"You Owe Me"

"You Owe Me" isn't just the commercial rap song effort from Nas featuring Ginuwine in 2000, it's what his soon-to-be former wife, and mother of his child, Kelis, is singing all the way to courthouse. In July, Nas was ordered to pay $55,000 a month, but now the singer and her lawyer are saying it's not enough.

I awoke today to a friend's status stating the news regarding Nas/Kelis and a variety of tweets on twitter regarding it as well. It was apparently a discussion on Hot 97 and according to dimewars.com here's a breakdown of what Kelis requests:

- Nas pulls in $244,826 a month
– Kelis rakes in a relatively paltry $13,744 a month
– Kelis should get child support totaling $17,225 a month
– Kelis should get spousal support totaling $72,728
– Nas should pay retro child support totaling $29,522
– Nas should pay retro spousal support totaling $281,571

I'm not a mother, or a wife, yet, but have a few words regarding this. We know Kelis's career hasn't been as acclaimed as Nas's has been. When she first emerged on the scene in 1999 she garnerered some buzz: she had a funky sound that was not quite R&B, not quite pop, she was eccentric with wild hair and had some in-your-face songs that brought variety to the music landscape. In the years following Kelis hyped up her mainstream appeal with hits like, "Milkshake", and "Bossy", but still hasn't matched up with Nas in terms of record sales, performing consistently and mass appeal.

It should also be noted that Nas, who is a big name in Hip-Hop and a veteran as far as the genre is concerned, doesn't have the mainstream following of someone like Jay-Z or Lil Wayne. I'm not an accountant and saying he can't afford all of this, but since he isn't selling like Lil Wayne, or creating business partnerships and running other entrepreneurial endeavors like Jay-Z, and is getting older in age, how long will that be the amount he earns per month. With that said, Kelis has every opportunity to supplement an income on her own merits.

She just gave birth, but as an entertainer I'd assume she'd eventually want to work more on her music career. I won't pretend to know what she is going through or what she's thinking, but this issue just seems to be more about obtaining more money that finances actually needed to sustain her lifestyle. Just a thought.

Her demands are pretty excessive. I'm sure her lawyer is pressuring her to make these requests, but she's making the spousal support and child support system look like it's supposed to be a cash fairy. I don't know the details of their relationship and of course speculations point to supposed infidelity, though Nas maintains that he was a good husband - far from perfect he admitted, but a good husband.

I'm not a celebrity so maybe I don't understand the dependecy of luxury to feel "comfortable", but if she is making that "mere" $13,000 a month and that is combined with the $55,000 she already set to be receiving from Nas, that is enough to provide a very lavish lifestyle for herself and her child. Retro-active child support when the child has only been in this world a month? Retro-active spousal support? Please. Kelis, I know you did not walk away from the relationship with no money in your pockets, and I did not hear any reports of you being with a home, kicked out of your home, or unsure of where to lay your head at night.



I guess Nas is kicking himself for not having a pre-nup. For the average couple, a pre-nup is not always something necessary, but if either party makes an extensive amount of money, or both do, for that matter, you should have one - just in case. It doesn't mean your marriage will be doomed or you are entering with doubts, it's just insurance. Many people go through their lives, fortunate not to be in a car accident, but they need it - just in case. We can't control others' decisions and actions and sadly, sometimes people become strangers to us, so you must protect your assets.

All I can say is things are about to get uglier. At a time where the focus should be on their one month old son, Knight it's dedicated to bunting heads on financial matters, dealing with lawyers and fixation on money.

A Few of the Biggest Movie "Haters"

Hollywood in Love Jones (1997) - Played by Bill Bellamy, Hollywood was that guy in the group of friends who always had a sarcastic remark not because he was witty, but because deep down he was a hater who lacked the intelligence, creativity and overall personality his buddies had. All of that manifested into the fake confidence and cockiness of Hollywood's persona.

His punk move: Taking out Nina after her and Darius broke up and intentionally bringing her to a party where they'd run into everyone, which made her look like an official homie hopper. After instant embarrassment, Nina asked him to take her home where he adamantally refused telling her to walk. But just when Nina was about to her walk home Mr. Lovehall (Darius) saved the day (or night.)





Debo in Friday (1995)
You couldn't have anything with Debo around! Not a bike, not money, and certainly not a backbone, which is what Red found out one unfaithful day. We all remember that when Red tried to get his "borrowed/stolen" bike back from Debo he got hit.

Punk move: Hitting his girl, but Ice Cube had a remedy for him. A royal beatdown on his lawn cheered on by neighbors tired of Debo terrorizing the neighborhood.













