Word has it that Tyra Banks is set to leave America’s Next Top Model to concentrate on her popular talk show. Friction with the show’s co-host is being cited, by reports, as the reason for Banks’ rumored departure:

OK! magazine reports that Banks isn’t getting along with photo shoot creative director Jay Manuel, and her days on the show could be numbered. “It’s gotten so bad that Tyra and Jay aren’t speaking,” an insider told OK! magazine. The selective silent treatment isn’t limited to Manuel, either. “Tyra barely interacts with the contestants and only wants to show up on judging day,” the source told the magazine.

As some of you may know, R&B star Mario is currently a contestant on ‘Dancing With The Stars’. Check out his performance on this week’s episode of the show:

I’m feeling a lot more positive about Mario’s involvement with the show. He’s doing well, having scored the top score on last week’s show and 26/30 this week. I’m hopeful is that he goes far in the competition and is able to use it as a launch pad to bigger things for his music career. Can’t knock his hustle.

Your thoughts?

At one point the standard-bearer for R&B/Hip-Hop, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Bad Boy Empire has undeniably fallen on hard-times in recent in years. Following the departure of several of the label’s key acts, Bad Boy has been MIA on the charts for longer than their supporters and more so Combs would have liked. Enter Day26; a five-piece consisting of Willie, Qwanell, Robert, Mike and Brian. Formed on the popular MTV show, aptly titled ‘Making The Band’, the guys are part of Combs’ plan to stage a Bad Boy revival of sorts. With this their self-titled debut (out March 25th), Day26 show that there may be hope yet for Diddy’s once-sinking ship.

(more…)

As the US release of Leona Lewis’ hugely successful ‘Spirit’ LP draws nearer (due April 8th), the UK songstress stopped by ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno’ last night to perform current single ‘Bleeding Love’. Granted this is probably the 100th time I’ve seen her perform the song, especially being here in the UK, I still enjoyed it. I really have no choice to, considering she nails it each and every time. Great performance. ‘Bleeding Love’ sits atop of the iTunes chart, as at writing.

What do you think of the performance?

A Talent Booker at the ‘Wendy Williams Experience’ show has filed papers with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that she was hounded to have sex with Wendy Williams’ husband Kevin Hunter – by Hunter himself. What’s more, the worker, Nicole Spence, also claims that Hunter physically abused the radio personality around the studio. See the report via NY Post below:

“Mr. Hunter repeatedly sexually propositioned me at work in the most crude and vulgar ways, telling me over and over that he wanted to ‘f- – -’ me,” Spence charges.

I also feared Mr. Hunter because he repeatedly physically assaulted Ms. Williams at or near the WBLS studio,” Spence says in the complaint.

In one instance, Mr. Hunter stormed into the studio, demanded that other employees leave and openly physically abused Ms. Williams, pinning her against the wall with his hand around her neck, choking her while repeatedly pounding his fist into the wall directly by her head.”

It’s no secret that Williams and the younger Hunter have had a turbulent relationship – one filled with drugs, abuse and infidelity. Though Wendy asserts that things have changed, one has to wonder if there’s truth to these claims.

Any thoughts?

As reported earlier on today, Mariah Carey performed at the season 3 premiere of popular MTV show ‘The Hills’ yesterday night. Check out her renditions of ‘Touch My Body’ and ‘We Belong Together’ below:

I’ve got a love/hate thing going on with Mariah this go-round. ‘Touch My Body’ has grown on me considerably, but these performances are not cutting it. Whether comparing them to ‘Old Mariah’ or the standard of any good performance, her showing last night still falls short. Though ‘We Belong Together’ was better, the years of wear and tear are made overly evident when Mariah tries to reach for them notes she sadly cannot hit (live) anymore.

The following may sound controversial, but IMO 2008 Mariah Carey seems little more than a studio singer (the best of the bunch, of course). Some may be quick to think ‘WTF’ as she obviously is leaps and bounds more talented than artists labelled as such. Yet, the simple fact that she can’t do her own songs justice live any more, IMO makes her a studio singer. Even the oh-so-critiqued performances to support her last LP weren’t as cringe worthy as her most recent. What makes the whole episode worse is that she seems to put more effort into her look/image than how she sounds. I guess much of this won’t be of much relevance, as Mimi is cruising toward her 18th #1 single with ‘Touch my Body.

Your thoughts?