NEW VIDEO: Adele - "Someone Like You"

ADELE and her music are one of my obsessions right now (as you can see she's on my FAVES list). She's been on my radar since the first time I saw her "Chasing Pavements" Video in 2008/2009. So to hear that she's FINALLY debuted the video to one of my FAVORITE songs off her sophomore album "21" is exciting! Then to finally SEE it ... AMAZING. This woman is a true artist ... gives me chills. Check it out:






Go YouTube ALL her videos and music. Check for tour dates and other ADELE news HERE.

GRAMMY RED CARPET: The Women of '09

The ladies in the music industry did NOT disappoint when it came to red carpet fashion this GRAMMY season. Some looked elegant and classy and some a hot mess ... Here are the best and the worst of the night:

Oscar winner -- and now GRAMMY winner -- Jennifer Hudson poses with fiance' (and former I Love New York contestant) David Otunga.

American Idol FANTASIA looks cute for a change in this shimmery, fringy number, but the shoes -- not hot.

American Idol, and 2009 nominee, JORDIN SPARKS shows off her sparkly accessories (and perosnality) on the red carpet.

2009 Nominee KEYSHIA COLE looking regal.

Singer (and former Destiny's Child member) LETOYA LUCKETT

(some blogs are saying this outfit was hot, but I'm NOT loving it .. Shoes are too big and the dress is too short for those bird legs ... No ma'am .. from the waste up -- FAB)

2009 nominee M.I.A. (Paper Planes singer) was due on GRAMMY night and still managed to show up and show out on the red carpet. I don't love the outfit but I have to give the girl props for even coming out AND performing!!!

2009 Winner NATALIE COLE.

Don't like that dress (plus her boob is about to play peekaboo)

The Simmons girls (aka Angela and Vanessa) get my vote for BEST DRESSED. LOVE it .. ALL of it

PAULA ABDUL lookin -- well -- weird.
The dress is just off for some reason and the hair is not hot. Boo @ Paula.

Singer SOLANGE in a cute yellow mini dress (it's not summertime yet girl!).

** GET ALL THE GRAMMY ISH AT www.grammy.com ... LOTS MORE PHOTOS TO SEE!!!

2009 GRAMMY PREVIEW: (Updated with the Winners!)

Music's biggest night happens this Sunday, February 8th ... That's when the golden trophies known as the GRAMMYs are handed out to the best in the industry.

There are a BUNCH of hot performances planned (more on that later) but of course the main foucs is seeing who takes home the awards.

Lil' Wayne is up for the most awards ... SEVEN to be exact (for both solo and collab songs). Ne-Yo's up for FIVE (he's a songwriter too, remember?). Up for THREE nominations: Adele, Jazmine Sullivan, and Kanye West ... and up for TWO each: Boyz II Men, Eric Benet, Chris Brown, Estelle, Flo Rida, Nas, T.I., Andre 3000, Raphael Saadiq, Alicia Keys, Snoop, Keyshia Cole and Al Green.

And several other artists are up for one Sunday night ... But the BIGGEST trophies are listed below ...



AND HERE ARE THE NOMINEES!!! (my personal picks are in blue)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

"Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends"
Coldplay


"Tha Carter III"
Lil Wayne

"Year Of The Gentleman"
Ne-Yo


"Raising Sand"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss


"In Rainbows"
Radiohead

(I didn't even buy Ne-Yo's album but I liked several of his singles. I know LW will probably win but a sista can dream can't she? lol)

SONG OF THE YEAR

"American Boy"
William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters (Estelle Featuring Kanye West)


"Chasing Pavements"
Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters (Adele)


"I'm Yours"
Jason Mraz, songwriter (Jason Mraz)


"Love Song"
Sara Bareilles, songwriter (Sara Bareilles)


"Viva La Vida"
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)

(I also like Adele's song but I'm still groovin' to Estelle's
2008 hit, I hope she wins!)

BEST NEW ARTIST

Adele

Duffy

Jonas Brothers

Lady Antebellum

Jazmine Sullivan


(Honestly, JS is starting to get on my nerves, but when she first came out, she was hot, I want her or Adele to get the trophy)

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS

"Lesson Learned"
Alicia Keys & John Mayer


"4 Minutes"
Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland


"Rich Woman"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss


"If I Never See Your Face Again"
Rihanna & Maroon 5


"No Air"
Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown

(It totally TOOK OVER both urban and mainstream radio in '08, so it would only make sense for the Prince of Pop and the A.I. Princess to win this one)

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE

"Me, Myself And I"
Beyoncé


"Heaven Sent"
Keyshia Cole


"Spotlight"
Jennifer Hudson


"Superwoman"
Alicia Keys


"Need U Bad"
Jazmine Sullivan

(I honestly don't understand why that OLD ASS Beyonce song is even

nominated but if she gets it, I'll be highly pissed. It's really hard to choose

between J-Hud, Keyshia and Jaz but as far as VOCALS, I think Jaz should

get it cuz "Need U Bad" was FIERCE!)

