R Kelly Says, "Good People Do Good Things" - 2:29 p.m.
Circa 2003, there is no one doing it like R Kelly in the R&B world. the amount of hit records and blazing videos he's released over the last 9 months has eclipsed that tape scandal. Remember that? You see him on yachts sipping champagne and stepping in the name of love with the older set.. it's such a lovely scene and a damn good song.

This month R Kelly spoke to Blender magazine, telling them that all the things he's done this year is the result of the pressure he's felt from the sex tape allegations: "A lot of it has to do with the whole drama going on around R Kelly. If you tell me on the court that we've got to make a basket, I'm going to take my time. But if you tell me the pressure's on, tell me I've got two minutes, then I'm going to focus. Everything is like that with me. When I have a little pressure on me, my passion starts to feed my talent."

He went on to say that he has about 20-25 albums worth of songs that we haven't heard. Not in anticipation of a guilty verdict in his upcoming trial.. just workaholic habits. In regards to the trial he.. well he's going the positive thought route: "I can't think like that. Because I have to think good. I'm a good person. Good people think good; they think positive. That's why they do good."

What makes no sense is how Kelly says he continues spiritual chats with Reverend James Meeks, who appeared with him during the infamous BET interview, yet it's after these chats that he goes to the studio to create masterpieces like "Snake" "Thoia Thoing" and "Ignition." He's going from the club to the church and right back to the club.

Blender tried to get comments from celebrities about Kelly and his situation.. no one would speak. In particular Jay-Z, who when approached, was said to have given the reporter a look "like he stepped in something evil."

The love does not stop for R Kelly. Just last week, some chick called into a local radio station saying how she would do anythingggg  to get tickets for his concert here in the city. I'm assuming that would include "R Kelly Sex Tape Numero Twenty Two." You have to love the man's latest joints though.. I'm gonna have to replace my burned Chocolate Factory  with the real deal. But the monkey isn't off his back yet.. Kelly's trial is set to begin in October-November. .. What is all this drama like RK? "Osama bin Laden is the only one who knows exactly what I'm going through." Umm.. ok.

Ben Affleck Being Cut From the Franchise?
It was my opinion that Ben and J.Lo's romance fell apart after the horrible showing of Gigli  at the box office. The movie cost $54 million to make, as of August 1st theatres have collected $6 million. For anyone else it would just be a bad flick, bad timing, bad luck, but this was seen as a huge failure considering all the attention Ben and Jen have received in the press. My belief is that Ben saw how this J.Lo thing was about to affect his career.. tried his best to give her a reason to dump him with the alleged stripper incident and you know the rest.

Looking for a younger face, Paramount Pictures replaced Harrison Ford with Ben Affleck in their series of Tom Clancy flicks which include Patriot Games, Air Force One, and Clear and Present Danger. Ben Affleck officially slid into position with the last installment Sum of All Fears. It did well enough for them to begin production on another Clancy film and the plan was to have Ben come in once again and do whatever he does.

Dial up Paramount Pictures for the official word and they'll give you the runaround. A rep is reported to have said they had no intentions of replacing him, but wasn't sure if he would be in the film. That's not too solid. Why not ask Ben Affleck's manager? He was just as clueless.. he said.. "I have absolutely no idea."

This is only one instance, but if he does get cut and continues to hear the doublespeak, he may as well get his Puerto Rican princess back.. I mean why lose the money and the booty?

Whitney Houston: Diva in the Desert - 1:32 p.m.
I'm still trying to figure out why NBC decided to do a special on Whitney Houston's troubles last night, is it time for the Nielsen rating sweeps? Whatever the reason may be, it's evident that she has been nudged into the same category that Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson are in: fodder for jokes and crazy headlines in the supermarket tabloids.

The show tried to focus on her recent trip to Israel this summer, where she visited the home of the Black Hebrew Israelites - a group of African-Americans who left the states years ago believing that they are the Lost Tribe of Israel. Actually some of their believers remain in the US. I used to work with one these guys. At least once a day he would tell you how he couldn't wait to chop off the head of a white person. Funny thing was.. his favorite movies were everything from the 50's and 60's.. all the white movies. Their organization seems to have crumbled but every now and then you see a few diehard believers preaching in Times Square. I won't get into their philosophy to tough.. if your interested click here.

