Raz B Outs More Male Artists

Raz B is back in the news again trying to “out” more male artists.  Several passages of Raz B’s new tell-all book, This Boy’s Life, has leaked to the internet where he takes shots at several artist and calls them gay.  Right now he has named Chris Brown, Ray J, Bow Wow and Omarion; and plans to give details on their sexual encounters. 

This is not the first time Raz B has made accusations about someone’s sexuality.  Back in 2010 he shook the music industry up by confessing that his former manager Chris Strokes and Marques Houston molested him when he was a part of B2k.  Also, that same year Chris Brown and Raz B got into a homophobic twitter war that entertained and offended a lot of people.  This time Raz B decided to take his snitching talents to a book which is set to release in September.

What in the Confessions of a Video Vixen is this?

I blame Superhead Karrine Steffans.  Ever since she made her millions from outing the freaks in the music industry, everybody has used this tactic as an easy come-up.  Snitching just to get attention is just…well…golddigger-ish!  Ever since B2k broke up Raz-B has been crying foul on everybody.  Even if all these people are gay, it’s their life.  If they want to walk around like they’re not gay for the sake of their image, that’s their choice.  I’m not saying that Raz B’s accusations have no merit but he always pulls this stunt at convenient times.  Omarion just signed to Maybach Music Group, Bow Wow’s [Underrated] album is set to release in June, and Chris Brown is back on top performing at the Grammys, Billboard Music Awards and more.  Not to mention Chris Brown’s [Fortune] album is set to release in July. 

Chris Brown is upset about the accusations and has released a statement via twitter.  Wonder if anybody else will respond? Raz B seriously needs a hug man. Stay tuned to watch this mess unfold.  

Pusha T vs. Lil Wayne Beef

What is Hip Hop without a beef or two?  This time around it is Lil Wayne vs. The Clipse.  Wait! Before you think that this beef is brand spanking new…it’s not.  The Clipse and Lil Wayne have beefed for years, stemming back to when the Clipse subliminally dissed Lil Wayne in 2006 on “Mr. Me Too.” While Pusha T has been consistently clowning Drake as of late, this time he shifts his focus to Lil Wayne on Exodus 23:1.  This track is so popular because Pusha T [indirectly] pulls Lil Wayne’s card questioning his gangbanging, his relationship with YMCMB, and more.  So what does Lil Wayne do? He responds by dropping a new diss track called Goulish.  For anybody expecting the Dedication mixtape Wayne, you will be highly disappointed.  He’s more like Lil Tunechi on this diss track…meaning its all garbage.  Goulish is short in length, thankfully…full of pointless metaphors and more talk about how Lil Wayne has goons.  If this isn’t a sign that Lil Wayne has changed I don’t know what is.

For all of us that have been Lil Wayne fans since he was a part of the Hot Boys, we all know that Lil Wayne is truly gifted.  He has released some classic songs and has silenced the critics several times.  He has demolished anybody that even dared to say he was a garbage rapper.  Things change, Lil Wayne surely has. After Tha Carter III dropped his music has suffered.  He doesn’t have the same drive; his lyrics don’t have the same sting.  I remember when he used to spit a line and you would have to rewind it in your head to see how clever it was.  Those days are long gone; now every line he spits you have to think WTF is he talking about?  Or you already know what metaphor he is going to use.  Whether Lil Wayne wants to admit it or not, he’s gotten too comfortable. The Clipse might not be as big as Lil Wayne but they definitely have the ability to win this battle.  They worked with Wayne back in the day before he was claiming to be a Blood.  Let’s not forget that The Clipse have ALWAYS repped the streets hard…nothing has changed there unlike in Lil Wayne’s case.  Plus The Clipse is backed by G.O.O.D Music which overall is a better label than YMCMB.  The only way this battle can be fair is if Drake decides to step in and directly crush the competition.  And before you think Drake is too soft to do so…Drake crushed Lil Wayne on every song of their mixtape a couple of years ago.  Drake is more clever than Lil Wayne point blank.  Don’t believe me look at the way he responded to Pusha T on Lord Knows.  I can’t wait to see what this cat fight turns into.  Until then we will just have to keep our eyes and ears open.  