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE

"You're The Only One"
Eric Benét


"Take You Down"
Chris Brown


"Miss Independent"
Ne-Yo


"Can't Help But Wait"
Trey Songz


"Here I Stand"
Usher

(I was torn between Chris and Ne-Yo but I'll give this to CB because his performance of "Take You Down" is DEFINITELY memorable :) ... but if Ne-Yo wins, I won't be mad)

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO
OR GROUP WITH VOCALS

"Ribbon In The Sky"
Boyz II Men


"Words"
Anthony David Featuring Indie.Arie


"Stay With Me (By The Sea)"
Al Green Featuring John Legend


"I'm His Only Woman"
Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia


"Never Give You Up"
Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton

(If Boyz II Men gets this I'll be pissed, anyone else I'm cool with ... but I REALLY want Anthony and India to get this one. That was my FAVORITE song of the YEAR. I'd also love to hear/see J-Hud and Fanny do their song LIVE :)

BEST R&B SONG

"Bust Your Windows"
Salaam Remi & Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Deandre Way, songwriter) (Jazmine Sullivan)

"Customer"
I. Barias, Raheem DeVaughn, C. Haggins,

K. Oliver & J. Smith, songwriters (Raheem DeVaughn)

"Heaven Sent"
Keyshia Cole, Jason Farmer & Alex Francis, songwriters (Keyshia Cole)

"Miss Independent"
M.S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo)

"Spotlight"
Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Shaffer Smith, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson)

(This will be a tough one! I loved all of these songs EXCEPT "Bust Your Windows," but as far as the BEST, I think "Customer" was the essential R&B love tribute. I wouldn't be mad if either Jen or Keyshia's songs won though ...)

BEST R&B ALBUM

Love & Life
Eric Benét


Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
Boyz II Men


Lay It Down
Al Green


Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson


The Way I See It
Raphael Saadiq

(I think Raphael didn't get enough credit for his awesome album, so I hope he gets thrown this bone ... J-Hud's album wasn't all that great to me and the rest I never even heard about)

BEST SOLO RAP PERFORMANCE

"Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)..."
Jay-Z


"A Milli"
Lil Wayne


"Paris, Tokyo"
Lupe Fiasco


"N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master)"
Nas


"Sexual Eruption"
Snoop Dogg

(Honestly I'm torn between Nas and Lupe on this one but I know Lupe doesn't have a REAL chance in any of the other categories, so I'm hoping he'll get this one -- I loved the single).

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP

"Royal Flush"
Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000

"Swagga Like Us"
Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne

(WINNER!)

"Mr. Carter"
Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z


"Wish You Would"
Ludacris Featuring T.I.

"Put On"
Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West



(Ok so Young Jeezy was the man of the year with that damn song ...

and Lil' Wayne sold millions in the first week ... but none of those can

touch "Swagga Like Us" ...to me .. coldest song of the YEAR!)

BEST RAP SONG

Lollipop
D. Carter, S. Garrett, D.Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters
(Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major)

(WINNER!!!)

Low
T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters

(Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain)

Sexual Eruption
Calvin Broadus, S. Lovejoy & D. Stewart, songwriters
(Snoop Dogg)

Superstar
Lupe Fiasco & Soundtrakk, songwriter
(Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos)

Swagga Like Us
D. Carter, S. Carter, Clifford Harris, & Kanye West, songwriters
(M. Arulpragasam, N. Headon, M. Jones, J. Mellor, T. Pentz, P. Simonon, songwriters)
(Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne)

(Of course I want "Swagga Like Us" to win every award it's nominated for,

and "Superstar" was the ISH toobut let's be real ..."Lollipop" was

the song of the summer ... it was HOT ... so I'm sure it'll win the award.)

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION

"American Boy"
Estelle Featuring Kanye West

"Low"
Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain

"Green Light"
John Legend & Andre 3000

"Got Money"
Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain

"Superstar"

Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos

(Another tough category ... Love the Estelle/Kanye song ... and the

T-Pain-featured cuts were highly popular, but again I LOVED Lupe's song ...

and it was true collab of two great artists)

BEST RAP ALBUM

American Gangster
Jay-Z


Tha Carter III
Lil Wayne


The Cool
Lupe Fiasco


Nas
Nas


Paper Trail
T.I.

(Lupe's album -- as a whole -- wasn't exciting ... and though I love Nas,

I want this one to go to T.I. If he's about to go down for that gun charge,

I want him to go down a winner. Besides, the album was HOTNESS!)

BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE

"Say Goodbye To Love"
Kenna

"Wanna Be"
Maiysha

"Be OK"
Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am

(WINNER!!!)

"Many Moons"
Janelle Monae

"Lovin You (Music)"
Wayna Featuring Kokayi

(I GOTTA give this to my girl Chrisette ... but Janelle is hot --

to some people -- right now. We shall see! ...

BEFORE we find out these winners, the GRAMMYs will air a pre-show beginning at 3 pm (CST). The pre-show will feature performances by Wayne Brady and Heavy D (yes, the former overweight lover). Gospel singer Yolanda Adams and actor Blair Underwood are among the presenters. You can catch the pre-show on several network stations or online at http://www.grammy.com/.

