To the world, Whitney Houston was an icon, but to Aretha Franklin she was her God-Daughter.

As such, it was inevitable that the Queen of Soul would pay musical homage to Houston, who tragically passed away last Saturday (February 11th).

Check out Franklin’s emotional tribute to the star she has guided since childhood at a private concert in Charlotte, North Carolina last night…

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Last night, Cissy Houston– mother of Pop force Whitney Houston– was snapped at New Jersey’s Whingham Funeral Home, in preparation for the latter’s funeral.

Greeted by hoards of fans as she entered the building, the 78 year old belter’s sighting comes hours after Whitney’s body was flown to the state for burial.

This follows reports of a dispute within the family over the star’s burial spot, with some members citing Georgia as the more appropriate location, with it being the home of her Dutch and Native American ancestors.

However, as the above image confirms, Whitney will be laid to rest in her place of birth this Saturday.

Your thoughts?

R&B belle Kelly Rowland is really embracing her inner-diva these days.

Rowland, who has relocated to LA to record her 4th studio album, was snapped looking rather regal last night as she stepped out for dinner at BESO with friends LaLa Anthony and actress Tika Sumpter.

The trio were spotted in the studio with rapper Ludaris earlier that night. And while there’s no word on whether a  Ms. Kelly / Luda collaboration was recorded, we certainly wouldn’t object.

Peep more pics below…

Your thoughts?

Three days later, the world is still dealing with the death of Whitney Houston.

So in honor of her life and legacy, ‘Unfoolish‘ star Ashanti took to BET’s 106 & Park to discuss the icon, her impact on Pop music and the moments they shared.

Watch below…

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Awkward.

That’s how many deemed Lana Del Rey‘s televised debut last month when she took to the Saturday Night Live stage.

And yet the hype surrounding the 25 year old has only intensified, propelling the her first major label effort ‘Born To Die’ to the top of the charts globally.

Continuing the promotional push for the critically acclaimed set, Del Rey took centre-stage on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to perform standout cut ‘Video Games’.

Watch Del Rey continues to justify her buzz below…

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R&B trier Cassie has today unwrapped the video for comeback single ‘King of Hearts’.

With its synchronized Valentines launch (video, radio, iTunes) hyped up to the nines, it begs the question of whether the release lives up to the hype.

The answer awaits after the jump…

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Whitney Houston‘s tragic passing on Saturday has left many stunned and in a state of mourning. Particularly radio-turned-TV host Wendy Williams.

The former shock-jock has made many a positive and disapproving comments about the late star, a practice which came to an explosive head during their now infamous 2003 radio interview.

However, Williams’ fiery demeanor was noticeably sombre today when she shared her thoughts on the death which rocked the world.

Your thoughts?

‘I’m Every Woman’ wailer Chaka Khan is just one of many in the music industry still reeling from the untimely death of pop icon Whitney Houston.  Hours upon hearing of the tragic loss, reports surfaced that Jennifer Hudson and Khan would take to the Grammy stage in a last minute tribute arranged for the singer.

Minutes before scheduled to hit the stage, the R&B legend’s camp released a statement saying she opted to grieve in private and let Hudson provide the short, stirring tribute by her lonesome.  Now, taking to CNN’s Piers Morgan, the ‘Through the Fire’ singer is speaking out – lending fiery statements against Houston’s career-long mentor Clive Davis.

Slamming the music mogul for carrying on with Saturday night’s planned festivities in light of Houston’s passing, hear her thoughts after the jump:

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The 2012 BET Honors aired tonight and tributed the achievements of Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Maya Angelou, among others. The Gabrielle Union-hosted affair, shot January 14th, took place at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C and saw acts Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson, Patti Labelle, Stevie Wonder, and more hit the stage to salute the hour’s honorees.

See their moving performances below:

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Let the second search for ‘The Voice’ commence!

Hosted by Carson Daly, the US talent-search sees judges Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee-Lo Green, and Blake Shelton conduct “blind auditions” in hope of finding the next big star. The winner of the competition lands major recording contract with Universal Republic.

Check out episode 3 after the jump…

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‘We Break the Dawn’ diva Michelle Williams certainly moves at this year’s Mercedes Benz fashion week!  Sitting front row aside ‘Foolish’ singer Ashanti at the ‘Falguni & Shane Peacock Fall’ show, Williams donned an electric blue number while Ashanti took a more daring approach to her threads.

The latter is already making rounds in promotion of ‘The Woman You Love’ – the lead single from her 5th LP.  Likewise, the Destiny’s Child alum is hard at work at her 4th LP, the followup to 2008’s critically acclaimed ‘Unexpected’.  As such, fans can expect to see much of the songstresses in the coming months.

For now, you can see more of the two below:

Your thoughts?

Not even 24 hours after unveiling her addition to the Young Money roster, Christina Milian rolls out ‘Mr. Valentine’.  The new track, which looks to have fans dipping low to an islandy/reggae beat, sees the singer pair her signature soft coo with a carnival-esque instrumental reminiscent of Rihanna‘s ‘We Found Love’ fused with a J.Lo jam.

How does she fare? Find out for yourself after the jump:

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