The Soul Train Awards were held at the World Congress Centre in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s great to see that this show is still going strong after all these years. Peep some of the excitement below:

Diva Toni Braxton and Trey Songz a performance of their new song, ‘Yesterday’. I hope Trey had 911 on speed dial just in case Toni’s husband came up on stage lol!

Actress Taraji P. Henson, who hosted the show with actor Terrence Howard, did an amazing Diana Ross impersonation.

Songstress Chrisette Michelle is working that hair style for all its worth.

Singers Keri Hilson and Monica share a moment backstage. They both look like they could be fashion models!

Fantasia looked stunning while walking the red carpet.

R&B singer Ray J decided to go old school with his outfit for the night.

Finally, we have the legendary Chaka Khan and singer Musiq Soulchild who both looked great.

What do you think of the looks?

Filed Under: Chrisette Michelle, Fantasia, Keri Hilson, Monica, Ray J, Toni Braxton, Trey Songz

Battered singer Rihanna could soon be singing ‘I will always love you’ but not to bad boy lover Chris Brown, instead for a new acting role in Whitney Houston’s Bodyguard. Insiders claim Rihanna’s return to the public eye in New York over the weekend was not only to party to but to discuss acting work.

She has been linked to talks to star in a ‘younger and sexy’ take on Houston and Kevin Costner’s 1992 box office smash. The 21-year-old is reportedly poised to take on Whitney’s role while G.I Joe heartthrob Channing Tatum could take on Costner’s role. ‘Before the situation with Chris, Ri was getting a lot of scripts. She’s been wanting to do movies for a while now,’ a source claimed.

She is also linked to a new Charlie’s Angel film, while she works on her new album. Her team are currently dismissing acting plans. Houston, 45, reached out to Rihanna, telling, ‘Don’t make the same mistakes I did’, following claims the Barbadian star was hit by Brown before the Grammys in February. {Source}

Filed Under: Ray J

Fresh off a successful stint on Dancing With The Stars, R&B singer Mario is hard at work on his fourth studio album (due before the year’s end). ‘If I Never’ is said to be one of the tracks from his more recent recording sessions. The smooth R&B cut isn’t far removed from some of the solid slower offerings on his criminally underrated ‘Go!’ LP. Good stuff.

LISTEN: If I Hurt You

Filed Under: Ray J

‘The Voice’ really is on the comeback trail; she sounded awesome. Random, maybe, but vocally, with that performance, she squatted all over every showing Mariah has given thus far this year. Bring on the new album already.

Any thoughts?

Filed Under: Ray J

R&B singer Amerie was snapped at the Maxim Hot 100 party earlier this week rocking a new look. Though her natural beauty is hard to deny, something looks kinda off with her latest look – I can’t put my finger on what it is though.

What do you think of the pics?

Filed Under: Ray J

Following the departure of Pretty Ricky’s lead singer (Pleasure) last year, the group have revealed their new member – Ambition/4Play (pictured second from the right). The singer will now serve as ‘the new voice of Pretty Ricky’ {Source}

The group are a mess, but evidently someones liking their music…

Your thoughts?

Filed Under: Ray J, Whitney Houston

After halting promotion for her latest LP ‘Discipline’ due to illness, Janet Jackson is set to release the next single from the set ‘Can’t Be Good’. Unlike previous single LUV which was only released to select formats on radio, ‘Can’t Be Good’ has a tentative radio ad date of June 9th – impacting all formats. {Source}

Filed Under: Ray J, Whitney Houston

In a recent interview with our good friend Necole Bitchie, former TLC member Chilli spoke candidly about her ex. Usher and her feelings towards him now:

Necole: I mean because everyone was rooting for the two of you. You were like the cutest couple ever