AS FOR THE MAIN SHOW:

It airs LIVE on CBS, starting at 7 pm (CST). It will also be on Twitter and Facebook for you webaholics (like me lol).

(Urban) Performers for the evening include: B.B. King, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Robin Thicke (1st time nominee this year), Estelle and Kanye West, Chris Brown, Rihanna (you know they BOTH have to perform lol), Lil' Wayne (of course), T.I. and Justin Timberlake (performing one of my favorite songs on Paper Trail -- "Dead and Gone"), Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo, plus T.I. and the crew (Jay-Z, Kanye and Lil Wayne) will band together for a LIVE performance of "Swagger Like Us" (also nominated for a GRAMMY).


Other acts of interest hitting the stage that night include: M.I.A. (Paper Planes), Adele (British singer & nominee for best New Artist), and Carrie Underwood (love her!), ... There will also be tributes to Bo Diddley and The Four Tops (Lifetime Achievement Award recipients).


Award presenters include: Diddy, Natalie Cole (nominated this year), Morgan Freeman (Mr. I hate Black History Month lol), The Rock, John Legend (five-time winner), Leona Lewis (current nominee), LL Cool J, will.i.am, Samuel L. Jackson, T-Pain, and Queen Latifah.

POST-SHOW -- I'll give a play by play review of the entire night (like I did last year) ... and the WINNERS will be highlighted on THIS entry in RED.




Til then!!! ... GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE NOMINEES!! :)

MUSIC REVIEW: John Legend's EVOLVER

Since the beginning of time, man has evolved – whether he wanted to or not. Evolution brings new ideas, new inventions, and a plethora of changes – most of which are for the better.

So it was no surprise to listen to John Legend’s Evolver and hear new sounds, new lyrics, and new ideas from what appearing to be an ever-evolving man.

The album opens as do most of his compositions, with a soothing melody. The politely soft horns and his raspy but sultry voice welcome the listener to his reinvented musical experience.

Whereas his first album was mixture of classic R&B and hip hop, and his second a return to classic soul (with a bit of pop sprinkled in the mix), Evolver is a cocktail of crossover-potential songs. Two parts dance/pop, one part soul/R&B and one part reggae, it gives the listener a unique buzz that satisfies the eclectic palette.

Featured among the mix are Legend’s musical partner-in-crime, Kanye West; one of his discoveries, British sensation Estelle; and Brandy, an R&B fave who’s been MIA.

Aside from the first single, and instant smash hit, “Green Light” (featuring Andre 3000), there are several tracks that should get any music-lover’s attention:

“No Other Love” is peppered with a Reggae influence and channels a Marley feel. With the addition of Estelle’s accented voice, it’s sure to be a favorite.

“If You’re Out There” sounds like something U2 would have recorded, but Legend does it great justice. The cut speaks to the masses with a message of empowerment and change.

More classic soulful tracks like “This Time”, “Good Morning” and “I Love, You Love” showcase the Legend we’ve all grown to love. Simple melodies and accompaniment, paired with strong vocals and lyrics.

This writer’s favorite would have to be “Cross the Line.” This track is splattered with hip hop, reggaeton and modern soul, giving you something to remember and keep on repeat.

The entire album is worth putting on repeat. As he tells stories of love sought, lost, and found, Legend takes chances that are well worth the risk. He has composed a musical happy hour (and a half) that anyone can enjoy.

Evolver tells two simultaneous tales ... the evolving of a man ... and the evolving of a musician – both trying out new things in the name of love.

- mahogani (c) 2008

Mahogani's BET Awards ReCap

So against my better judgment (and because nothing else was on at the time) I watched the BET Awards. Trying to give this stupid network a chance to recapture my attention (and see some live music).

So here’s the mahogani performance recap:


Usher opened with the same performance we've seen since "Love in this Club" first came out ... Losing your edge Ursh?

I was not impressed, especially since he was lip syncing ... I had hoped Chris Brown would open but we can't always have what we want right?

Ursh, let it go .. You had a good run but it's over now ... You’re starting to remind me of LL ... just let it goooooo! (I’m so bored). He's doing the same I-jacked-Michael moves that he did when his last album dropped ..

But wait .. if he does that what will Ne-Yo do on stage??? LOL

They did get Ne-Yo (the other Michael Jackson wanna-be) smirking into the camera right after the Ursh performance lol .. good job BET.


MC Lyte (the announcer for the night) screams out all the names of the performers and presenters and then DL Hughley comes out looking like he just stepped outta the 40s with a hangover ... he was kinda funny ...


J-Hud and Terrence Howard come out .. she sings, he plays the guitar .. they look like they're about to full-on make out on the floor ... who writes this crap???

Best Male R&B nominees are Chris Brown, Raheem Devaughn, J Holiday (wtf?), Ne-Yo, and Trey Songz (my baby daddy!) ...

If that's the best of R&B I need D’Angelo and Maxwell to return to the scene IMMEDIATELY ...

T and J flirt a little more and then announce C.B. as the winner (surprised? i wasn't) ...

C. B. slowly makes his way up to the mic in his black and white MJ'esce jacket and makes his thank yous short and sweet ... and gives Weezy props on his new (sold-one-million-in-a-week) album before leaving the stage. (and yeah he was sitting by his boo Rihanna) ..


