R&B star Usher appeared on the Season 5 premiere of the Ellen Degeneres show yesterday (September 4th). The ‘Yeah’ singer discussed a number of things including his controversial marriage to Tameka Raymond (which is how he introduced her) and their child – due toward the end of the year. He also plugged his new fragrance line ‘Usher He/She’.

He really seems to have found ‘the one’ in Tameka and I can’t hate on him for that. Though, with all the media scrutiny and his momma’s disapproval, it’ll be interesting to see how long this lasts. On a side note, I’m kinda surprised he didn’t plug his upcoming album – it is still slated for a November release, right?

What do you think of the interview?

Click here to watch more of the concert

Though I think Justin is very overrated, he did pretty good.

What do you think of the performances?

In news that will no doubt infuriate R. Kelly’s critics, the start of the singer’s trial has been delayed once again. The long-awaited trial was set to begin on September 17th, but now has no definitive start date. Check out the MTV News report below:

Just one month ago, it looked like the wait was over — but a Chicago judge decided on Tuesday (September 4) that the child-pornography criminal case against R. Kelly, which has been pending for five years, will not be going to trial on September 17 after all.

Judge Vincent Gaughan had previously scheduled the trial date at a hearing on August 1, but changed his mind at a status hearing Tuesday, after taking into consideration that the lead prosecutor, Shauna Boliker, who recently gave birth, would not be able to proceed per her doctor’s orders. Boliker, the chief of Illinois’ Cook County Sex Crimes Division, had previously gone right back to work after the births of her two other children.

Per a gag order, neither side was permitted to comment on this new delay, the latest in a long series of postponements. The pre-trial phase alone has lasted longer than other celebrity trials, or even other child-pornography trials, which usually begin with a year or two of charges being filed. Many of the delays have been medical in nature, such as when Kelly needed emergency surgery for a burst appendix in February, and when Judge Gaughan fell off a ladder, causing multiple fractures, last summer.

This is beyond a joke now. Guilty or not, I’m guessing this trial will never see the light of day.

Any thoughts?

*Before I continue, let me just say that I’m in no way confirming this to be true – so don’t shoot the messenger lol*

WE ALL KNOW THAT IT IS Q!!!! TAKE IT FROM ME… THE KING OF ALL DL [EXPLETIVE]!!!! HE IS NOT ONE OF US…. Q IS A STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN BOTTOM ASS [EXPLETIVE]. I HOPE I DO NOT GET IN TROUBLE FOR THIS, BUT HERE IT GOES……. I AM REALLY GOOD FRIENDS WITH JOHNATHON, WHO QUIT THE SHOW DURING THE DANCE EPISODE WITH LAURA. HE GETS DOWN, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND TOLD ME THE Q OFTEN HIT ON HIM AND TRIED TO GET WITH HIM OFF CAMERA. BEING THAT DIDDY IS A HOMO HIMSELF, HE COULD SMELL THE GAY ACTION GOING DOWN. HE APPROACHED THEM BOTH AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAN THE [EXPLETIVE] UP QUICK OR BE KICKED OFF BECAUSE HE COULD NOT HAVE HOMO DUDES IN THE BAND OR ON THE SHOW. LET ME NOT MENTION THAT HE MADE A PASS AT ONE OF THEM AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THINGS THEY MAY NOT LIKE IN ORDER TO ADVANCE. HE WAS NEVER REALLY AROUND AS YOU SAW, SO SOME [EXPLETIVE] HAD TO STEP UP AND DO THINGS FOR A CHANCE AT FAME OFF CAMERA.

DIDDY REALLY GOT PISSED OFF WHEN HE TRIED TO TURN HOMEBOY CARLOS WITH THE LONG HAIR OUT AND FAILED TO DO SO. THAT IS WHY THEY BROUGHT IN HIS PERSONAL SITUATION ON CAMERA AND HAD NO TYPE OF CONSIDERATION FOR HIM FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT KNOW, BRYAN M. COX, THE PRODUCER, GETS DOWN AS WELL. HE HELPED DIDDY MAKE CARLOS LOOK BAD , TO GIVE THE AUDIENCE A READON TO WANT HIM TO GET KICKED OFF, BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT DO SOME OF THE SEXUAL THINGS THEY WANTED OFF CAMERA. OF COURSE THESE [EXPLETIVE] ARE BOUND BY CONTRACT NOT TO SAY [EXPLETIVE], BUT YOU GQ IS GONNA TELL IT, BECAUSE I HAVE TO PUT GRIMY [EXPLETIVE] ON BLAST EVERY CHANCE I GET. THEY MUST LEARN SOME HOW.

