Archive for May, 2010

Marques Houston Recalls Close Call With Childhood Pal Brandy

R&B star MARQUES HOUSTON will always have a strong bond with old pal BRANDY after a sneaky childhood prank almost got them shot.

The Clubbin’ hitmaker befriended fellow singer/actor Brandy as a teenager when they were both rising stars and they would frequently hang out together, but one late night joke on an office employee almost ended in disaster when the worker pulled a gun on the pair.

Houston tells Vibe magazine, “Brandy Norwood and I always bring this up whenever we see each other – we say we almost died together.

“It was an old office building and there was a guy who had a back office. He was working real late one night and we scared him. We kept sneaking around to the window and tapping on the back and he actually came out with a gun and had he not seen it was us, we probably would have gotten shot!

“That’s one of the sneakiest or most mischievous things I’ve done when I was young.”

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Swizz Beatz Settles Alimony and Child Support With Ex-Wife Mashonda

Mashonda & Swizz Beatz

Producer-rapper extraordinaire Swizz Beatz, real name Kasseem Dean, has stepped up and settled a dispute with ex-wife Mashonda over missing child support payments.

Beatz was accused of falling behind on his alimony and child support responsibilities for the former couple’s three-year-old son, Kasseem Jr.

The producer was due to appear before a judge in New York’s Manhattan Supreme Court in June to answer the allegations, but Mashonda’s lawyer, Bernard Clair, has confirmed Beatz has paid up the $334,000 debt and the court date has now been cancelled.

Beatz, who will welcome his first child with fiancée Alicia Keys later this year, separated from Mashonda in 2008 after four years of marriage. The couples divorced finalized just this month.

Beatz and Keys confirmed rumors they are engaged and expecting a baby last week but the couple have yet to decide on a date for their big day, which will take place before the end of the year.

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Nicki Minaj is Undeniable

Nicki Minaj Vibe Artwork

Whether you love or hate her music, there is no doubt that Young Money artist Nicki Minaj isn’t just a fresh face, she is a movement.

In the past year or so, we’ve all seen Nicki’s influence in the urban teen crowd. From Facebook statuses quoting her rap lines, to girls adding ‘Barbie’ or ‘Minaj’ to their names. Nicki Minaj has definitely become a force to be reckoned with on the urban pop scene.


Check out more artwork by freelance illustrator Asia Horton, plus Nicki and Swizz Beatz on Funkmaster Flex’s Full Throttle after the break.

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DWTS Winner Nicole Scherzinger and Boyfriend Lewis Hamilton in Instanbul

The in-love pair, who some reports say are on the verge of getting engaged, couldn’t take their eyes off each other as they chatted together on the starting grid before the race.

[Source]

Chad Ochocinco Surprises a Fan

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, formerly
Chad Johnson, may have a slight strain of the diva receiver characteristic, but there’s a humanity that has always separated him from the Keyshawns and T.O.s of the world. You get the sense that when he struggles, it’s more about finding his way and when he showboats, it’s more about entertaining than a driving need to be obnoxious. If anyone doubted the true nature of the man, the video you’re about to see, which was shot at the third annual gala fundraiser for the Children Mending Hearts organization in Hollywood, CA, should take care of that.

Nine-year-old Ruben St. Hilaire, Jr, who lives with this mother in a homeless shelter in New York City, received an autographed jersey from Ochocinco after sending a letter. He then sent a second letter that would have melted the heart of the hardest individual.

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Melody Thornton (PCD) at the FOX ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Viewing Party

Melody Thornton

More pics after the break.

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