NBC danced around for an hour, to ask the question that is obvious to anyone without fan blinders on: is Whitney Houston on drugs? That was answered by a drug dealer who said he has witnessed her getting high. Would he say that on camera? This guy leaned back in his chair looking nervous, "I don't want to say that on camera but.. "Yes, I did." Where did she get the drugs from? In New Jersey "on Clifton Ave." How does he know that? He used to deal on Clifton Ave. Yup. He dropped ten cent. Amazingly, he served ten years in jail for dealing and was subsequently hired by Whitney Houston's father.. who he says taught him how to be a man and asked that he protect Whitney. That protection involved silencing a dealer who threatened to out Whitney's drug habits to the press. It's said that Whitney Houston has a bunch of people around her that shield her scandalous behavior from the press as best they can. The same way that Michael Jackson has assistants that ignore his circus behavior.. remember that chick holding the curtain while he dangled his kid over the balcony ..Whitney has people like that who will look at the bags under her eyes and the bones in her chest and tell you that she had a late night studying and is on a rice cake diet.. yeah that's why her side profile is equivalent to a strip of turkey bacon.

Of course all of this has been talked about for the last.. damn, seems like ten years. I watched the show to see WHY they were bringing it up again. It was half poor Whitney and the other was, "Wow, look at how crazy she is." I was hoping that they were gonna show that her trip to Israel was actually a serious change in her life, not the joke it was cast as a few months ago. The NBC host spoke to Wendy Williams, who owns the most outrageous interview Whitney has ever done.. I didn't laugh once while watching the show.. but when Wendy explained that the only thing she ever wants to know about Whitney is.. "Is she high?".. then backtracked, looked in the camera and said, "Ok me. I want to know is she high?" That was funny.. had to laugh at that.

In Wendy's offbeat way she's right though.. Whitney is being looked at as a spectacle and gossip material because it's way obvious that she and Bobby are in the drop top, weaving in the fast lane, singing along with 50 Cent in the changer.. "I'm high all the time. I'm high all the timeee.. I smoke that good shit." It's impossible not to ask what's wrong with a person who's rib cage is showing and they're sweating with the AC on. I do think it's sad that she's dropped to that level, but until she cleans herself up the question will be asked again and again.. and unfortunately every wrong move exploited for the tabloids.
Was the trip to Israel a rebirth for she and Bobby? Ummm.. I'll believe that when I see it.. or hear it. I want to know how she got involved with the Black Hebrew Israelites in the first place.

Puff Talks Education: Bad Boy High School? - 1:41 p.m.
Hours before Hurricane Isabel hit NYC with much hype and little action, J.Lo's former boyfriend and CEO of Bad Boy Records, P. Diddy, had a meeting with NYC Board of Education officials. He went seeking information about how he could contribute to the brain building of the city's youth. City Hall's public relations peeps got on their cells and tipped the troops - aka the media. Reporters left coffee and doughnut crumbs in their paths as they beat it to gather outside the Tweed Courthouse located on the north side of City Hall Park; thats where Mayor Bloomberg's education officials and P. Diddy had this meeting of the minds. If anything was established inside the historic building, than that's where it stayed. Little information about the meeting was revealed to the press.

As Puff and his people left the courthouse, reporters pressed record on their dictaphones and asked him what the deal was, "everything is top secret," Puff said. "In the days to come you'll get more information." A spokesman from the mayor's office kept it just as simple, even a Kindergarten kid could understand this: "Combs wants to help the school system."

Just what is Puffy up to now? The city just gave the stamp of approval for an alternative lifestyle High School, is Puff looking to open the doors of Bad Boy High? Testing for all students would be required, but it would be easy to get into, all you'd have to know is the lyrics to "Juicy." Break it down like Da Band and your good to go. Inside the luxurious halls, with platinum plaques hanging in every classroom, you'll have the privilege of meeting Principal Ma$e. Surely he would get up with his ol homie, seeing the opportunity to further help the community in a positive manner as he's been doing for the past four-five years. Mornings would consist of "Get Your Head Right" speeches he's perfected so well on the pulpit. And yes.. the plate will be passed.

