Nelly and Ashanti Break-up

August 23rd, 2009 | By Safiyyah

After three years of secret dating, Ashanti and Nelly are rumored to have broken up. Neither of the two have confirmed or denied the rumor. The N.Y. Daily News reports that the two allegedly broke up because of a disagreement about their future. Supposedly, pop princess Ashanti was ready to settle down (of course) and hip hop rapper Nelly still wanted to play the field a bit longer. There have also been reports that Nelly was hanging around model-actress Melyssa Ford in Miami and spending time with Melody Thornton, lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, in Las Vegas. So there is speculation that the two women could have played a role in the breakup.

Rumors of Ashanti and Nelly dating began in 2003 and wasn’t confirmed until 2008. The two have been dating on the low for three years and when Nelly came out to confirm that they were dating, he stated that they were in a “serious” relationship. I don’t know about everyone else, but it seems like he used the wrong word to describe their relationship. After all, serious in today’s world means there’s a marriage in the future. There was supposed talk about an engagement and wedding some time ago…wonder what happened. Well within the next couple of days or weeks, we may get a confirmation and, if we’re lucky, an explanation about the breakup.

Other breakups that have been reported are Omarion and Young Money Records and Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush. More to come on those topics.

The King of Pop and the King of Fashion

August 23rd, 2009 | By Safiyyah

The rumors about Michael Jackson and Christian Audigier collaborating together have been confirmed. You may be familiar with Christian Audigier as the designer behind the Ed Hardy brand. You can also find some items from the Christian Audigier jewelry line. Ed Hardy jewelry, along with his clothes and shoes, are quite popular. Well, apparently, the two were working on a few projects together, including a clothing line. I would have liked to see what crazy combination they could have come up with. What took Mike so long anyway? You’d think he would’ve been one of the first people to begin a line of clothes. Hopefully the two were close to the completion of the design, so that Audigier can still release a limited edition of the brand. Supposedly, Audigier will bring it out after all and it will be sold at a boutique called Kitson in Hollywood, California. Can you imagine the prices?

Christian Audigier and Michael Jackson

The two were also supposed to come out with other merchandise designs. There are other rumors that Christian Audigier will be leasing the Holmby Hills Mansion where Michael Jackson was living. Hubert Guez, CEO of Ed Hardy, is the owner of the property and will be renting it out to him for $100,000 a month (roughly $1.2 million a year…wow). Michael Jackson and Audigier seemed to be quite close; they were seen together at Mike’s 50th birthday bash and were seen together in February. Christian has shown a great deal of sadness over the King of Pop’s death.

Lumidee Hits the Streets of Havana

August 3rd, 2009 | By Safiyyah

After six years, Lumidee is back with another possible smash hit. She’s known most for her single in 2003, “Never Leave You”, and will now be rapping a few bars in the song “Kandi”, sung by Arash Labaf. The video is taking place in Havana, Cuba — this is Labaf’s third video shot here. It may seem strange to some that a New Yorker is walking the streets of Havana, especially if their familiar with the politics involved. It seems as those Cuba has forever had a barrier regarding Americans passing its borders, but since Obama has been negotiating with the president of Cuba about lowering the restrictions, things are seeming to be a bit more lenient. So far it looks like things are working out pretty well. Especially when you see rappers and singers filming their videos in its streets.

At first, when Lumidee heard that the film would take place in Havana, she was a bit panicky. She wasn’t sure how it would be or what to expect, but she came to find out that Cubans are pretty happy and laid back. In this particular video, Labaf plays himself and three other goofballs trying to captivate the same girl, or should I say eye ‘Kandi’. You will find scenes shot of the beach on the east side of Havana. Twenty-four year old Lumidee, born as Lumiana DeRosa Cedeno, is Puerto Rican by blood and born in Spanish Harlem. She’s married to her manager, who also came along with her on the Cuban trip.

Rapper Baatin Dies at Age 35

August 3rd, 2009 | By Safiyyah

Rapper Baatin was found dead in Detroit on August 1st. He was 35 years old and helped to create Slum Village, a hip hop group. The death was confirmed by a friend of the family, Ty Townson. So far little details have been given about his death. If you aren’t sure who he was, here is some info about him. In 2003, he left the hip hop group he co-created, Slum Village. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and dealt with various emotional problems as well. He went on a solo journey looking to establish his own career, but recently rejoined Slum Village. Baatin, born as Titus Glover, was born in 1974 in Detroit. In the 90s he obtained the name Baatin, which represented his new look upon spirituality. Baatin is an Islamic term for “hidden”.

Baatin went to high school on the east side of Detroit, where he first began rapping. Also in the group was Jay Dee, who died in 2006 from lupus complications and T3. They honed their rap skills as a group in front of the Hip-Hop Shop alongside other up-and-coming rappers like Eminem. Slum Village was known as one of the top hip hop groups from Detroit, according to Soren Baker in The Times back in 2000. Eminem is known for using violence and frustration as a way to fill his lyrics, but the trio in Slum Village utilized a more universal approach. They delivered a soulful and balanced sound that set them apart from other rappers who used either glamor or hard-core attitudes. Baatin will truly be missed — a young star that has faded so quickly.