Remy in Higher Learning (1995) - In every sense of the word, Remy was a "hater". After being shunned by social crowds and laughed at his first semester in college, he eventually found comradery with white supremacists which set off a chain reaction of unfortunate events in the provocative film focusing on race, sexuality, and gender.

Punk move: Shooting on Peace day and consequently killing Deja (Tyra Banks)










The Color Purple(1985) - Mister
Hateful, mean and obviously eternally pissed off he didn't get to marry the prettier sister and had to "settle for Cielie"

Punk Move: Inviting Shug Avery to live with him thinking he could have his cake (served by his live-in servant/wife Cielie) and eat it too. Eventually moved by motivation and learning that her sister had been writing her years, she breaks the bonds of years' mistreatment.













Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)- Patrick
In this unique film which explored love, neuroscience, memory loss, and fate, Patrick is at the center of it all. He uses the old notes and memories of Clementine (Kate Winslet) who comes to his company to get her memory erased , and her boyfriend, Joel, (Jim Carrey) to lure her into a relationship using the advantage of knowing the intimate details of her past relationship.

Punk Move: Believing his plan would work. Although at first, he managed to woo her by using recycled memories, she eventually started to feel that something wasn't quite right. The film was a good portrayal of fate because though both their memories had been erased Clementine and Joel eventually met again and start dating only to discover they weren't the strangers they thought they were.

Competing for Love?

Reality TV is anything but reality these days. They need to change the name. We all know that most of the fights, eliminations and events are all staged and the only thing real about these shows often is the name of the cast members (well sometimes).

Flavor of Love, I Love New York, Tela Tequila, Rock of Love, Real Chance of Love, For the Love of Ray-J and every other "dating" show have a few things in common. Scantily-dressed women, egotistical men, stereotypical types of men and women? Sure, but not just that. The exploitation of the word "Love".

These shows seems to imply love is something you need to compete for, especially as women. None of them are looking for genuine true ever-lasting love on the show. If they wanted to keep it true to what it is they'd replace the word "love" with "lust".

Sometimes, as in the case of Miss New York and Tela Tequila, the female is the object of desire by several male contestants who want to be her man, but more common is females fighting over men. Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? Of course, calling these shows art is an insult, but in reality we do see women fighting amongst each other all the time and girls are starting to do it at an even earlier age. They're fighting each other, beating each other up and doing other vicisous things all over a boy. All in the name of love.

Should you really have to chase love? Should you have to prove you're the "best" woman for a man. Shouldn't he know that, or decide on his own? It kind of reminds me of the Mary J. Blige song, "I Can Love U", where she sings how she can love you better than "she can" while pining for a man who just doesn't want her the way she'd like. (Love the song though).

It just seems shows like these dating reality programs enforce the idea that men need a bevy of women to chose from, test them out, and then after some test drives he'll pick the one for him. Only, in these shows, there rarely are any genuine love connections made as after the show is over they aren't really a couple.

The cliche part is how these attractive women with these perfect bodies come on the show and the male then gets upset or surprised when he learns she's an aspiring model, singer or an ex-stripper or porn star. As Beyonce sings, "you got a big ego...."

However, for those who can't get enough of reality TV have some more coming their way when 2/3 of the Stallionaires return to your TV screens on August 3rd on Vh1 with Real Chance of Love 2. Let's hope at least Chance actually picks a woman this time.

Disclaimer: Not for nothing, I do watch reality TV from time to time. As a entertainment junkie it's my unspoken responsibility to know what's going on and who's who. Just don't agree with some of the stereotypes and behavior perpetuated.

Reflections of a Music Icon

On Sunday DnA Talk Radio broadcasted a show focusing on the aftermath of the death of Michael Jackson and some of the difficulties he faced throughout his long hit-filled career.
Like many people I was a fan. An unwavering fan who periodically got the urge every once in awhile to listen to some classic Michael Jackson. A fan who although the hit-machine days had declined as the King of Pop aged still valued his artistry. Despite all of the controversy that surrounded some of his days, Michael Jackson leaves an undeniable void in the living music icons category. With music these days in desperate need of someone with the talent to unite people as Michael did his death has now bumped him from King of Pop, to music legend.
With that said, here's the show.



Also mentioned on the show:

After 16 years of serving the masses as the leading publication focusing on hip-hop/r&b and contemporary urban culture and lifestyle, Vibe magazine announced Tuesday, June 30th that it would no longer produce the magazine or manage its web site vibe.com. The condition of the economy, print advertising decline, and the unstable music industry are some of the reasons by cited by former CEO, Steve Aaron of the folding of the publication. Click to read my blog reflecting on my experience as an intern at Vibe.

