September 30, 2005
Brandy and Q Break Up
Rumors have been circulating over the last couple of months that singer/actress Brandy and her fiancé Quentin Richardson of the NBA's New York Knicks have broken up. Brandy had been seen out and about less her $1 million dollar, 11 carat engagement ring and that caused people to talk. Then she got the tattoo she had of Q's face on her back covered with tattoos of butterflies. Both tattoos looked horrendous and I'll see if I can dig up some pictures of the before and after.
Q had also been spotted in his native Chicago with another woman. The stories surrounding this break up are many and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of all the madness. What's being said is that Brandy cheated on Q. Highly plausible. We know how she is. Then the other rumor, of course was that Q cheated on her. Also highly plausible. He's not as famous, but his reputation is that of a typical NBA player. Then there are rumors that Brandy's meddling ass mama Sonia was the cause of her break up and we all know how Sonia is.
Brandy's brother Ray J was on the radio with Wendy Williams recently, he said that Q and Brandy are trying to work things out, which is highly unlikely. Ray J is liable to say anything at any given moment and his words are not to be trusted. The boy lies. He's still walking around claiming he was a Blood and used to get shot at everyday. As for credibility, young Ray J has absolutely none, so that is that.
Brandy and Q were cute together, but this break up probably doesn't surprise anyone but Brandy, the serial monogamous woman that meets men and falls in love all in the same breath. At least there wasn't a fake marriage and another baby involved in all of this drama, like her last fiasco.
Okay, found the pictures of Brandy with and without the Quentin tattoo. That tattoo never did look anything like Quentin. It's like she ran up in the tattoo parlor and tried to get the tattoo done by giving the tattoo artist a description and not a photo of her man. Anyway....
Death Of A Dynasty
Though hip hop moguls Jay-Z and Damon Dash went their separate ways months ago, they were still partners in Rocawear, the spin-off clothing line of their music label Roc-A-Fella Records. That has now come to a close, Damon Dash sold his share of Roc-A-Wear for $30 million dollars and plans to focus on other clothing lines like the higher end Rachel Roy women's line, the more upscale Damon Dash Collection, and of course things like the State Property line, etc..
Dame spoke to Women's Wear Daily and he claims not to be bitter. He says, "In the past five years, I've learned so much and made so much money that I don't feel any animosity. We've all prospered."
Dame feels that Roc-A-Wear is no longer reflective of Damon Dash. He says, "I feel like my partners don't understand what I'm trying to represent. We were getting a bit too demographic. I also think my partners, but not Jay he wasn't really active as far as the business went, were thinking I was using Rocawear to fund my lifestyle. I think they felt like I was using Rocawear money to fund everything else I was doing when, in actuality, I was funding other companies, like America magazine, out of my own pocket."
Dame also let it be known that Jay-Z role in Roc-A-Wear was pretty much in name only. Dame says, "Jay came to the office once, maybe twice, per year, if we were lucky. If I asked him to be in the campaign, it couldn't happen. He would never do it. Why? I don't know. Honestly, I never knew. So then I had to become the marketer and the vocal person and the spokesman and that wasn't initially what I wanted to do. That was his job and it was something he didn't want to do. But now, he wants to and I'm cool with it. How could I be mad? I'm walking away with all that money, those companies and so much knowledge."
Out of nowhere Jay-Z began taking a more active role in Rocawear over the summer and Dame can only wonder how much more growth the company could have had if Jay did that back in the day, when it was needed.
There was more to the article and he said some more things about Jay. He did say that Jay being the face of Rocawear was necessary and in that aspect Jay played his position. In the same breath he claimed that Jay did nothing and what little he did was not enough, so go figure. Dame has an Apprentice style show called The Ultimate Hustler set to air on BET on October 4; just a reminder if anyone is interested in watching.
Wow. I would love to know the whole story behind their break up. They each give little bits and pieces of banter that lets you know that there is some bitterness on both sides, all the while saying that they are not bitter.
