DRAKE.

Aubrey Drake Graham, D.O.B. 10/24/86. Look familiar? Nowadays, he goes by the stage name DRAKE, and is one of the hottest up & coming rappers in the scene.

Now, you, as I, may know "Drake" as little Jimmy Brooks, who got shot in Degrassi High School a few seasons ago and ended up in a wheelchair for the rest of his stint on show. (I know, right!) But Jimmy is ALL grown up ladies (22 to be exact) and his name is all over the place.

Some history: He hails from T.O., Canada (which is where Degrassi hails from and was filmed, as well) to an African American father and Jewish mother. He began acting while at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute (high school). He began his role as Jimmy Brooks in 2001 (his largest role to date) but now is more into his rap career.

He has worked with a myriad of artists in the studio, including Trey Songz (Replacement Girl, when I first fell in love!), Lil Wayne, Bun B, Lloyd, Santogold and Omarion as he transitions to the US music scene. He has four self-published mixtapes (Room for Improvement, Comeback Season, Heartbreak Drake, and So Far Gone (set for release this year)) and his first album is also set to drop this year, Thank Me Later.

Oh, and it doesn't help that the boy is QUITE easy on the eyes....check out his websites, and support! You know hip-hop needs it!

http://www.myspace.com/thisisdrake
http://www.thisisdrake.com/
http://www.allthings-fresh.net/
MIXTAPES!

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I'm seriously considering naming my son, if I have one, Drake. Yes. Drake.

First Black Disney Princess!

Anika Noni Rose. Hailing from CT, is a Tony award winning singer and actress. She attended FAMU, earning a BA in theatre, then studied Drama at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Fran. She performed on stage most notably in Footloose and Caroline, or Change.

In 2006, she starred in Dreamgirls as Lorrell Robinson and is scheduled to appear in the upcoming films Just Add Water, Razor, and....in Disney's upcoming animated feature THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, in which she will be the FIRST BLACK DISNEY PRINCESS EVER (Tiana)!! This is huge y'all. HUGE! She also starred alongside Jills Scott in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency...


Keep an eye on her...


courtesy of Wikipedia and IMDB

Just Cuz She Makes Me Smile...MS. TYSON!!

Cicely Tyson. You recognize her. You know she's flyy. You know she's outstanding. But do you know why?

Ms. Cicely Tyson was born and raised in Harlem, NYC, in 1933, the daughter of Theodosia (a domestic) and William Tyson (a pushcart operator), immigrants from the island of Nevis of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the WI. She married Miles Davis in '81, and they were together until '88. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

She was discovered by a photographer for Ebony Magazine and became a popular fashion model. You know her from Guiding Light, an off-Broadway show called The Blacks (with james earl Jones, Maya Angelou, and Louis Gossett, Jr.) In 1972, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Sounder, and in '74 she won TWO Emmy's for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (holler that she was the 1st to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a television movie). She played in Roots, and portrayed Coretta Scott King in King. She also won THIRD Emmy for her role in Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.

Some of Ms. Tyson's recent roles have been in Idlewild, Because of Winn-Dixie and Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and Madea's Family Reunion. Ms. Tyson has made a note to ONLY portray strong Black women in her roles, stating, "Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch-what make you go beyond the norm." "The choices of roles I made had to do with educating and entertaining. And as a result I found myself working only every two or three years."

Much Respect.

What Do You Think?

Heart Truth's (an awareness campaign for women about heart disease) Red Dress Collection 2009 Fashion Show...

YAY FOR NIA LONG!! Do we ever get tired of her ageless beauty??

NAY FOR VIVICA FOX!! Am I the only one who has been over her since her divorce a few years ago and fast decline since turning 40??? From her 'hood booga brush with 50 Cent, to some bad collagen in her lips, Vivica has lost it for me...

GET IT MS. CICELY TYSON!

I'll end with some tidbits that all women should know about heart disease. In alliance with the best motto I've heard all year: KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER.

-> one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease, while one in 30 dies of breast cancer.

-> An astonishing 80 percent of women ages 40 to 60 have one or more risk factor for heart disease.

-> It's not just a men's disease. If you've got a heart, heart disease can be your problem.

-> Mmong U.S. women ages 18 and older, 17.3 percent are current smokers, 51.6 are overweight (BMI 25 or greater), 27 percent have hypertension, 35 percent have high cholesterol, and 53 percent do not meet physical activity recommendations.

-> African American and Hispanic women, in particular, have higher rates of some risk factors for heart disease and are disproportionately affected by the disease compared to white women. More than 80 percent of midlife African American women are overweight or obese, 52 percent have hypertension, and 14 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes. Some 83 percent of midlife Hispanic women are overweight or obese, and more than 10 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes.

