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From Essence

Usher has reached another career milestone.

The “Climax” singer will be honored with the ASCAP Golden Note Award at the 26th Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The honor only goes to artist, musicians and composers who have greatly contributed to the industry through their gifts. Previous honorees include Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Pharrell Williams and Alicia Keys.

“I take the art of songwriting and music—making very seriously, so to be given the ASCAP Golden Note Award from an organization of my fellow music creators is a huge honor,” said Usher in a statement.

You can read the rest about Usher’s big honor over on Essence.com.

Wow, that is quite an elite group, isn’t it? Some may have “issues” with Usher’s current style of music but no one can deny that he’s definitely made a mark on the years. I mean, 8701 or Confessions anyone?

Congrats to him!

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Is it just me, or can these reality competition shows not keep a steady set of judges to save their lives?

Despite major success, especially in the ratings, since coming on as new judges for The Voice, both Usher and Shakira say that they will step down from their comfy red spinning chairs due to other commitments. According to Us Weekly, Usher is said to be working on a new movie around the time the new season would be filming, so he had to pass, and as for Shakira, she just gave birth to son Milan four months ago, and would like to take a break so that she could just be home with her new family instead of flying back and forth.

“Shakira wants to take a season off to take care of the baby,” the source explained. “She has an option to come back too. And Usher is doing a movie, so he couldn’t do season 5 if they wanted him to.”

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Within the past month we’ve reported on two disgruntled ex-nannies who have filed lawsuits against hip-hop mogul P.Diddy and his children’s mother, Kim Porter. Now it appears that Usher Raymond has been added to the club of celebs being sued by their hired help. The “Climax” singer has just been slapped with a six-figure lawsuit by Cecilia Duncan, a woman who says she’s his former nanny, TMZ reports.

According to court documents, Duncan is claiming that Raymond hired her as a part-time nanny to care for his 4 and 5-year-old sons back in December of 2010. The suit goes on to say that she sometimes worked over 40 hours per week, but was never paid overtime. In 2011 she says that she expressed to Raymond that she felt she was being taken advantage of, but her complaints fell on deaf ears. Duncan was fired last September and claims that she still hasn’t received overtime compensation. She’s currently suing for wrongful termination, failure to pay wages, demanding unspecified damages and as previously stated, we hear she’s asking for six figures.

Usher has yet to publicly address the case, but a source close to him says that the lawsuit is silly and the claims being made against the singer are completely false.

Do you think there is some truth to the claims being made by the former nannies of these celebs or are these women just looking for a come-up?

Although they broke up and moved on with other people, we just can’t seem to get over these high-profile celebrity relationships that we thought were a match made in heaven. Here are 15 celebrity couples that we wish could have stood the test of time.

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Kanye and Alexis

Before there was Kanye West and Kim Kardashian or even Kanye and Amber Rose, there was Kanye and Alexis. The Chicago rapper/producer met Alexis Phifer back in 2002 and the cute couple dated on and off for four years before West finally popped the question. After an 18-month whirlwind engagement the two went their separate ways citing his hectic touring schedule as the cause. West dated then-unknown model Amber Rose before settling down with the reality show superstar who is now pregnant with their first child.

Sometimes the drama going on behind the scenes of your favorite movies is more compelling than what’s in front of the camera. Some celebrities have managed to keep their public personas squeaky clean. But reports from the set say that they’re a nightmare to work with.

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Stacey Dash

In the cutthroat world of show business, sometimes it’s comforting to have a familiar face and someone you can trust as part of the team. These 15 celebrities left their fate and careers into the hands of their parents and it served them well — very well.

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The Kardashians

Perhaps the mother of all momagers, Kris Jenner helped her Kardashian daughters become household names. In addition to launching the careers of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney as reality television stars, the Kardashians have segued into the world of fashion design. Ready to have the limelight to shine on her, Jenner has inked a deal for her own talk show. In 2011, it was reported that she was worth an estimated $20 million.

Love can blossom anywhere. For most actors and celebrities, love usually springs forth with a fellow star but these 15 celebs bucked Hollywood trends and married ordinary people.

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Proving that Cupid can strike anywhere, Matt Damon was on location in Miami in 2003 to film the movie Stuck On You. While visiting a local bar one night, Damon would meet the love of his life, Luciana Barroso, behind the counter. Damon made his move on the single mother of one. Two years later they were married. Now the couple has four daughters. In an interview with UK’s “The Guardian,” Damon gushed about “My wife is my soul mate. I can’t imagine being without her.”

Whenever big events are taking place we’re always anticipating who our favorite celebs will bring as their dates. Just when we think it’ll be a model, they make us fall in love them even more by bringing  their mamas instead. I always find it cute when they show mom dukes that she will always and forever be their leading lady. Video vixen, models, singers… fall back because the mothers are running this show.