Raven Symone Comes Out Of The Closet

Gay rumors have been swirling all week that Raven Symone has come out the closet as a lesbian.  Rumor has is that she is shacking up with AzMarie Livingston from this season’s America’s Next Top Model.  According to what blog you read, this is not the first time that rumors have surrounded Raven’s Symone’s sexuality.  However, I never remember any of Raven’s relationship being on display for the public. 

This morning Raven took to twitter to release a statement on her current relationship.  I have to say I respect the way she cleared up the rumor.  Simply saying “it’s my business” is the best way to handle any scandal that the media tries to create.  For some reason we are obsessed with who is or who is not gay in this country.  In all honesty does it really matter?  Celebrities have the right to love whoever they want to just like we do.  Besides, throughout her entire career Raven has been a professional and the ultimate businesswoman.  There has never been a scandal surrounding her and she has been a good role model.  Do not act like you don’t know anything about That’s So Raven and The Cheetah Girls. 

Terrence and Rocsi Leaves 106 & Park

More cuts at BET. Yesterday news broke that Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall were leaving The Game.  Today Terrence and Rocsi are exiting from BET’s 106 & Park.  What in the Clear Channel layoffs is this BET?  Seriously, there is nothing left to watch on the network (not that I watch anyway).  From what I read on Twitter, nobody watches Lets Stay Together and nobody plans to either. 

I can honestly say that I’m not saddened by the news of Terrence and Rocsi leaving 106 & Park.  I stopped watching 106 & Park in 2007, my sophomore year in college.  I could tell that the show was going in a younger direction and it was going to be corny.  The Freestyle Friday round used to be raw; contestants used to actually “freestyle.” (Remember Poster Boy and Jin…they are nowhere now but back then you thought they were the hottest thing out. But I digress.)  Over the years 106 & Park started to target teenagers and focus on everything else besides music.  Rocsi and Terrence fit for that purpose for a while but overall somehow the vision of the show got lost.  Of course, we can blame this on the exit of AJ and Free but it is really at the fault of BET.  Several of us in the black community that grew up with BET can see the change.  We went from Teen Summit, Rap City, Cita’s World, Video Soul, Planet Groove, to 106 & Park.  And when 106 & Park got too “commercial” BET gave us a knock off of Rap City Tha Basement called Da Deal.  Typical BET, that was later cancelled too.  Only thing left was to create two sitcoms and now that’s ruined. 

My question is, what else can BET do?  We’ve seriously seen them try everything.  They have tried game shows (remember Joe Clair and Toccara's show Take The Cake), sitcoms, docu-series, award shows, and they always abandon music shows.  The movies that they play repeatedly are not cutting it; we turn to TV One for all of that.  At this point every other music station is doing better than them. VH1 has us tuned into all of their reality shows. MTV stays young and fresh with their shows dedicated to just Hip- Hop and channels dedicated to Hip-Hop music.  Oh yeah, and let’s not forget that actually have MTV News on the regular.  And TV One, always brings back the best movies and TV shows from back and the day for our viewing pleasure.   

It’s clear that BET needs help. Somehow the network is worth millions but their programming sucks.  Their ideas suck.  Their marketing sucks.  Their decision making sucks.  Where do they go from here? (Follow me @eyediditmyway)

Cast for Love and Hip-Hop ATL

The names of  Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta have been released, and I have to say that I’m surprised by the cast members.  VH1 has perfected the art of making reality stars out of nobodies but come on man! This is another chance to put ATL on the map and they come up with this? I get it; I’m sure the cast members are going to provide a whole new level of ratchetness and it will be entertaining.  Mona Scott-Young will get her ratings for another hit season, but I’m not sure YET that this cast will have the magic that the original cast of Love and Hip-Hop has.  Simply looking at the cast from the outside, it looks like Mona tried to mimic each cast member from the previous seasons.  At least everybody from Love and Hip-Hop NY were in the same circle.  Nevertheless, I will be tuned in when the new season airs. Check the new cast out and let me know what you think.  (Follow me @eyediditmyway)

BET Cuts Cast Members From The Game

Rumors have been swirling all day that Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall have been “let go” from The Game.  I will be honest; I have only watched three episodes of Season 5.  It started off weird, and by the third episode I was done! The production and plot (or lack thereof) was all over the place.  The entire season just felt rushed. According to some tweets it has gotten better, but I digress. 

