PICS: Mafikizolo performs at the BET 'Music Around the Globe' event

Baby, Mafikizolo absolutely shined onstage at the 2014 BET Experience at the L.A. LIVE Music Around the Globe event. Performing for the first time ever in the States, the legendary group did not dissapoint. I was literally screaming throughout their entire performance. 

I interviewed them after the event (video of interview & performance coming soon) but in the meantime get into these stunning & vibrant pics 

They had such great energy 

They only performed 2 songs 'Khona' and 'Happiness'. It was a short set because of time constraints. I can't wait for a full concert in the US **hint hint**

Loved Nhlanhla's dress

Theo looked so handsome too

So fresh!

Stay tuned for the official interviews with Mafikizolo and Tiwa Savage!

Bonus: we went to Nhlanhla's room to watch her get ready for her US debut

She's such a beauty!

Photo Credit - Getty Images for BET

Jennifer Lopez explains disappointing low album sales from her latesteffort!

Is this the decline of the divas!?

Not if you're J.Lo! Listen up kids, class is in session. Jenny from the Block is going to teach us how to turn a negative into a positive!

Word on the streets is that J.Lo's latest studio album 'AKA' will only push 25-35K copies her first week out. When you consider the fact that other artists - namely Lana Del Ray (who's album was also released this week) are going to be moving 120K copies, we only then begin to understand the depth's of how dismal Jenny's sales are. 

Mariah Carey almost met the same fate of elusive album sales. Her latest album earlier this month only sold 58K upon its debut. The two singers not only share low first week figures but they also allegedly have a rumored fued thats festered for years. To be honest the majority of the drama between the two hasalways come from Mariah’s side. Why the hate Mimi? Get it together. 

In a total class act move, JLo defended her and Mariah's low LOW album sales to the Power 105's radio chat fest the Breakfast Club this week. The 44 year old was quoted as saying:

“Mariah and I did what the kids are doing [now]. We had the time when we would drop the thing and it’d go straight to number one and the album would go straight to number one. We did that two, three, four times over. She’s probably done it many more times than even I did. At a certain point in your career, there’s a reinvention that has to go on. But there’s also, you’re in it for a marathon, it’s not about a sprint. This is not a movie, this is not an opening weekend and it tanks. There’s singles that are gonna come out over the course of the next six months. So to me, the release of the album is a celebration because it’s the beginning of something new.”

She added: “So for me it’s not about the first day sales. We’re in a different time in our career. We are in a different status than the ones that need to prove themselves and come out and go, ‘My thing has to be number one right now!’ Ours doesn’t have to. We have a fanbase, we have years behind us, we have loyalty, we have people who are interested. And that’s a blessing to be in this spot. People always try to make you feel bad about that, but honestly I think it’s a badge of honour.”

Valid I suppose. Only time will tell. Girlfriend has been on a SERIOUS promo blitz with this album and for her sake I really hope it sells more copies eventually. Even if it doesn't we still love you mami!

Meet your gorgeous Miss Zimbabwe 2014!

After a two year hiatus, the Miss Zimbabwe 2014 pageant is back and in full effect!

Gorgeous beauty queen Thabiso Phiri was crowned Miss World Zimbabwe 2014 at the national pageant which was televised finale on ZBC at the Mabvazuva Village in the capital, Harare. 

            Pic via Zimbio Jam http://instagram.com/zimbojam

Thabiso will go on to represent Zimbabwe in the Miss World 2014 pageant this December in London, England. You know I'll be rooting for her!

Born in Harare she is a law student at the University of Zimbabwe. Talk about beauty & brains huh? In addition to bragging rights, baby girl walks away with a Chevolte Cruze and cash prize worth $30 thousand. Is that US dollars? OMG!

The first runner-up was Tendai Hundaand the second runner-up was Letwin Tatenda Chinomona. They are all beautiful, well done ladies!

Thoughts on the winner? Does she have what it takes to win Miss World? I think she definitely does! You?