After a commercial break (filled mostly with BET promos) Young Jeezy performs against a flag backdrop (on a big screen) ... I change the channel because he bores me ...

And we're back ... with Lyte screaming again .. Introducing Kevin Hart (comedian) and Mel B (lookin “smashing” and wayyyy taller than Kevin) ..


Again, who writes this shit? The show would be much shorter if they shut the hell up ...


Ok Best Male Athlete noms are: Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Floyd Mayweather, Tiger Woods, Chris Paul ...

Guess who got it ..

Kobe .. big shocker ...

Kobe's at home crying over his big ass beatdown last week (Go Celtics!) so he couldn't accept his award (my words not theirs) ..


Some of Keyshia Cole's people get a little airtime (her mama and sister) and we're back to a break ...

And we're back ...

DL has fans applaud for Kobe .. and attempts another joke ...


Keyshia Cole hits the stage singing my new fav song "Heaven Sent" ... She looked gorgeous but was barely audible ...

Throat problems or bad audio? Who knows with BET at the wheel .. But she didn't sound her best even though she looked it .. She saved face but screaming and having the audience sing for her .. poor thing ..

Cut to some dude ripping her pretty dress bottom off revealing white shorts/hot pants and white boots (classic hood Keyshia) and sings her other song "Let it Go" ... She had Kanye and A-Ham jammin ..

Then Lil Kim appears in black and grey with her long (busted) Tyra weave (and we see John Legend’s model chick whisper something in his ear) ...

The performance is over ... so what’s next?

Oh my, Cuba Gooding Jr., Nia Long and Morris Chestnut ... A Boyz N Da Hood reunion ...

I hate Nia for always looking so good ... but WTH did Morris and Cuba have on??? ... and why does Cuba sound drunk?

OMG somebody get him! he's sending shout outs to Ice Cube and saying the word "dawg"! He needs to be arrested immediately! (Please YouTube that if you didn’t see it, it’s a hot mess).

The trio introduces Best Female Hip hop Artist (there's more than one?). The nominees were Missy, Eve (oh yeah i forgot she's rappin’ again), Kid Sister (are ya'll kidding me?), Trina and Lil Mama ..

The award goes to Missy .. but she's not there to accept it.Another break .. more promos .. Yada, Yada .. DL talkin’ ... Yada Yada.


Ne-Yo hits the stage looking like a smooth criminal video in a gray suit to perform "Closer" ... Did he steal DL's outfit? and what's with the black gloves and WHITE shoes? It's JUNE negro!

I swear M-Jack needs to sue his ass for stealing his identity ... (and looking at this performance, Phi Beta Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha needs to sue for stealing their steps) ... He sings to Queen Latifah and he looks less than impressed ... I swear him and Usher share one brain ...

The one highlight of the performance was the MTV "America’s Best Dance Crew" winners Jabbawockeez doing a lil’ sumthin sumthin at the end ... I was more excited to see THEM lol ..

Next ...


Out comes Ashanti looking 12 and LL looking 50 ... Her in a gown and him in street clothes ... (*yawn*) ...

More unwitty banter ... (*yawn*) ...


Best New Artist noms are: The Dream, Estelle, Flo Rida, Chrisette Michele (my girl!!!), Soulja Boy (I refuse to add Tell Em to his name) ...

The award goes to The Dream .. now that WAS a surprise, i was sure S.B. was gonna get it .. The Dream isn't there (what the hell else could he possibly have to do?) ... Looks like nobody came that actually WON .. WTH?

Another break ...


Ok I usually don't pay attention to commercials but they're coming out with a HYBRID Cadillac Escalade? Oh that's gonna be hot! .. expensive as hell, but HOT ... Damn I need some money ... or a sponsor lol ..

Ok we're back ... DL points out Queen Latifah, Diddy and Nelly (sitting by Ashanti), and then shouts out the "Section 8" corner (his words, not mine) ...


Alicia hits the stage singing “Teenage Love Affair” .. I'm honestly sick of Alicia but I love that video ..

On the BET stage, she's dressed in some black leggings that make her look much less wider than usual .. She has her back up singers/dancers in all black looking like Rihanna clones ... and A. Keys is all bronzed and oiled up .. (sup with that?) ...

The band breaks it down and she starts singing her rendition of “Weak” by SWV .. Then the ladies of the 90s group come out singing the hit, looking thick and old but Coko still has those pipes (don't get it twisted) ... and proceeds to prove it.

Next A. Keys does "Hold On" by En Vogue and then all four of them come out singing .. (looking diva fab and flawless) ... A. Keys and EV’s lead singer battle for the lead for a minute...

EV exits and TLC enters and sing "Waterfalls" .. even did the little dance .. T-Boz sounded a little hoarse but both her and Chilli still look the same .. (fab-u-lous) ... All the groups come on stage to finish out the song together ...

Thank you Alicia for not singing the whole time and bringing back some of my favorite 90s groups! Bravo bitch!