Head of security would be Craig Mack all up in your ear when your f-cking up. The girls of Total would be in the guidance counselor's office, dishing advice on how important it is not to mess up your career by being absent from the scene. Dream.. hey somebody has to cheer on the basketball team. Loon he's posing on the sidelines as the cheerleader coach, cause you know he likes to look good and likes to think that you think he looks good. Have any problems with the heat, paint peeling from the ceiling in the classrooms, dial x000, G Dep got you on janitorial duties. Shyne.. don't forget about him. He's outside waiting for Puff in the blacked out Escalade, rifle scope in his lap. He's looking for some revenge.. just a shot in the leg as a little get back for 10 years of his life. Black Rob is m.i.a. as usual. Maybe it's not that deep, the meeting could have been about installing Sean John sponsored entrepreneur/marketing classes as part of the school curriculum. If there is one thing Puffy knows it's his paper work, and there ain't a better plug man in the industry.

This comes at a time when things couldn't be better for Mr. Diddy (as Chopper aka Young City calls him.) In a depressed market, the Bad Boy 2 soundtrack is platinum. Da Band project is turning out better than anyone expected, he just secured $100 million in funding to launch 10 Sean John stores, and is preparing to sign a lease for 52,000 square feet of office space on five floors of 1710 Broadway in Times Square. The building will be the new headquarters of Bad Boy Entertainment. Here's a question.. did you laugh when he said "We Won't Stop?"

Lee Daniels Teams up With Dame Dash - 1:58 p.m.
Lee Daniels is the man responsible for Halle Berry copping her first Oscar. He produced and was instrumental in selecting Halle Berry for the part in Monster's Ball. What do you do to follow up that kind of action? Apparently, tag team with Dame Dash, meet some rappers and get that money. Dame has aspirations of making a dent in the movie business and is contributing financing for two films: The Woodsman and Iced. The Woodsman  stars your girl Eve and Kevin Bacon who plays an ex-con recently released from prison. He gets a job in a power plant, when his boss's secretary (Eve) discovers and reveals that he is a convicted pedophile.

Iced will be directed by Dame Dash, no doubt because he was interested in the story. Based on the book written by Ray Shell, it details the life of a successful black college student who falls into the world of crack addiction.

From the Publisher: Cornelius Washington, Jr.. The product of a strict and loving upwardly mobile middle-class family, Cornelius excelled in school and went to Columbia on full scholarship. Opportunity was rife for this bright, ambitious young black man, and for a time he seized it, personally and professionally. For years he dabbled with drugs, but always just for fun, until, sometime in his thirties, a friend in the music business introduced him to crack. . . As we follow, Cornelius's path toward the fate he most fears - becoming what he calls a "Vampire-Zombie," one of the lost, dead souls at the end of the addiction line - we experience not only the horrors of an addict's life but a compelling and often uplifting story of human love and loss.

That honestly sounds like a great movie, but who knows how Dame will handle it. He might have Roc-A-Fella artists making cameos, and if bottles of Armandale are sitting with range of the camera.. on the floor.. propped up on the counter.. I'm walking out.

Angela Bassett had nothing but the worst to give to Halle after she won the Oscar, but Lee Daniels is all love wit it. He is working with Angela on a film called "Less Than Kind." he describes it as "a black version of American Beauty, " but it sounds like Stella Gets Her Groove Back Again. Angela Bassett plays a woman having a nervous breakdown and ends up sleeping with her daughter's boyfriend. Here's a bigger surprise.. the daughter is rumored to be Foxy Brown. I didn't even know she could act. Here's a formula for you: athletes plus talent equals endorsement contracts - rappers plus popularity equals movie roles. It's new math, but as valid as Einstein's crazy theories. These Lee Daniel/Dame Dash productions ain't Oscar caliber movies but they do sound better than the average hood flick.