Zoe Kravitz says she shed 20lbs for movie role by eating clay!

I've heard of all types of diet tricks but this is a new one! Say what now Zoe Kravitz?!?

The 25-year-old daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz & 'Cosby' actress Lisa Bonet plays an anorexic and bulimic character in "The Road Within" and she recently opened up about how she shed 20 pounds to play Marie.

"I did a cleanse," she told Us Weekly at the premiere Wednesday during the Los Angeles Film Festival. "I tried to do it the healthiest way as possible, even though it's not healthy to do."

"I ended up drinking clay," she admitted. "Because it cleans out your body and fills you up. I was eating like a Mason jar of pureed vegetables a day and running."

OMG! Clay?!? Hayi no! 

Kravitz went on to dish to Us that while the diet worked, she said it was "awful" and would "never encourage anyone" to do it.

Dr. Roshini Raj, a gastroenterologist and TODAY contributor says "there probably isn’t any harm in eating clay, as long as you only do it occasionally. (Done in excess, it could cause constipation)

Hmmm would you do it? I don't know!

Lupita Nyong'o NABS Vogue cover!!!

For anyone who doubted that this girl was a star, are we convinced now? I heard people saying "well after 12 Years A Slave will she book anything else?"

Honey she's booked the cover of the fashion bible- baby girl has ARRIVED! Hot off the heels of landing the Star Wars role & the news of her adapting 'Americanah' into a movie, our African sensation drops another bombshell on us. A black woman with short natural hair on the cover of Vogue, I can't take it!

Check out some of the gorgeous pics from her Vogue layout.

Flawless! I can't wait to pick up the issue!

BONUS: Lupita reveals who she's dating, read the excerpt below:

It is understandable that Lupita would hesitate to trivialize the idea of internecine strife. Her current beau, the Somali-born rapper K’naan, has a preternatural serenity of his own that belies a childhood of unimaginable ferocity in his civil war–torn homeland, when he saw playmates die. (He fled with his family to Toronto, where, like so many of his disenchanted, rootless compatriots, he turned to a life of petty crime before reinventing himself through music, achieving global recognition when he adapted the lyrics of his anthemic “Wavin’ Flag” to become Coke’s official 2010 FIFA World Cup song.)

Mafikizolo CONFIRMED to perform at the BET Awards!

In the words of US Vice President Joe Biden- "this is a big f!cking deal". For the first time ever during the BET Awards a South African group will hit the stage to perform their biggest hits. Deets below

from the press release:

 

South African Afro-pop duo Mafikizolo,Ghanaian hip hop artist Sarkodie and Nigerian singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage will perform as part of the “Music Around the Globe” presentation on Saturday afternoonduring the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola®, all of whom are nominated in the “BET Awards” ‘Best International Act: Africa’ category. This will be the first time that Mafikizolo and Tiwa Savage have performed in the United States, and the announcement follows their wins at the MTV Africa Music Awards over the weekend in the ‘Best Group’ and ‘Best Female’ categories respectively. Sarkodie also took home a MAMA for ‘Best Hip Hop’.

 

British artists set to perform on Sunday during the “Music Around the Globe” set will include hip hop duo Krept & Konan and acclaimed rapper MC Ghetts, all of whom are nominated in the ‘Best International Act: UK’ category. Nigerian hip hop superstar Ice Prince, who won the 2013 BET Award for ‘Best International Act: Africa’, will also take to the stage, and will present the award for the same category to this year’s winner.

 

This is the first time international acts have performed as part of the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® since the introduction of international BET Award categories, ‘Best International Act: Africa’ and ‘Best International Act: UK’ in 2010.

I am SCREAMING! Super excited about this, I can't wait.

Other acts slated to appear at the awards next week are Grammy nominated rapper, singer, songwriter and actress Nicki Minaj, nine time Grammy Award Winner John Legend,American singer-songwriter Jhene Aiko andAmerican hip hop singer August Alsina.“106 & Park” hosts Bow Wow and Keshia Chante along with actor Larenz Tate.