Next up .. Niecy Nash (the black chick on Reno 911) looking cute .. but of course she's armed with boring ass banter about Madonna and Angelina adopting kids (what’s that got to do with BET?) ... She then brings out her "kids" she found ... 3 non-black children that she gave ghetto ass names .. and ends her speech with "Instead of making it rain ... get yourself some white kids"

(*blank stare*)


She intros the Best Male Hip hop Artist noms: Common (*sigh* I love him), Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Snoop, and Kanye ...

To my surprise, Kanye wins it over Weezy ... but hey, he brings him on stage anyway ... makes a short speech and peaces out ..


The cast of Baldwin Hills (BET's fake ass version of MTV's "Laguna Beach"/"The Hills") tosses us to break (after plugging their new season) .. *YAWN*



And we're back ... with T-Pain (the mad hatter of hip hop) on the stage reminding me of a mix between Bishop Magic Don Juan and Willy Wonka .. as he calls himself "The Ringleader" .. (in essence meaning he just appears for a minute while everyone else does the real work .. )

He then goes right into "Low" and out comes Flo Rida (the new buff-ass rapper) .. Then out comes Rick Ross doing HIS hit with T-Pain ..

Next on the parade of "I did songs with T-Pain" is DJ Khaled (did I spell that right, if not, oh well), Big Boi, Ludacris ... All lip syncing and running all over the stage ... Sheesh .. get a grip people.

Ok it's over ... whew ...


Out comes Gabbie (Gabrielle Union) and Derek Luke who both plug their new movies (Derek is playing Diddy in the upcoming B.I.G. movie) ...

More stupid commentary that they can keep to themselves ... boooo ...


Video of the Year noms are : Ashanti (The Way That I Love You), Erykah Badu (Honey), MJB (Just Fine), A. Keys (Like You'll Never See Me Again), UGK f/ Outkast (Int'l Players Anthem), Kanye West f/ T-Pain (Good Life) ...

UGK wins and of course they honor the late Pimp C ... (his wife joins them on stage .. she thanked everyone for their love) ...

And we're back ...


The mood changes as we hear "Never Would Have Made It" .. It's church time ... Marvin Sapp finishes and is joined by DL who makes a damn JOKE with the gospel folks ... SMH.

Mary Mary and Lisa Lisa come out to present the next award for Best Gospel Artist.

The nominees are: The Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, Deitrick Haddon, Marvin Sapp, and Trin-i-Tee 5 7 ...

The award goes to Marvin Sapp (big shocker huh) ... That song is on every cell phone, i-pod and MySpace page all over the country. He did his THING.


Another break, and we’re back ...


My boy Chris Brown hits the stage singing “Hearts all over the World” (is that the name of that song? lol) ...

He actually sounds great but that white clown bow tie he had one was NOT hot ...

The music changes and he goes into “Take You Down,” pumping his pelvis like some men only WISH they could. The boy damn near had a woman sitting on his face ... he so grown! ...

Next is a dance sequence with some chick (it LOOKS like Lil Mama) that is super hot ... Rihanna claps for her man and he leaves the stage ...



Out comes a cluster of people ... Cassie, Solange, Soulja Boy, David Banner and some other dude with an Obama shirt on, introduce the nominees for Best Collaboration:

Chris Brown f/ T-Pain (Kiss Kiss), Keyshia, Missy and Lil Kim (Let it Go), Flo Rida f/ T-Pain (Low), DJ Khaled and a whole bunch of damn people (I’m So Hood), and Kanye f/T-Pain (Good Life’s 2nd nom) ...

Lemme guess someone with T-Pain is winning right?

Yep . Kanye and the Mad Hatter get the award ... Sorry ladies, you were out-TPained ...

TP walks in slow motion to the stage (I swear he’s on something) ... Kanye goes off talking about what a genius T-Pain is and how he (Kanye) is one of the kings in the game and his “opinion counts”! ..

Whatever Kanye. TP opens his ugly mouth for a minute and then takes off again in slow motion ... (I roll my eyes) .. and we’re off to another break ...



But wait ... Hey Toccara! Why aren’t you hosting??? You look fierce though hun! ..

And we’re back with more DL foolishness ...



Then out comes John Legend ... not to perform but to introduce the Achievement Award for (Rev.) Al Green.

You could tell he was just reading the prompter and knew nothing about Al Green because he was stumbling all over the words ... JL gets on my last nerve but I couldn’t even tell you why ...

Up comes the video tribute to A.G. (who was a hottie back in the day!) ... voiced by JL ... I turned the channel (sorry Al) ...

But I turned back in time to see the live tribute, featuring Jill Scott (LOVE HER!) singing “Still in Love”, then A-Ham (Anthony Hamilton) came out as well (didn’t catch what he sang) and then the shocker of the night that had me on MY feet was MAXWELL (yes, THE Maxwell – Sumthn, Sumthn, Til the Cops Come Knockin, fine ass Maxwell) looking VERY sharp and hitting them notes like he came out last WEEK.

OMG, I’m gonna die if he comes back ... We need you Max .. We NEED YOU!!!


Then Al sings a couple songs: “Love and Happiness” and “Let’s Stay Together” ... (in reverse order). And we’re off to another promo break (with a few commercials) ...