ANYWAY, JOHN ALSO TOLD ME THAT Q WENT FURTHER WITH DIDDY IN THE BEDROOM AND CONVENCED HIM THAT HE COULD PASS FOR STRAIGHT FOR THE FEMALE AUDIENCE. THAT IS WHY YOU SAW JOHN SAY THAT HE DID NOT WANT THIS BAND AS MUCH AS THE OTHERS. HE WAS TIRED OF PUTTING HIS PERSONAL VALUES IN QUESTION. BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YALL SEE AND THINK WHEN IT EVER COMES TO DIDDY!!!!! MASE WAS NOT HIS FIRST OR LAST ARTIST EVER SIGNED TO BAD BOY WHO GETS DOWN. THERE WAS ALSO LOON, CARL THOMAS, BENTLEY, SLIM FROM 112 AND OF COURSE THE DIKE FROM TOTAL. YOU KNOW GQ HAD TO BRING IT TO YALL!!!

Some of you may have already heard about Chris Brown’s onstage antics at a Hot 97 sponsored concert this past weekend. Though there wasn’t anything bad about it, so to speak, Elephant Man knows he was wrong for encouraging Chris to be doing all that. He may be 18, but Chris needs to remember his main audience are younger teens.

Maybe unrelated, but something about Chris this time around seems kinda ‘off’. The new material is so-so (at best), yet he seems to be getting cockier i.e. in interviews etc. Wack tracks and a bad attitude will only take you so far.

Your thoughts?

As most of you probably know, I vacationed in the US recently. While there I saw the ‘Read A Book’ campaign clip on BET and cracked up…it’s hilarious. As funny (and controversial) as it may be, I’m definitely supportive of it’s actual meaning. Inevitably, not everyone is liking the video. Check out a discussion on the vid on CNN:

What do you think of the video?

The Beyonce Experience tour hit the Staples Centre in Los Angeles yesterday (September 2nd), for what seemed to be a great night for all. With the concert being filmed for the live DVD, a few special guests joined the singer during her set. Towards the end of ‘Survivor’, Beyonce’s former bandmates, Michelle and Kelly, appeared onstage to finish the song with her. The pair also led the crowd in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her later in the night (Beyonce turns 26 on September 4th). Boyfriend/Fiance/Husband (whatever he is to her) Jay Z also joined her onstage during the ‘Upgrade U’ performance.

Having attended the show when it hit London in June, I’m sure the DVD will be worth a buy. It’s great seeing the ladies of Destiny’s Child onstage together once again – although I’d prefer if it were under different circumstances e.g. performing (ala the BET Awards 07). See, correct me I’m wrong, but when was the last time Beyonce showed up at anything Kelly or Michelle were doing?

Your thoughts?

On Her Relationship With Her Father:

“I am actually embarrassed by that. I don’t like speaking about it because I am not proud of it. But it is something that helped make me who I am today. Now people know that I am not perfect and that I had real conflicts. My dad is not pleased, because he is embarrassed. We still have not sat and had a conversation about it.”

On Her Past Image

“I felt like my girlie image was boring and contrived and generic. I was so restricted. I could not wear red lipstick. If I did I would get cursed out by my marketing person. I did a big performance on an awards show and I won some awards and [was happy] , but as soon as I got off the plane, I got the nastiest email from her about [my looks]. I then realized she was not treating me like a human being so I cut her off.

On Blowing Up After Playing Second Fiddle To Teairra Marie

That [was] a funny situation, but I always remained humble. I was just the little Caribbean girl. You have to be good to people. I could very easily say it’s all karma…God has favor on me and has blessed me, and I cannot even thank Him enough.

Hmm…seems like there must have been more to Teairra being dropped from Def Jam / Roc A’ Fella. She was more talented than Rihanna, in my opinion, and both of their first albums tanked – so something must have made the label choose to pull out all the stops for Rihanna’s success instead of Teairra.

What do you think of Rihanna’s comments?