-> To protect your heart, it is vital to make changes that address each risk factor you have. (READ: going to the gym for a few months at the beginning of every ain't cuttin it, ladies. I don't give a damn how slim/trim you are. Being healthy is a mind frame; your psychological health, your physical health, your spiritual health, your healthy relationships.

-> Talk to your doctor. Don't wait for him/her to talk to you.


(courtesy of http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm)

Get It Together Ladies.

I haven't decided whether this will make my "next buy" list...Mr. Harvey tends to rub me the wrong way sometimes in the morning...but I WILL admit that sometimes he's right on the money!!

If you've read it, or know more about it, do tell.....

Black Love.

President-Elect Barack Obama's Essay in Honor of MLK.

On the day of the first inauguration to take place in this city, a small band of citizens gathered to watch Thomas Jefferson assume office. Our young and fragile democracy had barely finished a long and contentious election that tested our founding ideals, and there were those who feared our union might not endure.

It was a perilous moment. But Jefferson announced that while we may differ in opinion, we all share the same principles. “Let us, then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind,” he said, urging those assembled to begin anew the work of building a nation.

In the more than two centuries since, inaugurations have taken place during times of war and peace, depression and prosperity. Beneath the unfinished dome of the Capitol, a young lawyer from Illinois swore an oath to defend the Constitution a divided nation threatened to tear apart. In an era of unprecedented crisis, an optimistic New Yorker refused to allow us to succumb to fear. In a time of great change, a young man from Massachusetts convinced us to think anew with regard to serving our fellow man.

At each and every moment, the American people have joined with one heart and one mind - not just to commemorate a new president, but to celebrate those common ideals, share our hopes for a brighter future and resolve to advance our bold experiment.

Tomorrow, we’ll gather at a new time of great challenge for the American people. Our nation is at war. Our economy is in turmoil. We have much work to do toward restoring prosperity and renewing the promise of this nation.

And yet while our problems may be new, what is required to overcome them is not. What is required is the same perseverance and idealism that our Founders displayed. What is also required is that we break free from rigid ideology and small thinking, and together grab hold of this opportunity to bridge partisan divides and deliver change for the American people.

The state of our union and challenges of a new century demand that we move beyond the old debates and stale arguments. We must focus today not on the dogmas of left and right, but on practical answers to the difficult problems of our times.

The impetus for that change will come from the American people, where the ultimate power in our democracy lies.

That is why the events of this week are not simply about the inauguration of another American president - they are a celebration of our democracy. We have made this inauguration the most open and accessible in our history, with the sole purpose of involving more citizens than ever before. And as we gather on a mall, in our neighborhoods and in our homes to begin our new journey together, we remember that our greatest strength has always been found in one another.

For the first time ever, we’re opening up the entire length of our National Mall for an inauguration. We’ve invited ordinary citizens from across the country, welcomed local schoolchildren and their families to the parade, and worked with local organizations to distribute free inaugural ball tickets to D.C. residents and military families. And we’ll broadcast and webcast the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball so that all Americans can join us - wherever their neighborhood may be.

We’ve heeded Jefferson’s words by involving Democrats, Republicans and independents in all aspects of this inauguration. Tonight, we will hold a series of dinners to honor leaders whose lifetime of public service has been enhanced by a dedication to bipartisan achievement, including my former opponent, Sen. John McCain.

We will couple the spirit of this inauguration with the celebration of the life of a preacher who once stood and shared his dream for America on the very mall where we’ll gather tomorrow. Martin Luther King lived his life as a servant to others, and today, ordinary citizens all across the country honor that legacy through the more than 10,000 service projects they’ve created on USAservice.org. And I’m asking the American people to answer the call and turn today’s efforts into an ongoing commitment to enrich the lives of Americans in their communities, their cities and their country.

After all, it’s that commitment to one another that’s always led us forward as a people. Because from those first citizens to the millions technology will connect this week, through times of great challenge and great change, we have remembered that fundamental American truth - that what unites us is always more powerful than what divides us.

That is the spirit that has always sustained us. That is the principle that must drive us now. And I am confident that if we come together and summon that great American spirit once again, we will meet the challenges of our time and write the next great chapter in our American story.

courtesy of www.bossip.com

Suga Nuggets. Really, Though?

So, 90's R&B singer and tryna be a comback kid Keith Sweat is endorsing the 25th anniversary of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. So there is a REAL song with him declaring his love for McNuggets like he was talkin to his boo snatch or somethin'. Not like my favorite commercial, but a REAL SONG!

Wow McDonald's. Killin me this quarter! And I can't even be mad at them, cuz at 1100am on the dot, I'm takin' my butt right over to Mickey D's and coppin a 10 piece nugget with sweet & sour sauce. Yup.