Chris Rock will host the “BET Awards” 2014, live on Sunday, June 29^,2014 at 8pm ET on BET from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, CA.

Aaliyah's family against VH1 biopic- should the film still air?

News spread like wildfire earlier this actress Zendaya Coleman had been cast in the VH1 movie based on the short life of singer Aaaliyah. Folks weren't too happy with the news & the former Disney star hit back on Twitter with the following tweets: 

She’s been an inspiration and influence in my whole career, her talent still shines brighter then ever, all I wanna do is honor her

Show how much she accomplished in only 22 years….she’s beautiful inside and there will never be another Aaliyah, I just hope to share her beautiful story, and make her proud up in heaven #babygirl #forever #OneInAMillion

I’m just a 17 year old girl who got cast to play one of her biggest inspirations #positive

Fans aren't the only ones in uproar over the movie, apparently baby girl's family isn't happy with the movie either.  Lifetime did not contact her family ahead of making the film, Aaliyah’s uncle and former manager Barry Hankerson reportedly told TMZ. The family has hired lawyers and will attempt to stop the network from using any of the late “Try Again” singer's music.

"Unfortunately we cannot confirm the family is behind the project at this time," a message posted to Aaliyah's memorial Twitter account read.

"However, we do ask that you are respectful to the artist playing the role, for they may not fully have or know the details about this role."

Her family also believes Lifetime is "too small" of a network "for someone as big as Aaliyah," Hankerson told TMZ.

Do you think VH1 should continue with the production without the blessings of the family? I'm not so sure, what do you think?

Michelle Williams debuts new video for 'African inspired' track feat Kelly and Beyonce!

Such a cute video by Destiny's Child, glad to see the girls reunited once more. 

The video for “Say Yes” debuted this morning on “Good Morning America.” and the song comes from Williams’ upcoming album, “Journey to Freedom," out Sept. 9.

Michelle says the song has African inspired roots and she wore a shirt in the video to pay homage to that. It's nice lil summer tune hey? Check it out below and let me know what you think/

ABC US News | ABC Celebrity News BONUS: Check out the behind the scenes filming of the video
ABC US News | ABC Celebrity News

Africa Magic launches in America!

Awesome news for my diaspora Boo's. Don't you sometimes miss watching shows from home? I like things so I have  to stay in the loop. There's some compelling content coming from the motherland and I have struggled with watching my favorite shows online. But I know I'm not the only so for everyone outside of Africa - Africa Magic Go has terrific news for you.

Deets below:

Africa Magic Go (AMGO) www.africamagicgo.com, offers viewers the ability to tune into Africa’s best original productions via a PC for just $8 per month. The service offers hundreds of films and television programs, and no fewer than 250 original feature films have been commissioned for 2014.

Designed for African culture lovers, the latest films and series are available to stream 24/7 on computers with broadband connections. This easy-to-use service is commercial-free, and there is a one-week free trial for new subscribers. AMGO includes live streaming/pay-per-view of special events and reality shows. Plans are underway for new mobile apps that will make AMGO available on Apple and Android devices as well as other devices such as ROKU and Smart TVs.

Viewers can choose from hundreds of episodes of the most popular film and TV shows in Africa, including Nigeria's most successful soap opera, Tinsel—a series set in the glittering world of film production, filled with intrigue, romance and deception.

Another popular option is 53 Extra is a weekly West African entertainment show named in honor of the number of countries in the African Union.

Brand-new, never-before-seen movies are also available. From Nollywood (Nigeria) comes Spinsters, a racy story about three single friends with a great reality TV concept for finding Mr. Right.

Blue Flames, another Nollywood offering, is the story of three families in a desperate quest for wealth and fulfillment—a tale of love, romance, betrayal and revenge.

For Ghallywood (Ghanaian) movie lovers there’s Moving On, the story of a woman who finds out her true love is cheating on her with her best friend, the same night she informs him she is carrying his baby.