Any time you’re trying to describe an artist, there’s always a temptation to compare them to someone else. It’s easier to say “Keyshia Cole is like Mary J. Blige” than to say “Keyshia Cole makes raw, soul-infused R&B filled with themes of pain and personal transformation.” I get that. But sometimes the comparisons go too far, and we try to place up-and-comers in the same category as legends whose legacies have left an indelible mark on the musical landscape.

The late, great Michael Jackson is probably the most frequent victims of suspect comparisons. It seems that anyone who can dance and sing reasonably well is at some point dubbed the new or next version of The Gloved One. Usher is the new Michael Jackson. Chris Brown is the new Michael Jackson. Beyoncé is the new Michael Jackson. In the name of all that is holy, this must stop. I have seen all three of these “new Michael Jacksons” live, and I can attest that any one of their shows will change your night, if not your life. Usher is a consummate entertainer, Chris Brown is the best dancer I have ever seen anywhere, and Beyoncé
will leave you out of breath just watching her.

That said, to compare these entertainers to the King of Pop, a man who was arguably the most innovative, groundbreaking and important artist of all-time, hurts my feelings in ways I can’t begin to describe. I could possibly tolerate something more specific like “he can sing and dance well, kind of like a young Michael Jackson.” But to compare artists to someone who was incomparable won’t fly.

Another questionable comparison involves Trey Songz. I’ve heard him described as the next R. Kelly and/or D’Angelo. I’m sorry, what did you say? Just because you take your shirt off and sing sex-laced ballads does not make you heir to the throne of Kells or the inimitable D’Angelo. So I’m going to need people to cease and desist equating any crooner with a sexed up catalogue and a six-pack to either of these two very unique and musically-gifted individuals.

And then, there is perhaps the most egregious comparison I’ve heard yet: that Frank Ocean is this generation’s Luther Vandross or Marvin Gaye. For the love of Tyler Perry, we must stop this madness. I think we’ve all heard more than enough Luther and Marvin to know that Frank is neither, so I will kindly ask the people making these comparisons to have a seat for eternity.

Young Frank and his unique brand of R&B has certainly taken the world by storm. But to compare an individual with a mixtape and an album to legends who shaped entire eras, who left us with some of the most memorable music we have, whose musical styles don’t even resemble Ocean’s, is simply ludicrous. In the words of Claudette Wyms, one of my favorite characters on the former FX drama The Shield, “You’re stretching, son. Try yoga.”

These ridiculous comparisons also occur in the rap spectrum. I think we all laughed off the idea that Ja Rule was the new DMX, but among the more outlandish claims I’ve heard is that Kendrick Lamar is the new 2Pac. Girl, bye. I can’t even dignify that with a response.

Sure, there are similarities between artists, and comparisons are inevitable. Nicki Minaj is like Lil Kim or Foxy Brown, female rappers who blend sexuality with serious bars. Justin Bieber is like Justin Timberlake; they’re both white r&b/pop artists who got their start as teen idols. Lady Gaga is like Madonna; they’re fearless females who push the envelope and weave religious imagery and sex into their music.

But no one is the new or next anyone, much as each generation might want to lay claim to their own version of some superstar. Chris Brown is not the new Michael Jackson and Frank Ocean is not the new Luther Vandross. There is one Michael and one Luther and one Marvin and one 2Pac, and there will never be some newfangled knockoff. They’ll come through and create their own lane and legacies. But we lessen the legacies of certain icons by claiming there is some updated version, like they are a line of soft drink or an old computer program. What these people did is unmatched and will remain unmatched. Without taking anything away from these talented young artists — who deserve to be seen in their own light, and not in someone else’s shadow — let’s not pretend a legend who brought us something we’d never seen before and will never see again can somehow be duplicated.

What’s the craziest musical comparison you’ve ever heard? Sound off in the comments.

Lauren Carter is a Boston-based wordsmith who writes about music, pop culture, race and relationships. Connect with her on Twitter @ByLaurenCarter or check out her blog at www.bylaurencarter.com.

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Everyone knows that Kandi Burruss is a hitmaker. Being able to purchase her first home at 19 years old, it’s clear that this woman has been thinking business for a long time. Despite what some of her Real Houswives’ cast mates and even former group members would have us believe about her, Kandi has more than proven she’s not one to sleep on. In addition to writing bangers, she was also the first African American woman to be named songwriter of the year by the prestigious American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) in 2000. Her accolades are numerous but we’re sure that you really don’t know ’bout Kandi like you should. So in an effort to be informed, check out the hits Kandi’s made over the years. We’re sure there will be some surprises.