Link below is to his website, on the page where his "new hit" is playing...enjoy!

http://www.designalkhemy.com/client/mcd_ksweat/dd-formmailer.php

Love Her.

Stunning.

B. in 1976 in NYC, Rochelle Aytes is known for her roles in Madea's Family Reunion (gettin that ass beat by Blair Underwood and pimped out by her mother, Lynn Whitfield). Also played Denise in White Chicks, and Leigh in FOX's Drive series.

Rochelle was born and raised in Harlem of New York City and lived in St. Nicholas Projects . Rochelle Aytes was born on May 17, 1976, in Chico California . Rochelle attended LaGuardia High School, and she graduated from State University of New York Purchase College with a BA in Fine Arts.

Rochelle also played Dr Cameron Sayoran's little sister in Bones.

She's fabulous.

I KNOW You Feel Me!

I know. I done done it now. I can hear the "oh snap!"'s going through my blog crowd. If you were cool, if you were for real back in '94, you know that THIS is the original damn crime drama. Forget all these scientific CSI's and NCIS's. This was the fiction version of Cops, and in the HOOD! Loved it. Everything about it. I still remember the episodes where Torres got blown up in the car, and then when Williams and Moreno hooked up after his death! Shame.

Oh, and when Det. Macnamara (not pictured above because he joined the cast later) came on the scene, crazy ass white boy cop. Oh, and G's big ass head! (Which is still very big, but he's grown some.) And then when TOMMY (from Martin) became their boss in the last season?!? What was THAT about?? Yo, and the cop killer, that eventually ended everything for the show...that was some tough TV stuff to watch. And Williams dating Michael Michele and how they killed her?? Maaaaaaaan. Oh, and how they ALWAYS had a hott track playing to open up the show?? Beautiful mix of hip-hop, fiction, street-wise knowledge and acting.

Loved it. Miss it. Want it back.

Do It? Don't Do It?

808s & Heartbreak...I heard good reviews from a close confidante Mia is Anita, so I'm probably gonna go with it...what y'all think?!?!?

Heard it yet?

Four Women.

Nina Simone. Get with it.

My Boy is BACK!

Really pissed that I can't embed the code from youtube, but this is a MUST-SEE! If you remember my post of dude doing the "Single Ladies" dance...this clip is a live performance on the Bonnie Hunt Talk Show...


(thanks www.dlisted.com)



he IS Sasha Fierce!

It's A New Day

Now See...

what the HELL Amy??
we can't help you, if you don't help yourself! (thanks www.dlisted.com)

OTB's Christmas WishList

Check him out ladies...Hill Harper (b. 1966), actor on CBS's CSI:NY (in the role of Dr. Sheldon Hawkes).

Born Francis Harper in Iowa City, Iowa, Mr. Harper was raised by his parents to be one of the FINEST men I have seen in my entire life. He graduated MAGNA CUM LAUDE from Brown University in Rhode Island, obtained his J.D. from Harvard Law School (how he knows good ol Barack!) as well as obtained his Masters in Public Administration from Harvard as well.

He was voted one of People's Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive in 2004 (what happened to the other years???) He has had numerous guest starring roles, however his most notable role is his current CSI:NY spot. He has also done Broadway y'all! Mr. Harper is also a full time member of Boston's Black Folk's Theatre Company, one of the oldest and most respected Black theater traveling troupes!

Mr. Harper has also written two books (and spoke to them on Oprah) - Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny for young Black males (also started a foundation by the same name) and Letters to a Young Woman: DeFINE Your Destiny.

Mr. Hill Harper, will you marry me?

MakeUp Bar!

So on Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta, the ladies went to a Makeup Bar located in downtown Atlanta. I'm thinking...what a FANTASTIC idea!

Just think about it...you, your friends, getting spa treatments and your hair and makeup done...while being served fabulous DRINKS!

You would think that every major city would have a Makeup Bar for their elite, and wanna-be elite and wanna just do something special occasion for big bucks type folks.

Wrong.

Upon researching, I've only located TWO makeup bars in the US! One in Atlanta, and one in Oklahoma City.

UPDATE: just found another one, in Cherry Hill, NJ!

Oklahoma City though? What happened to NYC, Vegas, LA, Miami, CHICAGO?!?!? Y'all are trippin & slippin.

However, if you ever find yourself in those cities with your girls and want to do something fun while having a night to remember, check them out!

Oklahoma City
Cherry Hill, NJ
Atlanta

Mia Stylista

check out my homegirl SNAPS in her FIRST feature as Mia Stylista! (click the pic)

Love Her.

Always.
(courtesy of mediatakeout.com)