Source: Google Images
It’s a sad day when anyone has reached the point of complete mental and physical exhaustion, but it seems like it would be much worse to have to go through it in the public eye. Since Kanye West’s recent meltdown, the world seems to be split in its reaction. Some actually care, while others have made it clear that they don’t. This brings up an interesting question: When did we stop caring about the well-being of celebrities? Continue reading
You know my motto…I keep celebrity talk classy! Here are some big things that are going around in celebrity-ville; check it out:
Source: Instagram
Eva Marcille is pregnant with her first baby with singer and songwriter, Kevin McCall. She is due any day now and I must say, she is one of the cutest preggers I’ve seen. She’s been sharing her belly growth on Instagram throughout her entire pregnancy and there’s nothing more beautiful!
Source: Instagram
Wishing you the best delivery ever and your latest photo proves that you are ready to pop!
Source: Instagram
In other news, singer and Diddy’s girlfriend, Cassie, is extending her reach into the entertainment world with her brand new fashion partnership with clothing brand, Young & Reckless. Cassie will be creating her own line, “EN-WHY2EL-AYE” which is a funky derivative of NY to LA. Some of her pieces incorporate artwork made personally by Cassie herself, which is pretty cool and original. It’s no secret, she is a beautiful girl, so modeling her own pieces is a no-brainer! Work it girl!
Remember the Bad Boy group, Day 26? They made some pretty popular hits, such as Exclusive, and since their abrupt disappearance from the scene, fans have been wanting a return. Recently, all-female Bad Boy group, Danity Kane, reunited (minus D. Woods, whose publicist refused to make a statement on the subject) and they are making their way back on the scene. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that Day 26 followed in their footsteps. This week, Day 26 will be performing in NYC at SOB on Sunday; details are below.
Source: Instagram
With the cold weather moving in far too early, I guess it’s a good time to wrap-up my summer and show you all some of the fun that I’ve been having. I say it all the time, but I’ll say it again…I think music makes the world go ’round! I didn’t quite have enough time to go away, but I managed to sneak in some fun when possible. Between working and sifting through the many thoughts in my head about where I want to live in a year, it was MANDATORY to get in some dancing and friends/family time. I will preface this re-cap with this statement: I spent time with the people that are nearest and dearest to my heart and people that I knew I could genuinely ENJOY myself with. That’s so key! So, if you take nothing else away from this post, remember that there is NO time for drama in this lifetime and so much time for daaaancing (lol)!
Keeping in line with the whole music idea, I was able to see some of my favorite artists this year. I never posted about this (and I know this is a summer re-cap, but hold tight), but I got the chance to see DAVID GUETTA in concert (I even got media passes to go back stage)! By far, one of the coolest and most amazing nights I’ve had at a concert.
(That’s me!)
Fast forward past the Rihanna concert that I went to because I already posted about it right chereeeee!
I made and impulsive decision with my friend Talia and decided to take a road trip to my hometown, Philly, for the Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake Legends of the Summer tour. It was super duper cool to attend an outdoor concert (since it was arena tour) with thousands of screaming fans. Check it out!
Had a freaking awesome time and had great seats (winning!)…to top the summer off I spent my Labor Day weekend in Philly again for Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival! It was SO freaking hot outside, but I saw some great acts including: Solange, Beyoncé, Empire of the Sun, Calvin Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Dead Mouse and many more!
(This was during the Beyoncé performance; it was so packed!)
Thanks for taking a peek at a few fun moments over the past several months! I had a blast and will update you on my concert-going experiences after I attend the Beyoncé concert in December and the Magna Carta World Tour in January!!! WOOOO-HOOOO!!!
Source: EatingHipHop.com
Most people can appreciate a good Hip-Hop rivalry. With some rappers turning to mainstream styles of music, it’s easy to feel like the Hip-Hop culture isn’t what it used to be. Then there are rappers who remind everyone that Hip-Hop is still alive and their passion for wanting to be the greatest, turns into true rap beef. Recently, rapper Kendrick Lamar has been catching some heat for stirring the pot with his “Control” verse that called out some pretty famed artists such as Drake, J. Cole, Wale and Meek Mill, to name a few. In response, Meek Mill stayed true to his Philly bad boy persona and fired back in his new single, Ooh Kill em:
Man you claiming you the king of New York
What the f–k wrong with you n–ga, step back
Hundred shots, aim straight at your snap cap
Everybody want the crown so I snatch that
Heard your gun go doo-dooo-dooo
Well my gun go blap-blap-blap-blap
What the f–k I gotta whisper to n-ggas
To earn my respect just to get to these n–gas
Go Ether, Takeover or Jigga on n-ggas I really go 2Pac and Biggie on n–gas
What the f-ck wrong with him
Like really I’m sick of you n–gas
You’ve been in the game like a year and some change
And you feeling yourself so I’m killing these n–gas like…
What was Kendrick’s response? Well, let’s just say he used a recent performance in Brooklyn, NY as his opportunity to set Meek straight:
I been doing this shit for years. I mastered this sh!t.
I have no time for irrelevant n—as [or] new n—as.
There’s one n—a in particular that needs to realize that there’s ‘levels’ to this sh!t.
I’m MOTHER F–KIN’ KING KENDRICK.
The drama spilled over to Twitter and let’s just say…things are heating up. I hope the beef stays as beef and not violent. We all know the reality of how wrong things could go.