Pleasure P Aims to Please

Pleasure P's album came out a few weeks ago, and here's my take on it.

Those expecting former Pretty Ricky member Pleasure P's debut album to be drenched in riveting sexual explicitness and gyrating beats will discover something of a different flavor. In 2007, he announced his departure from the group and unlike artists who release music that is the reincarnation of the very sound that garnered their former group's success, Pleasure P is more calculated. Poised to distinguish himself post-teen R&B group fame he's here to introduce the real Marcus Cooper with a blueprint that has few traces of his Pretty Ricky days.

Introduction of Marcus Cooper is a solidly mature album as was foreshadowed when lead single, “Did You Wrong”, showed a young man sincerely singing to the woman he's had a rocky relationship with and wasn't of the borderline raunchy one-night stand caliber of some songs of today. Following the positive reception of his first single was the unapologetic, “Boyfriend #2, where he appears to have no qualms with serving as a “boyfriend on the side”; the single climbed up music charts and as of now, is his highest ranking single. Pleasure P showcases his mastery of the slow jam with songs like, “Let Me” and “Under”, but doesn't skimp on the sexual-themed or up-tempo songs like “Birthday Suit” and “Fire Lovin” – which is much expected by someone with a moniker like Pleasure P and who proclaims to be the “new bad boy of R&B”.

In an industry where featuring an overwhelming roster of artists on albums seems almost like a prerequisite for new artists (and sometimes, veterans) Introduction of Marcus Cooper's only collaborations are “I'm a Beast” featuring Yung Joc and a bonus track remix of “Boyfriend #2” with Flo Rida - after that, it's all ears on Pleasure P. A few of the men behind the scenes are the late Static Major who he attributes for giving him musical inspiration, Adonis, Cool and Dre, Rico Love and R&B singers Tank and Keith Sweat. The harmonious union between Pleasure P's voice and the production leaves little room for mismatched melodies and vocals on the album.

Introduction to Marcus Cooper makes a good first impression and officially catapults him into the ring with some favorite newer R&B heavyweights. With an album that possesses charisma and lures you in until the next strong delivery, Pleasure P pleases his first time around.

Never Can Say Goodbye

The Wall of Magazine Covers (this was only some of the many)

Taken at The old Vibe office location 215 Lexington Ave

A mixture of thoughts filled through me when I heard VIBE was closing its doors. First, I was in disbelief, thinking it was a rumor. The magazine industry along with newspapers has been suffering for awhile and while they may have been hit as well, I couldn't fathom a world without the magazine I'd been reading for nearly ten years. I recently had visited the new office in May while conducting an interview for an upcoming issue, learned about their new magazine, The Most Mag! and saw many familiar faces - happy many of them remembered me.

While the lives of those on staff are the most dramatically impacted by this sad news, it also hit me hard as a former intern of the publication (and several other former interns who have twittered about it or expressed sadness). I can recall being ecstatic that a magazine I'd been reading avidly since 13 would even pick me to be a fly on their wall as an intern but I was picked for Fall 2007. With very few classes that semester and on the brink of graduating it was the perfect ending to my time at Kean University. We were Shirea Carroll's first team of interns and were nervous but still eager to fulfill part of our dream of becoming music journalists. The semester was filled with hard work, lots of lessons, new opportunities and of course some mistakes, but it made us all stronger in the end and sad to leave the guidance of our intern coordinator Shirea and positive career model that Danyel Smith gave off with her mounts of success and always wise words of encouragement and well wishes. We also were surrounded by many other creative great minds on staff that influenced many of us and helped us cultivate our raw talent.

Besides the memories I'm sure many people have whether they worked there, used to worked there, freelanced, or just remember scooping a copy every week is the big question involving media. In my mind if the biggest, most popular urban magazine can fall, who is next?

It's like if you have a favorite table in your house that is so sturdy and one day a leg breaks off. If that can break, then there may not be much hope for anything else in the house. Amidst all the ominous news with the still dysfunctional economy, celebrity deaths, this was just the straw that has broken the camel's back for me.

As Danyel Smith once said on her podcast, Take it Personal that she does weekly with her husband, Elliot Wilson of Rap Radar and former Editor-in-Chief of XXL about the crumbling of print media she addressed journalistic integrity and who can you trust in media. Yes, we have news, gossip and blog sites, but many of those people are not journalists. Not to water down any passion they may have for media or entertainment, but there is a difference between someone with an interest and someone with a keen understanding of how to reach an audience, be biased at times and how to disagree with something without being disrespectful. Yes, journalists do blog, and some bloggers are journalists, but as great as the Internet is, anyone can hop on and pretend to be an expert.