All About Eve: Stiff, Dry and Surprisingly Flat - 1:42 p.m.
Monday nights on UPN is just about the blackest night on television. They squashed four shows back to back on the schedule, and I'm not mad at them. It's one of the few nights that I look forward to watching the tube.. well, let's clarify that..
I watch the second half of the shows: Girlfriends and Half and Half. Even better the past few weeks, Girlfriends was on for an hour, the corny black guy is always good for a laugh. This week the new Fall season started, that means the debut of Eve's "All About Eve."

Don't ask me for my opinion on it, I was in transit, on my way home from work when it aired. If these big media companies want to create a new money making source they need to tap into on-demand listening and viewing sites. That way I come home, pay $1.95 for the show or have a subscription going, and I'm happy and talking shit about the show. And the shit would be stinkin too.. at least that's what I'm getting from reviews around the net.

- Dallas Star Telegram - Her [Eve's} self-titled UPN series.. is stiff, dry and surprisingly flat. And she  is stiff, dry and surprisingly flat in it. Eve has said in interviews that she envisions Eve as a black version of Sex and the City, with episodes centering around the comedic and profound adventures of singlehood.. let's simply say what a nice, lofty ambition that is.

- Bay Area Contra Costa Times - Judging from the opener, the rather inexpressive Eve may not have the acting range to carry a series. And while she may be easy on the eyes, she was tough on the ears, occasionally mumbling words and/or butchering punch lines.

- NY Post - The actors are all talented and, even if gorgeous Eve is not a comic genius, they do deserve better writing than this. Hell, my uncle with the amateur Italian theater company in Bensonhurst had better writing than this.

I'm sure there are some positive reviews out there, but I'm hard pressed to find one. Maybe you saw the show and can make Evey Eve's day with a nice word or two.

Kicking it at the Trent Tucker 5th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament
Yeah that's your Royal Airness puffing on a Cuban. Who's gonna be the snitch to rat him out for breaking Federal laws?

How do I know its a Cuban cigar, because they're considered the best in the world and Mike is gonna accept nothing less. Even Jack Nicholson is puffing and they damn sure ain't Phillies. Mike was in Minneapolis this weekend attending the annual Trent Tucker Celebrity Golf Tournament.

This news comes from Digruntled Chica aka Lique, you may have read a preview to this event last week. She and Young K were all up in the Lebron James comments, while we all looked on like.."uhhh, okay."

That's my peoples though, you'll hear more from Chica on the site in the future. She hit me with a note this morning saying she did some coverage of the event. Get your read on..

"America, thangs popped off in a major way this weekend. Trent Tucker's 5th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament was in full effect. A variety of celebrities were in town to help raise money for The Trent Tucker Non Profit Oraganization. For the past several years, Michael Jordan has been the featured guest and as usual he attracts a large crowd who basically pays to follow him and other celebrities around the golf course and watch them play golf."

"All of the proceeds are contributed to Trent's Non Profit Organization. Afterwards all of the celebrities sign autographs and mingle with the crowd. It's pure, all American, family fun. If you would like to learn more about Trent or the event, you can check out his website."

"K.I.M - Keeping It Moving . . . Friday night the tournament was kicked off with a Trent Tucker Celebrity Party. The party was held at one of the hottest new clubs in Minneapolis, The ESCAPE ULTRA LOUNGE This club is off the chain and refreshing sight for sore eyes as Minneapolis is severely lacking the pleasurable club experience that other cities have to offer."

The full story at saucydame.com

Big Sister Williams Gunned Down - 12:27 p.m.
Yetunde Price, the Williams sisters older sibling was gunned down on Sunday in Compton, California. She was in a white SUV with a man identified as Rolland Wormley, 28 when they got into an argument with some people in the area. It isn't clear what they were arguing about, but it wasn't long before words turned into gunfire. The Associated Press says that between six and twenty gunshots were fired - umm that's a huge difference I'm guessing that they talked to people from the block who were just happy to speak the press. You know how that is.. "Yeah, so the guy jumped on top of the hood right. Kicked in the glass and then like I heard like 10 shots. The Williams girl she was ducking then this dude came up with the AK with the rifle scope.. yeah, I saw a red dot and the whole car blew up in smoke. I ran. Shit was crazy. I ran fast. Then I came back when I saw you out here. What's up ya'll got job openings?"