I feature a lot of people on DaniTheDreamgirl, all pursuing some form of passion. This next feature is no exception! When the opportunity came along to interview Jade Wilson, I had no doubts that she would be great for the Dreamworld! Jade is a spunky teenager with a whole lot of positive energy and love to spread across the world. This 13 year old has an immense amount of passion not only for music, but also for some fairly important world issues such as human trafficking and bullying. Jade began singing at the age of 7 when she started memorizing the lyrics to her favorite songs; now she’s a YouTube sensation! Check out what she shares about her career, her journey thus far and what it’s like to be a young person with a purpose:
On your road to success, what’s the biggest thing that has happened to you so far?
So far meeting all my fans, being able to perform on the anti-bullying campaign concerts. I feel really fulfilled doing this kind of work.
How does it feel to know that so many people are watching you via social media?
It‘s not as scary as it looks and sounds, I still talk to everyone like normal–even though they treat me like I’m some rockstar! The truth is, I still feel like a regular kid…same old me.
How do you handle criticism that you may receive via social media?
Since you only live once (YOLO) it makes me want to do better and move on. I take constructive criticism well, I scrap the other stuff.
At your age, your voice is still changing, how do you handle/overcome that hurdle?
I have been doing work with vocal coaches and participating in artist development programs in Atlanta. So this has been helping me learn my vocal range and how to deal with any vocal changes that may come about.
What artists do you look up to and why?
Nicki Minaj, because she’s so unique to me and colorful. I also adore some of the greats, like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight.
Was “Don’t Give Up” inspired by real-life events?
When I read the lyrics, I immediately connected to it, because I want to be the voice for those who have been bullied and give them courage. Hearing it from a peer, I think my age group will accept my message to stand up and don’t give up.
I know that you are taking part in advocating against and building awareness for major issues such as Human Trafficking and bullying. Does it add any pressure to know that you are speaking up about some pretty big issues going on in the world?
Yes, especially when people look up to me and I can inspire them to do something better or join the cause. I actually cried the first time I heard about this issue and the problems associated with this dreadful activity. But just to be able to help in anyway and bring awareness to this makes me feel better than any pressure.
What specifically are you doing to help combat about these issues and when were you first moved to take a stand?
Starting with the positive messages in my songs, participating in programs aimed at informing the youth at places like the boys and girls club. Also speaking with as many radios, blogs (like yours) and events to bring mainstream awareness.
What upcoming projects do you have in the works?
We have been recording my first album, and my label (RFMAP in Atlanta) is working on putting together an Anti-bullying campaign radio tour, starting with my single, “Don’t give up.” Also I will be working with a lot of influential people and filming a reality show with the hopes of reaching even more people.
How can fans support you on your journey?
As always, follow me on YouTube, Twitter (@realjadewilson), Facebook and Instagram (shrimpling). We also have signature merchandise that everyone can buy (my “Swerg” t-shirt is a top seller right now). Also we are going to start a crowd funding campaign that my fans can pledge to help me advance on my journey.
A few days ago, Kris Jenner addressed some comments that President Obama made about her daughter Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. In an interview with Amazon, the President said:
The American Dream involved some pretty basic stuff. A home you could call your own. A good job where you felt some security. A good education, and the ability to get a higher education if you wanted to pursue it. People felt if they worked hard they could get there. I don’t think people went around saying to themselves, ‘I need to have a 10,000-square-foot house’. I think, there has also been a shift in culture. We weren’t exposed to the things we didn’t have in the same way that kids these days are.
There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Kids weren’t monitoring every day what Kim Kardashian was wearing, or where Kanye West was going on vacation, and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success.
Now, if I’m reading this, I’m thinking, “wow, he’s right!” If you think about it, Americans, especially children, are exposed to a different type of success. We don’t just see hard workers on television, we see reality shows where families have millions and are afforded a dramatic lifestyle where they can spend any amount they want on any THING they want. Is that so bad? Is that unrealistic? Well, Kris Jenner seems to think Obama was out of line; take a look at her response:
splash.svish.com
Last month I openly spoke about how maintaining the integrity of your brand is essential (click here for post) and it seems like some celebrities are learning this lesson the hard way. The lines of creativity and pushing the envelope are being defined more and more each day and big endorsements are beginning to be snagged from some top performers. Recently, Mountain Dew parted ways with rapper Lil Wayne due to the backlash that was received from his verse in the Karate Chop remix, which references Emmett Till; the young boy who was killed for flirting with a white woman in 1955. Lil Wayne raps, “Pop a lot of pain pills, Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels, Beat that pus*y up like Emmett Till…”
The rapper offered an apology letter to the Till family and he states:
Dear Till Family:
As a recording artist, I have always been interested in word play. My lyrics often reference people, places and events in my music, as well as the music that I create for or alongside other artists.
It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist’s song has deeply offended your family. As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your hurt, as well as the letter you sent to me via your attorneys.
Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner. I fully support Epic Record’s decision to take down the unauthorized version of the song and to not include the reference in the version that went to retail. I will not be performing the lyrics that contain that reference live and have removed them from my catalogue…
“I have tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy. As a business owner who employs several African-American employees and gives philanthropically to organizations that help youth to pursue their dreams my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community.
Best, Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. Lil Wayne (Statement)
It seems like we lose someone from the celebrity world every day now and it’s never an easy pill to swallow. Of course, I was in the midst of the hype when hip-hop duo, Kriss Kross, had kids wearing their clothes backwards; I was a youngster when they blew up, so this is surreal. Sadly, Chris Kelly (on the left) passed away in his Atlanta home yesterday at the age of 34. The cause of death is still unknown, but an autopsy will be performed this week. Prayers go out to his family during this difficult time of mourning; may he forever Rest In Peace.
Danithedreamgirl 