Chilli: Well you know what’s funny. I will say this and I know it’s gonna be everywhere. Lord, Tameka gonna be trying to fight people. But honestly I will say, although Marlon (Wayans) is the one that got away, Usher is the one that I truly did love. Like that was truly my first adult love. I love him very much and I will always love him. I don’t know how you love someone that deeply and just stop loving them. I’m not in love with him anymore but I can’t say that I don’t love him anymore. And of course I do want him to be happy and all but me and him had what I never had in any of my other relationships, and that was chemistry. Even in that picture that you have up. Any picture that you see with the two of us, you see it. It’s just there! I could be standing next to him til this day and people will be like “Wow”. It’s not that you are wondering if we are back together again, it’s just that we look like we just go together.{Click here to read the rest of the interview}

I applaud Chilli for not giving the ‘media-trained’ answer and talking around the topic. Still, I wonder exactly what caused the break-up…

Any thoughts?

Filed Under: Ray J

Rap collective G-Unit show their ’solidarity’ on the cover for the latest issue of XXL Magazine. I’m not really buying into this ‘united front’ facade; 50 and Young Buck’s (not so) subliminal jibes at each other for the better part of a year suggests all is not well.

Filed Under: Ray J

Pussycat Dolls front-woman Nicole Scherzinger features in the latest issue of GIANT magazine. She opened up about, among other things, her solo journey and her portrayal by the media:

On going solo:
“It’s just one continuous journey. I started out just making music that showed the other sides of me. I am still exploring that. I don’t think I have found any definite number of songs that says, ‘This is it; this says who I am as a solo artist coming out.’ I haven’t found that yet. I am continuously being challenged and inspired. It’s safe because it’s not out yet, but it’s also scary because you really want to challenge yourself as an artist, to take risks. You want to do things that you’re not used to doing. I got to work with a lot of people that I wouldn’t have expected to work with. I was in the studio the other night, and I was like, ‘I didn’t even know I could do this. This is great!’”

On media portrayal:
“I don’t think they show my story. I don’t think they show who I am. Sometimes, when I read my stories, I am not interested So why are other people going to be interested? I know that here is more stuff in here. There are more stories and more interesting things to talk about than what lies on the surface. When I read stories about myself, it just seems so one-dimensional, kind of shallow, I think.”

You can read the full interview by clicking here.

Filed Under: Brandy, Ray J

R&B singer Keyshia Cole stopped by MTV’s TRL, in Times Square, New York, yesterday to promote her latest single, the ballad ‘I Remember’. Cole also spoke about her role in the forthcoming MTV flick ‘How She Moves’.

Filed Under: Ray J

R&B singer Chris Brown is giving his fans the chance to pick the cover for his forthcoming album ‘Exclusive’ (due November 6th). Though I’m feeling like the album will be the pits (judging by the material so far), the cover above is pretty good. Click here to vote for your favourite cover

I’ve been saying it quite a alot recently, but I’m not feeling Chris’s whole attitude this time around. I find it even more hard to understand his ‘cockiness’ when his singles are flopping all over the place. SMH.

Which cover would you choose? Your thoughts on the quote?

Filed Under: Ray J

Following Beyonce’s BET Awards performance earlier this week, the Internet has been rampant with claims that the ‘Deja Vu’ singer copied her set from another artist. According to many, Beyonce’s entrance was a carbon-copy of pop star Kylie Minougue’s on a past tour. I don’t check for Kylie like that, so I wasn’t aware. I hear the concept was taken from a film called ‘Metropolis’…whatever the case, you be the judge:

What do you think?

Filed Under: Lil Fizz, Ray J

Def Jam recording artist Rihanna is gearing up for the release of her third album. The first single from the currently untitled project is set to be sent to radio on March 28th. It is reportedly to be a track called ‘Umbrella’ featuring Jay Z (hmm…); the song was produced by Terius “The Dream” Nash (Nivea’s husband). I personally think Rihanna as an artist is just one big rush-job. The girl only hit the scene in summer 05 with ‘Pon De Replay’, they rushed out another album a few months later and now shes about to drop her 3rd album already. Guess they’re trying to milk her for all the money they can.

Filed Under: Ray J