Ashanti was at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. During the interview segment Ashanti was asked what she was thankful for and the interviewer kind of hinted that her career was one of those things. It was funny watching Ashanti answer, because as she was talking you could see the wheels turning. In the back of her mind she was thinking, ‘My album went wood for the fourth-fifth time.. I’m ‘thankful’ for this career with conditions.’

Ashanti sang “Shine” a song off Declaration. Few would know that (see above).

Ashanti “Shine” - Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Once that was over, Ashanti hit the Long Island expressway to chef up her special orange chicken. The Daily News got the scoopage..

“I’m all about family. Everyone comes over. I do about 80% of the cooking. I do the big bird, do the cabbage, do the mac & cheese, do a special orange chicken - that’s my special secret recipe. There’s rice and peas, and sometimes, if I’m the mood, I’ll try some fish, like whiting or flounder. My cousin will do the collard greens, black-eyed peas. My aunt does the pies, and my sister does the cakes.”

“I just love being with family, being home, being able to chill out… a lot of family, kids running around, a lot of food.”

That’s all I can think about now..

orange chicken.

Ex-Danity Kane member Aubrey O’ Day spent some time on Turkey Day to help out at New York City’s Rescue Mission. Founded in 1872, the Rescue Mission gives spiritual hope, food, clothing and shelter to anyone who walks through their doors. Yesterday, food was on the minds of most of those people. Aubrey didn’t dish out the mac and cheese..

.. but she had the apple cider game on lock.

Rescue Mission worker? Nope. That’s Momma O’ Day. Call her.. Kandy.

It marked a Yin and Yang week for Aubrey, on Monday she was spotted at a photoshoot, which if the rumors are correct, will be in the pages of Playboy in the coming months. The folks at Playboy are doing the ‘can’t confirm or deny’ thing.. that means she did and this goose made sure she promises to come back with the advance issue.

Don’t be fooled by this guy’s rasta exterior, he’s got one of the swaggiest rap flows I’ve heard in a minute. His name?.. Waahli aka Wyzah. I’ll let him do the meet and greet..

“I was born and raised in Montreal, so that makes me a montrealien. From haitian descent my parents are from the hill top of fort-Jacques in Haiti, for having been plagued with political unrest for most of its history now Haiti is one the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Still I am a proud representative of the first Black Republic, this means a lot to me because it gives me strength and wisdom through my spiritual mystical journey. Aware that the struggle goes on, for men, women and children in Haiti. The struggle is omnipresent in Montreal, surely manifesting itself differently, it is more stereotypically oriented bringing constant dualities, hiding the face of true identity.”

“I’m the second breath from the third generation of diaspora. Hip-hop culture has been my favorite school, i’ve been attending most of the classes, i’ve met many great teachers who have inspired me a whole lot, bands like De La Soul, Common, Eric B and Rakim, Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One just to name a few. They have shaped my ways, moods, aspirations and gave me a sense of self. Thats why my dedication is to be consciously jiggy (Thats a funny one! I’ve got copyright on this one!...) Denounce, break barriers and expand!...

And with that, I give you..

Decent, no?

I’d give you the why doesn’t BET play this kind of stuff routine, but that’s so 2005 aka the year YouTube was born and made sitting in front of a TV watching music videos seem silly.

Thanksgiving Day is upon us, I don’t know about you but I’m waiting for the powers that be to cut out the grateful thing and officially rename it Turkey Day. Be honest, if you’re not in elementary school the whole pilgrims and indians thing is practically meaningless. I guess there is something to be grateful for though, if you’re a turkey lover there really is no such thing as a bad piece of that bird. Even if the chef of the house dried the thing up, as long there is a pot of gravy on the stove, you dip and ask the obvious.. “Who ate all the stuffing?”

There is still time to make this holiday meaningful. Push moms/grandma to the side and tell her to relax. You got the turkey this year and Coolio’s gonna help you with the recipe.

Cookin with Coolio: Deep-Fried Turkey

This is some foolery, but those kids looked like they really liked it.. Cause you can’t make a bad ..

“The Oscar for best supporting actress goes to.. Taraji P. Henson!” Those could be the words spoken at the 2009 Academy Awards next February if the whispers about Taraji P. Henson’s performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is everything it’s said to be. The movie, set for release Christmas Day, stars Brad Pitt who is born as an 80-year-old man and ages backward.. he becomes a child. If that’s not curious enough, how about the idea that Taraji P. Henson is his mother.

Ok, that’s explainable. She’s his surrogate mother, and her performance is the talk of the flick.

The casting director, Laray Mayfield was impressed with Taraji’s Shug Life in Hustle & Flow and invited her to audition for the role of Queenie in Benjamin Button. Like the film, it got a little weird. Taraji → “Laray was in tears. I’m thinking, ‘Wait, did she take her medicine?’ She said it was because she had found her Queenie, and we bonded. I do a lot of auditions, and they don’t necessarily go anywhere.. I wondered, ‘Did I get the job?’ They say work begets work, and it honestly does.”

Taraji was at the SAG Awards, she stopped to talk about the movie.

“It’s an epic, that’s all I can say. It’s an epic. It’s like a modern-day Gone with the Wind. They don’t make films like this anymore. It’s beautiful to watch. The cinematography is going to blow you away. The message, the story… I mean, in the screenings grown men had to collect themselves before they could get up and leave. It’s one of those movies that will touch you in ways you’ve never been touched in a long time in film.”

Here’s the trailer..

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Put it on your list of must-sees.

When it rains.. Jada Pinkett-Smith grabs an umbrella. The stars of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa are on an overseas promotional tour: hitting and running from one premiere event to the next. Over the weekend, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett-Smith were snapped in Israel.

Should I count Alex too? ..

There are lots of pictures floating around, but let’s take it to the carpet.

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” Israel Premiere