Whatever the number, detectives patrolling the area heard the shots and rushed to the scene. Not before Rolland Wormley got the SUV out of there. Miraculously he wasn't injured and drove Yetunde Price to a relative's home in Long Beach, from which he called 911. She was taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center where she died just after midnight from gunshot wounds to her upper body.

Rolland Wormley was said to be cooperating with police in the investigation of the shooting but was later jailed when it was discovered that he was on parole. Being at the scene of the shooting violated his parole - which I find crazy, it's not as if he was doing the shooting. It hasn't been revealed what he was on parole for. Sheriff deputies surrounded a house in Compton last night, but the house was empty. Staying on the case, this morning it's been reported that police arrested Aaron Michael Hammer, 24 in connection with the shooting.

The Williams sisters grew up in Compton and have told stories about how they would be swatting tennis balls and hearing gunshots in the distance. Last night, residents said, "Week after week, I hear gunfire. It's common." Another man remarked, "They say on the news that we get used to these shootings, but no one gets used to it. Who could get used to living in a war zone?"

Of course, The Williams family was shocked at the news.. Yetunde was their biological half-sister but they considered her as their sister, straight, no-chaser. She was the glue that held them together and would gave them encouragement during their climb to the top of the tennis field. In a Sept 15th People magazine article Yetunde said she didn't have to give them any more life lessons, "Maybe three or four years ago I'd remind them to stay grounded, but not now. They've both got good heads on their shoulders." It's crazy to even have to write about this.. what argument requires that the other person be shot in the end? Ignorance is a sad thing.

Get on The Lebron James Bandwagon - 2:17 p.m.
Football season started this past weekend, that's great.. who hoo.. see how excited I am :T I'm no football fan. I check in at Superbowl time and for the company pool. That's it. What I'm really looking forward to is the start of the basketball season. It's when Lebron James gets a taste of what it's like to play against grown ass men. This ain't Marymount High any more young buck.. "Offf" That's a Karl Malone elbow to the ribs. *Smash* that's his big toe as Shaq gets his toes before he steps on his crippled feet. *You want it, you love it..* That's Kobe giving him a taste of hotel love.. allegedly.

I'm selling 3-year tickets for the Lebron James bandwagon; that's how long I give him to prove that he's worthy of the Sprite/Nike big bucks connect. Three years to develop, that should be enough. Execs at Nike and Sprite are interested in even more rapid development - imagine that he steps on court and sucks.. someone is gonna be listening to an exit interview.

My brother is in love with Tracy McGrady.. I mean, it's like no other player exists. I told him I'm buying him a Lebron James jersey for X-mas, he'll probaly burn it or use it as a dust rag.

In any case.. it seems like every team in the NBA is looking at their schedules and circling the days they play Cleveland with big red markers. He is the new Michael Jordan - not performance wise - as far as juicing him for ratings and attendance numbers. "When Michael Jordan came to town and played in other arenas, there was a different electricity in the building," said former Nets vice-president Jon Spoelstra. "Many people are anticipating that LeBron will be able to generate this same type of electricity and he hasn't even played his first official game yet." He added.. "As a result of the proliferation of cable and the Internet, LeBron might be coming into the league with more publicity than any other player, including those that have played in college for four years." My man Jon knows what he's talking about, he's a student of Jay-Z's School of "I can sell ice in the winter" school, evidenced by the title of the book he authored "Ice to the Eskimos: How To Market A Product Nobody Wants." That's a real book, click over for yourself.

