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The August issue of Spin magazine details, in an EXCELLENT story... the rise and fall of R&B crooner D'angelo. The story is in many ways unfortunate as his former manager Alan Leeds talks about D'angelo's extreme vulnerabilty and extreme desire to be recognized as an artist instead of a dick. The "Untitled" video, by Alan's accounts literally ruined him. He would be on stage trying to perform his material and the women would scream for him to take his clothes off. Leeds says that D'angelo was devastated that he was no longer viewed for his music and that he was uncomfortable with the video concept and shoot from gate and that everyone on the set was uncomfortable because of it. He states D'angelo was not accustomed to that kind of attention and everyone was looking at his pajama bottoms that were hanging dangerously low to film the video instead of him even on the set. If you read between the lines, the story states that D'angelo may have intentionally let himself go and gain almost 100 pounds to reclaim his comfort zone. The story even compares him to Maxwell, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill as equals who, all of which are actually easy on the eye, have intentionally changed their images as well to run from the "sex symbol" stereotypes that often kills their artistry. Erykah, who makes herself look like an alien, Lauryn, who acts crazy and makes herself look like a zombie and Maxwell, who has totally changed his image to look like a high school nerd have taken similar steps to ensure they are not looked at like fucking machines....

The story goes on to detail how D'angelo's alcoholism was so bad after the video, that he would literally empty every mini bar in a hotel room that he came across. Then on several occasions, he would break down and cry. On a lighter note, D'angelo's new reps say he has the alcoholism and drug addiction under control at this time and that while he may not be ready to film another "Untitled" video, he's in great shape these days and he has his new addiction to Karate` to thank for that.

The Italian VOGUE featuring black women was one of the best selling issues worldwide for the magazine in decades. Now, snowball white Vanity Fair is naming Michelle Obama as one of the Best Dressed women? What is the world coming to a source of love and equality?

It seems
that 50 Cent is truly the devil as a new rumor has surfaced that he may be
throwing his former artist and label mate Olivia out on the street..literally. Check out how Curtis Jackson is turning into a modern day Lucifer.

Fiddy tells Sister2Sister magazine the following:

50 Cent: In Olivia’s case, I actually bought her a home [but] she’s not
actually on the label anymore…. When Olivia saw that [I bought Prodigy
from Mobb Deep a home], she wanted to move into her own place. She
didn’t have that brand that allowed her just to pay [me] back, so I
said ‘let me just buy the place [in my name].’

She maintained the upkeep, and a year from now - best-case scenario,
she can buy the house. And worst case scenario, she would have paid for
the upkeep for a year and I’ll be able to sell it with a little bit of
equity involved in the apartment.

Sister 2 Sister: Is she not performing at all now?

50 Cent: Not that I know of

Gary Sinise and Co. are taking a little detour to Nellyville this fall.

Sources confirm to me exclusively that rapper and occasional actor Nelly is joining CSI: NY for a multi-episode arc. The Grammy winner will play a club owner who serves as a confidential informant to Mac and his team.

"He's a great actor," gushes executive producer Pam Veasey of Nelly, whose only major thespian credit to date is 2005's The Longest Yard. "He really stepped up."

Rapper Trick Daddy has responded to the rumors that he is responsible for releasing photos that allegedly depict fellow Miami rapper Rick Ross as a correctional officer. Trick Daddy says that claims he is responsible are attempts to create divisions in the South Florida Hip-Hop community. “We don’t deal with rap beef down here,” Trick told AllHipHop. “That’s not in our character. That’s not something we do. We’re the only city that ever gets compared to other people’s entire states. Whoever put my name in this is really attacking all of us.” Ross was told by an interviewer during a recent interview that Trick Daddy was responsible for the leaked photos. The rapper responded angrily and challenged his colleague, but Trick insists there's no bad feelings between the two. “I told Ross he needs to have better people around him,” he said. “He needs better publicists, so that he can avoid even being asked those type of funny questions. I been in this game for thirteen years, and anybody who’s ever listened to my music knows Trick Daddy is very smart. I know when somebody’s trying to use me and pull me into some s**t. But the people doing this need to understand what their words can do too. When you start talking about beef, and creating [situations] between people from the same hood, you gotta realize that that beef s**t can end with one man in jail and another man gone.” Though Rick continues to deny a past as a correctional officer, several of his contempories, including Trick Daddy, say a past in law enforcement isn't a bad thing. “So what if he [was],” Trick asked. “That just means he avoided something a lot of us in the hood haven’t, including me. I’m not proud of being an ex-con. Now that means I always got one foot in and one foot on a banana peel. I’m not proud of the things I did to land in that position.” [source]