Viewers can watch multiple episodes of the most talked about African TV shows such as Tinsel and 53 Extra in one sitting (“binge viewing”). This has been a global trend with most subscription video-on-demand services.

“With so many Africans living in the U.S., there is a great demand for programming for Africans by Africans, one that is now filled by Africa Magic GO,” said Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, regional director at Africa Magic. “Africa Magic is committed to promoting African talent and creating global platforms that make content accessible to Africans, and those following African culture, across the world.”

AMGO provides African programming for online viewers who crave something fresh, different and distinctively African. To connect with the great stories coming out of Africa, sign up for Africa Magic GO at www.africamagicgo.com.

$8 bucks a month is not a bad deal at all. I could swing that. Are you excited about the launch? Do you plan on subscribing?

New Music Video: Jennifer Hudson 'Walk It Out'

Ok J.Hud! Showing off a sexier & dance-tastic side huh? 

'Walk It Out'  is from Jennifer Hudson's upcoming third studio album.  The Timbaland- and J-Roc-produced track is filled with ’90s nostalgia — even throwing in a reference Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody.” 

Btw, the soon to be Mrs Otunga just instagrammed her banging beach body. Werq Mama!

Back to the video...It's interesting to see the singer/actress get sexy and show off some dance moves but I dig it. I really like the song, check it out and let me know what you think!

Rapper Eve ties the knot in Ibiza!

Rapper Eve is a married woman!

Eve and her Boo Maximillion Cooper are married, a rep confirms to Us Weekly. The couple tied the knot at Blue Marlin, Cala Jondal Beach in Ibiza, Spain, on Saturday, June 14.

"We are beyond happy to celebrate our marriage with all of our friends and family and start our journey in our new life together," the couple tells Us in a statement. "It's been such an amazing experience and we are happier than we ever thought we could be. Thanks for the well wishes."

She looks beautiful! Congrats to

Mr & Mrs Cooper!

Eve recently inked a deal with ABC to develop and star in a new “interracial romantic comedy,” that is loosely based on her life.  Mrs. Cooper has been with Max for four years now, so we can only wonder how much of her real life will play out on television.  She told Sister 2 Sister last year that she loves Max’s kids and they are excited for her to have a baby to add to the family.

I love it now. It took a minute. I was like, ‘I’m not sure this is what I want to be my life.’ You know? But honestly, it’s been three years now and we’ve gone on vacations together, and they’re the sweetest kids.[...]We talk about having kids. We talk about marriage. The kids are excited. They want a brown baby sister.

This was the first time the rapper walked down the aisle, but Max has been married before. He was previously married to his former business partner Julie Brangstrup and their kids are aged 4 to 10.

WHOA! Jennifer Lopez SIZZLES in Billboard Magazine

Guys, wait! Who looks this HOT at age 44?!

Max & Emme's has got it going on!

Jennifer Lopez is on the cover of this week's Billboard magazine, check out what she had to say about how people view her.

Speaking to the publication, J-Lo admits: 'I’ve always strayed from embracing all these different parts of myself as a person and as an artist, but this time I was like, "I am all these different things."'

Adding thoughtfully: 'I can be silly, I can make fun of myself, but I can also be deathly serious and way too deep and introspective sometimes.

'I think people have so many more sides to themselves than just one. We’re much more colourful than that.'

Tell em mamacita!

The actress & singer is gearing up for her latest album release set to hit stores June 17th!!

Will you buy it? Did you catch her World Cup performance? What did you think?

Word on the street is that JLo is dating Dancing With the Stars Maksim Chmerkovskiy following her split with 24 year old Casper Smart. Jenny from the Block shut all that down by simply tweeting "rumors aren't true.."

Sure she has no trouble finding a man. Now keeping one is a completely different story! Lol!

Keke Palmer dishes on history making BET talk show

I really love me some Keke Palmer. It's refreshing to see young celebs transition from child stars to adulthood with no major meltdowns. Keep it up Keke!