The saddening part is that I've seen people comment on gossip and blog sites talking trash about certain magazines and hyping up gossip sites for their fast and easy news on celebrities. They often complain about magazines' content, the artists they cover and that the magazines are much thinner than before. Some of which may be true. However, do these people think that they may be part of the problem? The lower the sales the less money to fill it with content and the magazine has to make their money somehow so yes, it may be more ads. As far as the artists covered? Blame it on the audience, not the alcohol.

At the end of the day who is accountable? Do most of these sites have the artist or craft in mind or just a juicy story; sadly the later is most often the case. Do they actually choose their words wisely or just want to insult whatever or whoever they are talking about? Is there structure? Are they unbiased? Not to say none of these popular sites check their sources or that I don't go on these sites daily, but unlike the work that goes into fact checking magazines and reputable web sites anyone can feign it. I guess as someone who went to college to study journalism and at one point interned for Vibe and AllHipHop.com the idea of journalism is personal to me although I never had the opportunity to be a full-fledged journalist on a staff. All of this is constant reminder how our society is too obsessed with instant gratification only to be left empty handed at the end.

It's sad to see a staple in entertainment industry leave, but I wish everyone luck and show love top my FA '07 intern crew, Miryam, Claire, Guerdley, Emmanuel, Desiree, Natalie and Sabrina.
Here's a few covers: the first issue I helped work on as an intern, an issue I contributed to, and a few random others

Do You Remember the Time? Michael Jackson Best Music Videos

Any Michael Jackson song made between the early 80s' to early 90s' can most likely be labeled a pop classic. While some of those songs are bona fide stamps of his talent, he's also had amazingly creative music video concepts which always told us a short story. Here are my favorite Michael Jackson videos.

Note: Due to embedding disabled on all Michael Jackson videos on Youtube the link to each video is in the title of each song.



Thriller(1983) - "Thriller" still has never been topped as far as popularity, humor, and overall entertainment. I mean who can beat a vintage Michael Jackson in his prime sporting a red jacket, piping an addictive chorus with a jolt of fear as ghouls strut along with him? This is the number one video.


Remember The Time(1992) - Featuring an all-star cast of Iman, Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson I've always loved the imagery of this video. The ancient Egyptian inspired royalty concept combined with special effects is what makes this one of his best music videos of all time. Michael serenades Iman as he mysteriously disappears from the guards who want to get him away from the beautiful Queen. He turns into dust and shows off some of his best dance moves since "Thriller".


Scream(1995) - No one expected the pleasant surprise in 1995 of Michael teaming up with his baby sister Janet for the energy infused musical explosion that was "Scream". Expressing their outrage of being constantly in the news and hunted by the press and paparazzi they came together for this instant smash single. The best part of the video is when they breakdown and start dancing in unison. Both happened to be in the midst of their pop icon peak when "Scream" broke through to the top 5 on r&b, pop and dance charts.


Earth Song(1995) - The video depicting the human destruction of the environment, poverty and war is one of Michael's most underrated music videos. Obviously more serious than his usual dance hits it featured good visuals and made more of an action statement than some of his other videos.

You Rock My World(2001) This song had a short time span on radio play and while wasn't one of his solid classics it was a good comeback nonetheless. In 2001 he wanted to remind us he could still rock our world with his a catchy hook and a song bursting with flirtation as this admonition of being attracted to a special lady is reminiscent of "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "Do You Remember the Time".
The video adds a little humor with him checking out a woman with funnyman, Chris Tucker before he belts out into song and dance. In classic Michael Jackson protocol he made sure this music video showed more like a mini movie than just your typical run of the mil video.

Leave Me Alone (1987) Michael Jackson was bashing the paparazzi way before Scream where in 1987 in an eccentric video featuring a roller coaster ride (one can link to the ups and downs that would soon be Michael Jackson's career) he features Bubbles the chimp, himself dancing alongside a skeleton and riding on a small plane as he told the public to "just stop dogging me around"

Billie Jean (1982) - Simple video, but still caught your attention. Jackson proclaims innocence in a song where he repeats "but the kid not being my son" The mysterious former love interest "Billie Jean" makes no appearance in the video as Michael avoids a reporter hot on his trail. He shows off signature moves as he steps from place to place with each spot lighting up.

This video also exposed the world to the "moonwalk", a dance that wasn't entirely his but one that he altered to immortalize into his own. Despite proven fame in the music business the CBS president at the time, still had to threaten MTV with prohibiting some of their popular rock(white acts) from being played on MTV unless they showed "Billie Jean". He became the first black artist played on MTV.