Next: Terrence and Rocsi (and some contest winner) from 106th & Park come out to present the Viewer’s Choice Award ...

The nominees are: Chris Brown (Kiss Kiss), Keyshia Cole (Let it Go), A. Keys (No One), Lil Wayne (Lollipop), Soulja Boy (Crank Dat), and Jordin Sparks w/ Chris Brown (No Air) ...

The award goes to ... Lil Wayne ... He literally SHOUTS OUT his Thank Yous ... and quickly exits.

More DL ... (*yawn”) ..

Then Rihanna comes on stage in a gorgeous gown to sing “Take a Bow” (and she SANG it well) ...

A lotta people hate on Rih Rih but she’s classy and talented and is HERSELF (meaning everything on her is real – ok maybe except the lashes) ... and that’s admirable. You can’t hate ...

We don’t expect her to sound like Whitney or Mariah so haters take a break!!! I kinda wished she woulda sang “Don’t Stop the Music” though. Still, a GREAT performance.

As we go to break, the announcer shouts out other awards given out that night:

· Best Group: UGK
· Best Actress: Halle Berry
· Best actor: Denzel Washington
· BET J Award – Raheem Devaughn
· Best Video Director – Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto


After another break BET CEO Debra (I made BET change its programming so Black people would watch again) Lee comes out to say who gets the Humanitarian Award – Quincy Jones.

Did you know Q got 79 Grammy nominations and 27 Grammy wins? Did you know he was 75? ... well now ya know .. lol ...

After a video tribute, out comes Queen Latifah to introduce Q ...

After a lengthy speech, he gets a standing ovation and we’re on to another break ...

We’re back and DL starts to introduce the next act but Ashanti interrupts him to intro her boo Nelly ...

Nelly, JD and the Anti-Gravity Boys (???) make their way to the stage ... Nelly is hollering like he’s brand new to rappin’ and I’m not impressed .. Maybe it sounds better on radio. I think the song was “Stepped on my J’s” ??? ... WTF Nelly? You’re not 18 anymore dude!

Something that looked like Ciara came out on a bicycle and attempted to sing, then danced ...

Fergie did better than Ci-Ci, with her wanna-be rapping ass lol .. I loves Fergie. She gets a pass, I’m sorry. I wish I looked like that at 40ish. Hell I wish I could look like that NOW at damn near 30 ... but what’s really sad is he almost outrapped Nelly lol ...

Moving on ...

Diddy and some chick come out and Diddy forgets he’s not hosting til’ the after-party, and goes off re-cappin the whole show.

Finally they introduce Best Female R&B Artist nominees: MJB, Keyshia Cole, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Rihanna,

The award goes to Alicia ... not liking her look (as usual) but whatever ... (I’m sad that Keyshia got NOTHING that night).

After another break we see the Mad Hatter, I mean T-Pain, on the stage ...

After a wack-ass intro ... out comes Weezy (Lil Wayne), but why is T-Pain singing over his voice on the pre-recorded track?

I know the world loves Weezy but I’m still not impressed. He looks like Flavor Flav’s love child and he always sounds like he just got finished smoking trees and then decided to grab a mic and rap for his backyard full of homies.

They do a few songs (dressed in T-Wayne shirts) and a quick outro by DL ends the show ...


Hell no I didn’t watch the afterparty with Diddy and his liquor sponsor so you’ll have to get that recap and all the photos and performances HERE, or catch the reruns this whole week.

All in all it was a decent show but much too long and too many lackluster performances. Just has me eager to see it done right at the MTV VMA's.


In other BET show news ... Hip Hop vs. American Part II debuts tonight at 7 pm, WATCH IT!

The Revival of R&B ... Day 26

by mahogani


I'm often accused of "living in the past," but I don’t see it that way. I'm nostalgic.

I often long for the days of old when life seemed much simpler. When all I had to worry about was homework and my boyfriend du jour.

So forgive me if during the days of bills, work, and more bills, I want to take an occasional trip back in time ... and I usually do it through music.

Motown. Billie Holiday. Jodeci. -- Any music of way back when music was music instead of an marketing tool.

Now I can add another album for future throwback sessions -- Day 26.






The TV-made group released their self-titled debut on March 25th, just one week after their Making The Band predecessors (and label-mates) Danity Kane.

With Danity Kane at number one already, Day 26 fans had to know the battle for the top spot would be brutal.

Two weeks after DK’s release (and 1 week after Day 26 debuted) DK was still at the top slot and Day 26 isn't even on the radar. Though their single "Got Me Going" was receiving some radio play, the group was barely making the top 40 at Billboard at the end of March.

Nearly a month later, Day 26 is on top. Top 10 in Billboard Albums, Top 10 in R&B Albums and best of all, they’re finally beating Danity Kane. Not that this is a competition, but I like to believe R&B trumps Pop any day, and Day 26 is making that a reality by resurrecting real, CLASSIC R&B. The boys are bad.


Picture a super group of varied talent ...