The soon to be 21 year old just did a nice lil spread with Just Jared & she dished on her new history making talk show (she will be the youngest person ever to host her own show) & celebrating her birthday. Peep the highlights!

JJ: Your talk show, Just Keke, project number two, how did that all come about? Is that a dream come true for you?

KP: Yes! After I did True Jackson, VP, I was thinking if I could do a TV show again, it would definitely be a talk show. It just so happened that Judge Mathis came up to my dad at a premiere and asked my dad, “I think Keke would be kinda good for a talk show. If that’s something you guys are interested in, I know some people at Telepictures, I have a deal there. If that’s something she’s interested in, call us up.” For there to be commercials playing, it’s kind of unbelievable to me because I felt like I was literally walking in a dream the whole time everything was happening.

JJ: What’s the format of the show?

KP: Different. I don’t know how to put it into words. It’s definitely a talk show of today’s kind. We’ll have social media, throwback Thursdays, memes, hot topics, everything’s a part of the show. The audience is a big part of the show, they get to control the music on my show. I will have celebrities on talking and stuff like that, but when I do have celebrities on, it’s going to be something fun and unique. Not just asking questions and things like that. Actual activities that I’ll be able to do that’s specific to what they do. I really want my show to involve a lot of my peers that aren’t in the industry too and confront their issues.

JJ: Do you have a dream guest that you want to have on the show?

KP: Rihanna! She’s my favorite. She’s my favorite girl, and I would love to have her on. Maybe she doesn’t do everything that is “supposed to be right.” But I think that’s just what we admire – she represents individualism. She represents somebody being one hundred percent themselves, not apologizing for it, not telling you you should do it too. But she represents someone, a woman, doing her one hundred percent and not being afraid of that. And that’s what I love.

JJ: Are you recording other music on the side as well?

KP: Yes, definitely recording music a lot in Atlanta. Really excited, putting together an album. Nothing just yet that anybody can hear, but I’m working hard. I know I always tell my fans that. Everyone’s like, “Keke, you been saying that for the last few years.” But it takes time. Music is definitely a different beast than acting is, but I’m really looking forward to the end of this year being a time where I can really release some new music.

JJ: Do you know what direction/sound the music is going in?

KP: Yeah, definitely like R&B. Definitely R&B, which has always been me.

JJ: You turn 21 years old soon, how are you going to celebrate?

KP: We’re thinking about maybe going on a cruise. My best friend really wants to go to Turks and Caicos so we can ride the horses in the water!

Wonderful! Keke's new talk show titled Just Keke is coming to BET and it will air directly after the network’s long running hit 106 & Park. 

Just Keke premieres on BET June 30th At 5 PM ET/PT.

Oh Baby! Kelly Rowland confirms her pregnancy!

How wonderful! Singer Kelly Rowland is with child!

She just tweeted the image above with the caption "I'll be stuntin like my daddy" all but confirming the news

Looks like Blue Ivy will have a new play mate very soon! Kelly was at the Think Like A Man premiere & folks were certainly talking about her impending motherhood. 

Rumors have been running rampant that Kellz & her hubby were expecting a baby after she performed this past weekend in Oklahoma showcasing a fuller figure, pregnancy glow & of course that cute lil baby bump!

Last year, Kelly revealed that she wasn’t ready to have a family just yet because she was still too selfish, but things may have changed:

Right now, I’m a bit selfish, a lot—I was gonna say a little—but I’m still selfish. I like my time, I like to wake up whenever I want to and I like to come and go as I please. I don’t know if I’m ready to share that time with another person, I don’t wanna mess them up.

Things change right? She is just glowing!

The 33 year old Destiny's Child singer married her manager and boyfriend Tim Witherspoon just last month in an intimate wedding in Costa Rica. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly on June 10, the songstress said her wedding was simply "perfect."

Kongrats Kelly & Tim!