The only other thing hotter than a Lebron James game is the remixed Lakers version Dream Team 04. One NBA exec says, "Fans calling us say that they want to see the Lakers and they want to see LeBron." Now THAT will be a big game, cause Kobe is gonna wear him out. No way he's gonna let the young kid steal his shine, Kobe's gonna be an assassin all season.. accused. embarrassed.. crying on the bench last season.. pleez.. but that's a another story.

With all the hype you can't forget the number 3 draft pick, Carmelo Anthony. Dude did one year of college, put Syracuse on his back and won the NCAA title. He thought he would get more attention for his work, but it's all about LB. They're friends, but Carmelo's goal is to win the Rookie of the Year Award to prove his worth... and show up Lebron.

His team, the Denver Nuggets, match up against Cleveland and LeBron.. or as they've already been dubbed, The James Gang.. on November 2. A guaranteed sell-out the Nuggets are promoting as the "Rookie Rumble." You have Sprewell in Minnesota, Van Gundy coaching Houston.. Robert "all I have is the three" Horry with the Spurs. Yup. The NBA is gonna be exciting this year.

Truth Hurts - The One Hit Wonder Interview - 1:52 p.m.
What happens to your singing career after your sued for $500 million? The whole machine shuts down and your looking at jobs at the nearest fast food restaurant or talking about your upcoming project on an indie that stands no chance at reviving your career. That's a harsh thing to say.. the fact of the matter is it happens to the best of them.

Truth Hurts ne. Shari Watson came out of nowhere with "Addictive" and gave Aftermath a good look for a hot second. Then it all fell apart. Despite the heat of the single, the album didn't pop off the same way. Then due to non-clearance of the sample of the Hindi song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai," Aftermath was sued for $500 million.. and that derailed the whole project.

Shortly after, she was dropped from the label, or as she tells aftermathmusic.com, " Uuumm. They really didn't. They gave me an option. They told me what is gonna happen if I stay on the label and under Interscope and I told Dr. Dre that it would be the best thing to leave."

The sad part is she didn't produce the record.. DJ Quik was behind the boards, "I woke up one morning, I turned on the TV and landed on this Hindi channel and just turned it up real loud. There was a commercial on, and I just got up and went into the bathroom and started brushing my teeth. ... Before I knew it, I was grooving. ... [The beat on the TV] was just in my body. I went back in there and looked at the TV - there was a girl on there belly dancing, just like real fly. So I pushed record on the VCR." And Shari paid the price for that early morning nut.

I'm not gonna act like Truth Hurts was the latest and greatest, but her album wasn't as bad as sales would indicate. Asked if she was a one hit wonder, Shari replied.. "I would say Yes and No, because you can't say, that people become a superstar after only 1 single. So pretty much people knew who I was after that single. The problem was, we had no big promotion for the album." You can read the entire interview at aftermathmusic.com

National Lampoon's Baghdad Vacation - 1:53 p.m.
Last night, President Bush let it be known that he would need $87 billion to continue the liberation of Iraq. Now between me and you, it's obvious that this money could be spent in better ways.

For those unsure of the benefits of an $87 billion bank balance let me put it in relative terms:

$87 billion is equal to 15 billion McDonalds value meals, that's enough to feed you for 150 million lifetimes. It's the same as purchasing 580 million pairs of the latest $150 kicks. You would be able to buy 3 billion Friday  DVDs. Females.. that's about 250 million pairs of shoes, depends if your going Payless or Manolo; and if in the hands of Baby from Cash Money, he'd be able to visit 106 and Park with 43,500 ruby gold chains around his neck. *bling bling bling bling*

On a serious note.. if Iraq wasn't a haven for terrorists pre-9/11 it is now. You've got groups that didn't even like each other collaborating to do dirt every chance they get, which is often. As Bush said.. "you have people who just want to.. uh, blow things up." That's an actual quote from a press conference this summer - our Commander in Chief is brilliant.

At this point there is no pulling out of the troops, we're strapped in the seat until the wheels come off. Let Bush have his $87 billion, the question is.. where exactly does that money go?