• A younger Wanya from Boyz II Men, or maybe a singer that could be called a mix between Johnny Gill (New Edition) and KC (Jodeci);
• Add two brothaz with the soft vocals of 112;
• Plus a soft but powerful voice like Jo-Jo and then
• Round the group out with a “thick” brotha that can bring it on stage (like Jazz from Dru Hill).

Let's not forget the fact that these men have harmonies like Boyz II Men, New Edition, Shai, Jagged Edge and many of the groups we love from the 90s, and you have what we now know as Day 26.

With Diddy (formerly known as Puffy) having been at the helm of the New Jack Swing movement at Uptown Records and then bringing us groups like Total and 112, you had to know he was going to keep trying until he got it right. His rep was on the line.

I admit that I wasn't a DK fan at first. I didn't watch much of the 2nd season where Diddy finally made the girl group.

Even when I was in NYC and saw them step out of their limo at the 2006 MTV VMAs, I was still like "Who are they?"; but thanks to the advances in reality television I got to know them and sort of like them and I grew to LOVE the guys ... Brian, Mike, Willie, Q and Robert.

Now that I've told you about the group, let me telling you about the album bearing their name.

Remember back in the 90s when guy groups were everywhere? When we had Shai, Jodeci, Silk, Troop, Surface, Boyz II Men, New Edition, etc. competing for our attention (and money)?

When lyrics meant something and vocals were not computer-enhanced and groups would rather dance and perform and then distract us with flash and ass?

Yeah -- those days are back -- if Diddy has his way.

A lot of albums these days get lost in the shuffle of the music business money-making machine

I remember someone GIVING me India.Arie's first album (Acoustic Soul) saying they'd never heard of her and it was probably "trash." Little did they know the girl would later get 5 Grammy nods.

In a recording market where crossover potential is key and listeners favor hot beats over lyrics with a message, and music with emotion, I don't expect Day 26 to fill their need. But, they definitely filled mine.

Taking me back to those musical days when I made tapes or CDs to play on the bus ride home or later in life to "entertain a male visitor"; and back to those days when boys wrote me poetry to impress me ... (whereas now I'm supposed to impress THEM with how "low" I can get). I relived those days through this album.

The main theme in Day 26 (the album) is love. Brand new love, silly love, losing love, and even making love. It speaks to where their heads are at right now. With Q falling for (and now dating) a Danity Kane member, Brian being married, Willie being in a long-term relationship, and Mike and Robert navigating the dating scene, all of their experiences come out this project..


America watched the group create the album on the last season of Making The Band. Diddy enlisted what he called a "Dream Team" of writers, musicians and producers. One of the main writers is also a Bad Boy artist -- Mario Winans (son of Vicki Winans), whose been writing for Bad Boy since 1998.

One of the main producers on the album was Bryan-Michael Cox, who has become the go-to hitmaker in recent years. His HIT LIST is too long to even mention .. just know the boy is BAD and PAID.

Add to this team, the baddest business man in the music game (with the exception of Russell Simmons) and you have the beginning of greatness.


This album has everything you want ...

Want something like the old days?

Try the soft and fuzzy “Crazy Love” (one of my favorites) or the perfectly composed “Co-Star.”

Want something to “set the mood”?

Listen to “Don’t Fight The Feeling”, “What It Feels Like” or “Come In (My Doors Open).”

Want something that sounds like nothing you’ve heard in recent years?

Try “I’m The Reason” or “If It Wasn’t For You.”

If you’re trying to send a message to the one you lost, play “Since You’ve Been Gone.”

Or if you want to send a message to the one you like, check out what I predict will be the new male anthem “Are We In This Together.”

These 12 tracks give the listener a buffet of hot beats, impressive lyrics and powerful vocals.

As an added bonus you can even hear how far the group has come since they were first signed. One of the hidden tracks is “Exclusive,” the group’s first real single. The vocals on that song are nothing compared to what they brought on this album.

So what if they were formed in front of America. Every American Idol had the same experience.

So what if people consider this Diddy’s answer to his failed attempt at bringing back New Edition.

So what if they only spent one week at number one. The answer to all those naysayers is THEY MADE IT.

A hit show, a hit album, and now, they’re spreading the love through a nationwide tour.

The new princes of Bad Boy are here. And from the looks of things, they aren’t going anywhere.

Real R&B is back and it lives through Day 26.

2008 Grammys: Performance HIs and LOs

So, from the red carpet to the main stage ... The performances at the 2008 Grammys (show #50) were quite interesting as well. Some were hits and some were misses ....








Miss Keys opened the show singing a duet with Frank Sinatra (yeah, he's still dead, but his image was put on a Jumbotron and it was kind weird but cool) ... too bad Alicia sounded like she had a cold ... her and that screaming gotza go!!!

Alicia later received one of her 3 grammy trophies from Prince. And then we got a good look t the horrible ass dress ... Who told her she had cleavage? That looks horrible! When Prince outdresses you (looking like a red pimp) then you really got some problems. Alicia beat out my girls Chrisette, Mary and Fantasia for Best Female R&B Performance.

Alicia later made another costume change and performed her Grammy-winning hit "No One" for the umpteenth time. It was the EXACT same performance she gave on the MTV VMAs waaaaaaaaay back in August/September ... but who's taking notes besides me? lol.

