Brown Sista

R n’ B chaneteuse Ashanti, who is the midst of a mini tour, brought her show to the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday night. The singer’s latest album, The Declaration, has not performed as well on the charts as Ashanti had hoped, but that hasn’t stopped her from performing non stop all across the country and even planning a tour that will stop in both Europe and Japan. Much like Kelly Rowland and Kelis, Asahnti has seen her overseas fan base stick by her while her American fan base has diminished. Ashanti is in fact very popular is Japan, as are many American female artists, and is reportedly heading there in the beginning of 2009 to perform several shows with Nelly.
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Model Tyra Banks is gracing the December 2008 edition of Ebony Magazine. Our good friends over at The Edge were kind enough to send us a copy of the cover which you can see below. As usual Tyra is a sight to behold and a Brown Sista that both Clutch and myself hope to be covering for years to come. Click the pic for a better view and more details on Tyra’s interview with the magazine.

Another day, another awards show to report about. The 2008 World Music Awards were held earlier this evening in Monte-Carlo and lots of Brown Sistas were on hand to represent. While Michelle Williams was spotted walking the red carpet and co- hosting the event, acts like Estelle, Alicia Keys, Solange and Beyonce were given the opportunity to rock the stage- and rock it they did. Beyonce opened the show with her hit Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and from there things just got better. Estelle, who is truly an international star, performed a medley of her hits and also walked away with the award for Best New R n’ B Act. Alicia Keys and Solange also performed and Alicia walked away with the award for Best R n’ B Artist.
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Bitch, I’m Special- doesn’t the title just jump out at ya? Well if it doesn’t the song itself just might. Bitch, I’m Special is the latest single to leak from Rihanna and is said to be material from her upcoming 2009 album. The song doesn’t move me as much as Sexuality did, but hey- it’s just a demo. I’m sure once Rihanna’s talented team of producers tweak it a bit, it will become another potential hit in her very extended arsenal. Click here to check out the very raw demo for yourselves and click over to next page to read updates on what the singer has planned coming up in the next few weeks.
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Actress Gabrielle Union traveled to Ghana recently as part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s mission delegation trip designed to help reduce the rate of breast cancer among women in the country. She also joined Ghana President John Kufuor for a dedication ceremony at the new HopeXchange Medical Center, a state-of-the-art breast cancer diagnostic and treatment facility in Kumasi. Nearly 70 percent of all Ghanaian women who have breast cancer don’t see a doctor until the disease is in advanced stages. Essence spoke to Union about her trip abroad, how breast cancer has affected her own life, and why this issue is so important to her.
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After chronicling her own gritty rise to fame on 2005’s “The Way It Is” and 2007’s “Just Like You,” Keyshia Cole moves in a new direction on “A Different Me,” due Dec. 16 via Imani Geffen Interscope. “The first two albums were more … painful,” she tells Billboard over lunch in Los Angeles. “It’s a different me this time: a young woman who’s still growing and finding myself, exploring life through different routes musically and in other areas. I wrote more about other people’s situations than my own. I’m moving forward.” “A Different Me” features Cole collaborating with a combination of marquee names and newcomers, including Polow Da Don, the Runners, Neffu, Kwame, Orthodox & Ransom and the Trackmasters. On her previous albums, Cole worked with such songwriter producers as Greg Curtis, Missy Elliott, Scott Storch, Bryan-Michael Cox, Rodney Jerkins and Sean Garrett.
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With the release of her new album less than two weeks away, Beyonce and her handlers are in full campaign mode. What are they campaigning for? The top spot on the charts of course. With If I Were A Boy failing to go #1, you know team Beyonce is even more anxious to see to it that at least her album does. This of course means promotion, promotion promotion. And one way team Beyonce promotes their star is to see to it that she graces the cover of as many magazines as possible. So far the singer been on the cover of InStyle, Marie Claire, Billboard, Rolling Stone Japan, Seventeen and now New York Observer Style. On November 16th the first ever edition of this magazine will be available and a very librarian looking Beyonce will be on it’s cover.
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Brown Sistas Halle Berry and Meagan Good were both spotted earlier this week- Halle on the set of her new movie “Frankie and Alice” and Meagan hanging out at Club Villa in Los Angeles. First up is Halle, who was seen filming scenes from her new movie up in Vancouver British Columbia. Halle has her hands full these days as she is not only starring in her new movie, but producing it as well. Word is the actress has also signed on to star in three new movies as well, Nappily Ever After, Class Act and Tulia, which finds her teaming up again with Billy Bob Thorton.
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