, you probably noticed the undeniable tension between co-hosts Tamar Braxton and Claudia Jordan, especially when the ladies began to discuss dating with standards and considering a man’s financial situation. Claudia expressed that the extravagance of a first date isn’t indicative of the success of a relationship.

“I had a very amazing date with someone at a very low-end restaurant, who was on the Forbes List and it ended up being a really nice relationship,” said Claudia.

“But he ain’t put a ring on it!” Tamar obnoxiously interjected.

As you can probably guess, this is where things got ugly. The ladies proceeded to go back and forth with Tamar taunting Claudia for not having a ring yet and Claudia expressing that love isn’t all about money, which is where Tamar quickly got defensive and began stating that she isn’t a gold digger. Tiny quickly diffused the situation, but of course, it didn’t end there.

Although previously taped, it seems that the episode airing last night stirred up some old feelings in the two co-hosts because they almost immediately began going at it via their Twitter pages the moment the episode aired.

Claudia does have a point. Tamar could’ve handled the disagreement a bit more professionally and didn’t have to personally attack her co-star for having different views.

Check out the video clip of the conversation that initiated the tension between Tamar and Claudia on the next page. What do you make of all of this? Is this a ploy to boost ratings? 

So let’s see. We’ve done Barbadian folks, Haitian folks, Jamaican folks, Trinidadian folks and more, so what’s missing? The Bahamas of course! Many of our favorite actors and performers rep the country very hard, and some even own property there or represent as ambassadors. We’ve looked up a few and thought you’d like to know which black folks are Bahamian and how they’re tied to the country. Shall we proceed?

Source: Zimbio

Persia White

The child of a black Bahamian father and a white American mother, the “Breaker High” and “Girlfriends” star was born in Miami of all places, however, the actress was raised in Nassau. Coincidentally, it was her mother who moved the family to the Bahamas when she was a child, and it was for work purposes. During her time there, she even garnered a scholarship to the Nassau Civic Ballet Company when she was only three years old (uh, what was I doing at the age of three…?). Of course, since she and her family moved back to the US when she was eight, White has been back to the Bahamas on many different occasions. She even went with Caribbean Living a couple years ago and they documented her trip.

Photo courtesy of TheYBF.com

If you’ve gleaned nothing else from watching Braxton Family Values, you should be able to recognize the signs of a failing marriage. Actually, you don’t even have to watch the show to figure that out because the cast member’s transgressions are all over the World Wide Web for us to see—particularly those of Trina’s husband, Gabe Solis.

For the second time in one season, Gabe has been caught with his pants down—literally—engaged in some sort of cyber affair. This time around, the rumored partner is a transgendered woman by the name of Julisa Abadshian, and Gabe wasted no time clearing up this news, and in the process dropping another bomb. He’s a sex addict?

Here’s what he told TheYBF:

“Yes, I know I will be the target of many gossip bloggers because of my past record. Like I said, I have NEVER Resorted to same sex affairs or any physical affairs. I know that cheating is cheating and I am in no way making excuses. I am currently in therapy because I have a SEX Addiction Problem. I very much want the help that it will take to restore my family.”

This isn’t the first time an unfaithful man claimed to be addicted to getting it on after they were caught doing just that. Remember Eric Benet, Tiger Woods, Dominique Strauss-Kahn? I suppose there’s no other time you would really announce being a sex addict, other than when you’re caught doing the do with someone you’re not supposed to, but the admission always comes across as a little contrived when it’s made, causing people to question whether the person really has a psychological problem or they’re just trifling.

Psychologists can’t even agree on whether sex addiction is a true condition like alcoholism or drug addiction, but according to a November article on The Daily Beast, diagnosis is on the rise—as evidenced by the increased number of treatment options. An estimated 3 to 5 percent of the U.S. population could meet the criteria for sex addiction, and those 9 million people have the option of being treated by one of some 1,500 sex therapists practicing today, which is up from less than 100 a decade ago. According to Tami VerHelst, vice president of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, there’s a need for these services.

 “Where it used to be 40- to 50-year-old men seeking treatment, now there are more females, adolescents, and senior citizens. Grandfathers getting caught with Adult Videos on their computers by grandkids, and grandkids sexting at 12.”