Wathiq Hindo a 55-year old business man is hoping that some of it lands in his hands. He looks at Iraq as the next great tourist destination. He tells the NY Times, "You've got all the ingredients. People still think of this as the birthplace of civilization. You've got Babylon and Nineveh, and near Ur you've got the site of the garden of Eden."

He envisions package tours, four-star hotels and resorts, American families cruising in minivans down new superhighways, water-skiing, maybe even a Disneyland on Lake Habbaniya. Religious tourists will flock to see where Job and Jonas died, or to the Muslim holy cities Najaf and Karbala... "They will kiss the shrines and they will spend," Hindo says. click here for the full story (click twice to get past the subscription page)

If Wathiq Hindo's vision comes true can a sequel for the Griswalds be far behind?. You can't tell me Baghdad Vacation wouldn't be hilarious.. I watch the first one every chance I get.. it's a classic.

Beyonce Celebrates B-Day at the 40/40 Club
How do you celebrate your birthday when your man is not only the artist, but the co-ceo of his label? A night out at his restaurant that's how.. it's cheaper.

Word has it that for Beyonce's 22nd birthday, Jay-Z gave her the Pretty Woman  treatment. In that 1989 movie starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, Gere whisked Julia Roberts up to a penthouse suite and laid out a bunch of dresses.. "choose one, any one, cause I got it like that" was the impression he was going for.

Jay-Z must have seen the flick cause he recreated that scene for his bootylicious princess.. last Thursday night, he gave Beyonce a variety of outfits to choose from. Knowing her she was cheezing and smiling the whole time, eventually she decided on a long, red dress.

Then they hopped in a car and headed to his new restaurant/bar on W.25th St., the 40/40 club. Once inside they went to a private VIP room. Is that when the red dress came off? Nope. A bunch of people jumped out and yelled, "Surprise!" It was that damn Kelly and Michelle.. her Destiny's Child sisters. Even more surprising was Solange and Big Momma aka Tina Knowles.. yup the whole fam was there.

The crazy thing is you would never know that they were a couple unless you read the gossip columns.. or maybe you've seen them together yourself. He brought her up to Rucker park this summer - that's as hood as she's gonna get. Maybe Jay is trying to keep the paparazzi away, once they admit the relationship every time they're in front of a mike someone is gonna want to know the latest. Hah! that's what happens now.

This clandestine relationship has been brewing for at least a year... Beyonce's 21st birthday party was spent at the Cascade Family Skating Center in Atlanta. And who was there? Read this Beyonce blog entry for yourself.

I've heard people - mostly women - say that Beyonce should dump Jay cause he doesn't show her any love in public and.. who needs him anyway, he's not that hot anymore. Chill with the daggers mami. I heard he wears a size 13 shoe, rents yachts to chill off the coast of unpronounceable islands.. and scroll to the bottom of this page look at that club. You know you want to be all up in the VIP.

Behind the scenes every need is cared for and it stays that way: Sean Paul will get no free grinds on stage with his chick, not even in a video. He flies her around the country in his private jet.. to keep the dogs away. The man is serving his playa card correct and keeping his woman damn near virginal.. that's a beautiful thing.

Murder INC Artist Shot in Queens, NY - 1:49 p.m.
Are things getting real in the Murder INC/G-Unit beef? That's what police will be investigating after Gerard "NO Cannon" Fields was gunned last night in Queens, NY. The 26-year-old was shot twice in the chest and once in the leg at 177th Street and 104th Avenue. He died a few hours later at Mary Immaculate Hospital.

Safare Sey, who knew Gerard said, "That was my friend. He was a good guy. He was not doing anything wrong."

On Monday another man was killed in Queens, according to police the man had been associated with 50 Cent. They are looking for a connection between the two murders. After Gerard was shot a man was seen running away from the scene, but no suspects have been caught.

Gerard Fields had recently signed to Murder INC under the name of NO Cannon. If your as clueless as I am, but would like to know who he was and what he had done musically.. let's read his official bio.

D.O Cannon was born in Gerard Fields. He was raised and struggled in the streets of poverty, two blocks from every hood. Growing up he was a quiet loud a*s. He lost his mom at the age of eleven. After that he really didn't give a f**k, that is when he became a Cannon.