American Idol Carrie Underwood came out looking SIZZLIN hot in this street-walking get-up. She performed her Grammy-winning single "Before He Cheats" (which I love) ... Good look C!

Cher came on stage to introduce Beyonce ... looking like a HOT ass mess ... like she got her gown from a swap meet and her hair from Boomshika's House of Hair or something ... Was this a tribute to Beyonce or a preview of her demise? I dunno .. U decide.

Oh, Beyonce ... WHYYYYY ... Will somebody PLEASE tell B to stop wearing hot pants??? Her thighs are wayyyy too big for that ISH ... She's skinny everywhere else but them legs ... WIDE!

Anyway, B came on in this horrid outfit and did some damn spoken word, abstract dance number paying tribute to female performers that came before her. Then she intro'd MISS TINA (not her mom, TURNER lol)

TINA TURNER came out in this silver get up and sang "What's Love Got To Do With It" ... looking SO DIVA! After that, Beyonce came back in a short silver dress (still showing them wide ass thighs) and sang Proud Mary ....

Thankfully Beyonce didn't try to outsing Tina because she was no match for Ms. Turner. But for real for real ... don't Tina look like Beyonce's Grandma .. Like she spit out Mrs. Knowles or something? I'm just sayin ...

Kanye West put on a very touching performance ... First doing his single "Stronger" looking like something out of Star Trek with neon lights all over his imitation Michael Jackson jacket and the word MAMA cut in his hair.

He later broke down and sung his single Mama .. YES SUNG ... and for a minute I didn't hate on him like I normally do ... cuz he was in pain and shared it with the world ...



Later, while accepting his award for Best Rap Album, he turned back into the Kanye I can't stand and told Common that he shouldn't have put out an album the same year as him cuz he wasn't gonna win ...

The Grammy people starting playing the music during his acceptance speech and he says "For real? Ya'll gonna play the music on me?" ...

He kept going anyway and when he started talking about his mom, Kanye turns to the cameras again and says "It would be in good taste for you to stop the music now" ... Yeah I agree but damn Kanye, you been up there long enough!

Much to everyone's surprise Jimmy Jam came on the stage like he was about to present and it somehow turned into an impromptu TIME concert when Morris Day (and Jerome's old ass STILL carrying that mirror) came out and started singing ...

For some reason Grammy producers thought it would be a good idea to pair Rihanna with them and have them back her up to sing her Grammy-winning single "Umbrella" ... It sounded awful and Morris needs to retire that suit AND that hairdo ... but Ri-Ri looked fab ...

One note though -- Do Rihanna and Prince have the same hairstylist? LOL .. I'm just saying ...

Somebody thought it was a good idea to let the Queen (Aretha Franklin) perform with BeBe and a choir ... They all looked a hot mess but props for bringing the Grammys to church!

Last but not least ... Miss Amy "Rehab" Winehouse ... who performed via satellite because she was denied a visa to come to the states.

I think she's oblivious to the fact that the whole world considers her a crackhead ... but whateva ... She performed "I'm No Good" and then went into "Rehab" (all the while I'm scream NO NO NOOOOO!) .. The whole performance reminded me of Britney's "comeback" on MTV ... it was painful to watch ... I was just waiting for her to fall over and at times she was slurring the words ... SMH.

Later she was given the Grammy for Record/Song of the Year (beating Beyonce and Rihanna) and they cut to her back in London. I swear she spent a good five minutes not believing that she won ...

After a hug from MUM, she came up to the mic and said "Fank Yoo" and dedicated her win to London ....

I'm pretty sure she was drunk and/or high the rest of the night (before checking into rehab, that is). Despite the drug ish ... AMY got FIVE Grammys and the bitch is BAD ...

Other noteworthy moments:

• This world-famous pianist that played with Herbie Hancock said he got the bug to play piano at the age of TWO after seeing Tom play in a Tom and Jerry cartoon lol ...

• Speaking of Herbie Hancock, he shocked the entire industry by winning Album of the Year (much to Kanye's dismay) for the Joni Mitchell Letters (?).

• Beyonce won NOTHING! HA! (okay I'm sorry lol)

• Rihanna and Jay-Z won for Best Sung/Rap Collaboration ("Umbrella") ... when Ri went up to get the award she literally SNATCHED Jay-Z out of his seat (next to B) and made him come up there. He returned the favor (and embarassment) by interrupting her speech onstage. B looked a little heated but I'm not saying nothing ...

• There was a rock-n-roll tribute that included Little Richard (who really needs to drop that LITTLE now ... he's a senior citizen ain't he??) ... the man slurred his words as much as Amy did .... It was a mess.

FOR A LIST OF ALL THE WINNERS AND PICTURES YOU DIDN'T SEE HERE ... GO HERE

My Love ....

I saw this video on BET J the other week. I know I'm late but those who know me, know that BET is on my sh** list and I hardly ever watch it lol ... though I must say BET J is growing on me....

Though some people don't like this video, I think it did it's thiing. She was showing JUST HER and her emotions. The song displays her vulnerability as does the video.

Damn that LYZEL!!!! Anyway, enjoy!