Dame says there's no animosity, but his commentary tells otherwise. What I got from the article is that Jay was a lazy piece of shit and that company would have been nothing without Damon Dash. He made it quite clear that business was not Jay's forte, which the powers that be up at Def Jam are finding out the hard way. No big surprise there. Jay seems to know what to do with his money. Like his investment in the New Jersey Nets. I bet he couldn't explain the first thing about the deal itself, or any of the paperwork. Ask him about that and he'll probably tell you he just wrote a check and sat courtside last season.
Now Dame, I believe him when he says he's the ultimate hustler. We've seen his handiwork. He had his hands in a little bit of everything: Roc-A-Fella, a bunch of clothing lines, vodka, watches, the publishing industry and whatever else I'm forgetting. He hasn't been doing too much that we've seen or heard since the split, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's regrouping or plotting or planning some really big things. Then again, it could be that Dame and Jay need each other to really prosper, kind of like Shaq and Kobe. That might be farfetched, but I'm less than impressed with what either of them have been able to accomplish alone up to this point.
I make fun of Dame and his dancing around with liquor bottles, but he's a smart man and I can see him getting right soon. It appears that Jay is making moves strictly based on status and reputation, which is kind of not the same thing. This Jay/Dame divorce is much worse than the whole Brad/Jen thing. It is really is. Maybe they should just reconcile.
Suge Knight to Coach Football
Suge Knight of Death Row is obviously so bored with terrorizing hip-hop and getting shot that he is threatening to take his show on the road to coach college football. Suge played football for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in the mid to late 80's and believes that he can encourage gang bangers to play football instead of doing, like, drive-bys. He told contactmusic.com, "I'm at a point where probably in the next couple of years I'm gonna go coach football. It's something I enjoy. I don't need a paycheck for it."
First of all, Suge is nobody's example. He may have gone to college and played football, but it never stopped him from doing any gang activities. He's the biggest bully in the music industry and hasn't had a hit on his label since Snoop Dogg was but a pup. I believe Suge specifically said he wanted to coach junior college football, because we all know Division 1A or whatever it is, will have no parts of him.
I was thinking to myself, "negro, please." This is the last man anyone would pay to be around impressionable young people -- athletes or otherwise. Then I read the line about him doing it for free (not needing a paycheck) and thought, "the man just may have talked himself into a job."
I'm almost positive any school would pay Suge NOT to apply for any coaching positions at their fine, non-violent institutions of higher learning, but I know how people get about free. My motto is "if it's free, it's for me. I'll take three." And I'm usually pretty nondiscriminate about whatever it is that is free. Although, I'd never want three of anything Suge Knight was giving away. I'm almost counting on these colleges feeling the same way about Suge's services.
D'Angelo
Singer and drug addict extraordinaire, D'Angelo was recently involved in a car crash. He was thrown from the car, but escaped with minimal bruises and was home shortly after being admitted to the hospital. Rumors were flying left and right that he was dead, in critical condition. He's fine. His lawyer released a statement saying, "D'Angelo is home and doing well. He is anxious to finish the recording of his soul masterpiece that the world has patiently awaited."
The details of the accident were released, but I don't care to get into all of that. I'm just glad he's okay.
What I really want to talk about is this anxiously awaited masterpiece that the "world" is waiting for. Is his lawyer serious? Must be a really small "world" because those three loyal D'Angelo fans have no business being grouped together and called the "world." That is just such an ambitious statement this lawyer is making. I believe his lawyer also counseled Lil Kim and we all see where Kimmy's crazy, body dysmorphic ass ended up.
D'Angelo's second album was shitty; save for the song where he was naked in the video. He wasn't even as much of a drug addict then as he is now. Now he's to the point of barely functioning, so it will be very interesting to see what the hell kind of music one writes while in a barely coherent, heroin induced stupor. I'm sure no one, save for that lawyer, would consider it a masterpiece. I really think the world could care less about this album.
All in all, I'm glad D'Angelo is okay and I really hope he is somewhere rehabbing, because he is a complete and utter mess.
- reported by Keshawnta J.