D.O Cannon met Caddillac Tah in '89. They were from the same hood, did the same things: robbed, smoked, f**ked, they did them. Growing up was fun. Music is life, that's what makes us function. "It's like sh*tting on your man, you stagnating yourself." "I got to say I love everybody: fat, slim, rich or broke. We on the grind, it's Pov-City everywhere. It's funny how I see my life, I'm always on the road. We real niggas meeting real broads." Learning from his mistakes he evolved in to a spontaneous person. But most important he's down to earth and not afraid of reality. D.O. Cannon is going to stand up and take care of his responsibilities, that's what it is all about.

Growing up was hard that is why he doesn't take things for granted. He helps when he can, parties, and likes everything that is fun. God's honest truth is this rap game fell in his lap. D.O got his shot off of Caddillac Tah's album. He laced sixteen bars and Gotti was like who is this kid and that's when everything popped off. D.O feels that he would be cheating if he didn't say that he was rhyming back in the days. He created, his style from everybody: east coast, west coast, north coast, and the dirty south.

He gives much love to everybody in the struggle, and poverty. I love y'all, everybody needs love.

Yes, everybody needs love. If there is a connection between these two murders, this beef is getting out of hand. And that's putting it real simple. By the way, I heard that Ja Rule has a decent song on the streets called "The Crown." The way things are headed though, with this possible link, the ex G-Unit kids beefin with 50, the whole thing has an ill 2Pac/Biggie vibe; like your gonna wake up one morning and hear that --- got shot. Let's hope I'm as wrong as 3 + 1 = 2

Just Admit That Your Stealing
The Recording Industry Association of America, the pitbull for the big boys in the music industry, has been on people's asses ever since they found out Napster wasn't a new shaving cream at Walmart.

Some crisply, suited ham typed in http://www.napster.com and saw hundreds of thousands of songs pop up on his screen, all available free of charge. The mutha had a fit. Ever since then it's been all out war. The RIAA has been looking for every way possible to stop this shuttling of files through cyberspace..or whatever you want to call it. Just don't do it. I mean who would want to have music instantly available from your home to your car to your hip - minus a handful of scratched up CDs - anyway? That's just stupid.

The fight goes on. Even though Napster is no more it split up into highly elusive parts, Bin Laden style, it's near impossible to keep up with the different variants and methods that net users use to trade music. While the RIAA has recently made claims of shaving ice on downloading fever, they aren't satisfied.. they know your still out there trading music, or should I say stealing it? That's right. You've got stolen goods on your hard drive, just admit it.

As you may have heard, here and in other places, the RIAA has initiated a policy of suing individuals who have large amounts of files on their computers. How do they find out? Sniffing out ip numbers on Kazaa and Grokster, etc. Versions of Kazaa with blocking features have been released, but the RIAA's feeling is that they will get you soon or later. With this in mind they have announced plans for an amnesty program for those with a guilty conscience and sweaty palms as Mary's latest comes streaming to your desktop.

The deal is that they won't sue you if you sign a notarized from admitting that you have downloaded or shared music. You would also have to promise to delete all the songs on your hard drive and promise to never ever download music again. Sounds fair and balanced right? Cool.

This announcement comes on the heels of Universal/Vivendi's plan to reduce the price of all new CDs to $12.99, which would translate at some retail outlets to $9.99. Universal is responsible for damn near every major label that matters: Def Jam, Bad Boy, Roc-A-Fella, uhh.. Murder INC, Cash Money. I had to pause, we're talking labels that matter right?

The price reduction is expected to force other companies to follow suit. This is a move that a blind man could see. For the past year or so labels have boosted first week sales by initially pricing the CD at $9.99 or $8.99, then they act amazed when people actually buy them. Hey, brainiac there is a huge difference between the $14.99 and $9.99, of course your gonna sell more CDs, it aligns with all those impulse buying theories. And the extra $5 buys you other precious things, like blank CDs. That way when you get home you can burn 25 copies and sell em for $3 a piece. :)