But does that make one a sex addict? Not necessarily, but the potential is there. One of the reasons the whole idea of sex addiction may suddenly be appearing out of nowhere is because sex is shoved down Americans’ throats now more than ever. And if you have a predisposition to the condition, sexed-up commercials, a raw scene in a movie, or access to Adult Videos online could be the trigger that sends that urge into overdrive.

“Not everyone who looks at a nude image is going to become a sex addict. But the constant exposure is going to trigger people who are susceptible,” says Dr. David Sack, chief executive of Los Angeles’s Promises Treatment Centers.

That, I can understand. But what I don’t get is how the addiction never seems to be an issue until years into a marriage. If you are in fact a sex addict, then shouldn’t that behavior be evident all along in some way? I’d be hard-pressed to think Halle Berry or Elin Nordegren would’ve signed on for marriage to men who displayed that kind of behavior before walking down the aisle. But maybe, as it is with other addictions, different issues—perhaps even stress in a marriage—cause things to spur out of control.

All I know is if someone I was with tried to hit me with that mess after we’d been together for a while, I’d have to say boy, gone. Unless I’d seen evidence of the addiction long before he was caught creeping, I’m inclined to think he just refuses to own up to his ish at that point.

What do you think about sex addiction? Are men using it as an excuse for lack of self-control or do you think it’s a real condition?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Recently the Braxton sisters had plenty to say about the highlights from their lives and upcoming episodes of their hit show, “Braxton Family Values.”

They talked about everything from Mama Evelyn’s pending marriage to Trina eliminating drinking from her lifestyle.

Find out what else these women (and Vince) had to say about each other and how the show has helped them as a family at EurWeb.com.

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The wretched N-word. Still used by any and everybody when it shouldn’t be, still holds a painful and offensive meaning. But if you ask rapper Trina, aka “The Baddest B****,” it’s not something people should be getting worked up about anymore. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.

In an interview on 106 & Park recently to promote her new video, “Red Bottoms,” when asked what she thought about Bay-area white female rappers Kreayshawn and V-Nasty using the word (which has been a heated discussion since Kreayshawn jumped into the spotlight earlier in the year), she didn’t see the need to get heated over something she sees as being…small.

“I don’t see what the big deal about it is. It’s a matter of respect, if you’re not being disrespectful, if you’re not doing it in a racist way…I’m not really the person that care’s too much about all that.”

She goes on to say:

“It’s so much more serious stuff going on in life. Let’s worry about voting for Barack Obama for president again. I don’t think the N-word is such a big deal, we’ve been saying it for years, decades, white, blacks, Hispanic, Jamaican, Haitian, Chinese whatever. It is what it is, we didn’t create it, we didn’t start it and we’re not going to be the last to say it. It’s going to continue on and on and on so we just need to focus on what’s important.”

I’m not a fan musically of any of the women mentioned in this here post, but in a weird way, I can somewhat feel what Trina is trying to say. We do have bigger and better things to worry about than what a barely-out-of-adolescence white female rapper lets come out of her mouth. However, I don’t see how it hurts to stand up and say that it’s best if Miss Krey-Krey and her V-whatever friend don’t use the word. I think the less we care and the less we speak out about it when we can, and in Trina’s case, when we have a platform to do so, we wind up pretty much saying it’s absolutely, positively okay. I don’t care who says it, if I hear it, even in a “non-racist way,” it makes me cringe. I have no control over what words people use in the comfort of their own home, but hell, I would definitely prefer if people weren’t so accepting of the word that they’re saying it and screaming it to one another out in the streets. It’s soooo embarrassing and disrespectful that it’s not even funny, and if you ask me (though you didn’t), not only do these women mentioned need to stop, but these rappers out here in general need to start cutting it out with the N-word. So sorry Trina, but I still think it’s a big deal. But then again, I wouldn’t expect someone who holds pride in calling themselves a “Bi***” to feel me on that…

Kreayshawn

V-Nasty looking crazy.

What do you think?

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Its got to be hard to find true friendship when you’re famous but these women seem to have unbreakable bonds! Take a look at our  favorite and beautiful BFF’s…

Read the rest of this entry »

Nicki Minaj, a self-proclaimed bad Beyotch.

“That’s a bad Beyotch!” Such a statement is meant to be taken as a compliment. It means that woman is on her stuff, looks amazing or just generally has her ish in order. But do you take it as a compliment or do you prefer to be called by your name?

Hello Beautiful takes a stab at this topic. Check it out!