If this is true, BET is making a mistake.  All of the characters are interesting because they are all dysfunctional; but none are more interesting than Derwin and Melanie.  Most people will not admit it but throughout these five seasons there has always been something you can relate to in their relationship.  Derwin and Melanie’s relationship was real life, minus all the money.  We were with them through their infidelity, baby mama drama, career highs and lows etc.  So now BET is just going to take them away? First, Kelly now this?  Mark my words this show will be cancelled in a few.

Seriously, think about it. What other good shows does BET have? Don’t worry I’ll wait….

 (Follow me @eyediditmyway) 

Chris Brown disses his Ex in new Freestyle

And the saga continues with Chris Brown and Rihanna.  The media is obsessed with these two and it doesn’t help when they intentionally do things to get the media’s attention.  Rumors have been rapid since Chris Brown and Rihanna decided to collaborate on the Birthday Cake Remix and Turn Up The Music Remix.  Though Turn Up The Music’s remix was pretty wack, the Birthday Cake remix was like soft porn on wax.  It was clear that the two were flirting and reminiscing on what they used to have…but for the sake of good music.  Following the release of the tracks, Rihanna took the world by surprise with complementing Chris Brown saying he’s “the hottest artist out” and that’s why she chose to work with him again.

It was all good a week ago!

Chris Brown recently released what appears to be a diss track aimed at Rihanna. Although, Chris Brown denies these allegations it’s really apparent.  In turn, Rihanna decided to unfollow Chris Brown on Twitter. 

First of all…

What grade are we in again? How old are we? The easiest way to hurt someone’s feelings nowadays is to unfollow them on twitter.  People do this stuff on purpose because people take it personally.  But really?

Secondly…we easily assume that the track is about Rihanna but Chris has been with a couple of women after Rihanna.  He dated Draya Michele (star of Basketball Wives LA) who is a known groupie/jumpoff.  She has been with numerous rappers and athletes, causing her name to always be attached to something scandalous.  He has also slept around with video vixens and strippers so who knows which “ex” he is talking about.  I’m not taking up for Chris Brown at all…all I’m saying is let’s not add fuel to the fire because we all know how that could turn out??? I’m just saying.

New Reality Show for Whitney Houston's Family

Whitney Houston’s family will be starring in a new reality show on Lifetime.  I know…the first thing that comes to mind is Being Bobby Brown! This time it will be less Bobby, less foolishness, and more family.  The new show will focus on Whitney Houston’s family dealing with the aftermath of her death.  You will see everybody on the show: Cissy, her brother Gary and his wife Pat, their daughter Rayah, Bobby Kristina, her cousin Dionne Warwick, and Cece Winans.

I’m wondering though…how much reality are they really going to show?  As we all remember, when Whitney died all hell broke loose. Bobby Kristina had to be admitted into the hospital, Cissy had to be watched over, I mean everybody lost it.  Her death was random so of course everybody had to deal with the state of initial shock, I get it.  Is all of this going to be included in the show?  Are they going to show the circumstances going on in the family concerning Bobbi Kristina dating and living with her adopted brother?  What about the interactions between Whitney’s family and Bobby Brown? 

More importantly, where did this reality show idea come from?  I’ve read that there is some talk that Gary was trying to get a show centered around Whitney Houston for a while…but since her death people have become interested.  Hmmm.  So the question is: are they trying to profit from Whitney’s death or is this going to be a TV version of Death At A Funeral?

No word on when this will premiere but maybe I will watch at least 1 episode.  (Follow me @eyediditmyway)

Omarion Signs To MMG

At first when I heard that MMG held a press conference to announce that they had signed Omarion, I had a WTF moment.  Like “nobody is checking for Omarion” type of reaction.  And the fact that his new name is Maybach O only made matters worse.  Even though his nickname is still hilarious, I have recently had a change of heart. 

Omarion has a few hits under his belt post his B2K days.  His first album was an absolute banger spawning many hits, and his second album featured his most successful single (in my opinion) “Ice Box.” This MMG situation could work.  Look at Wale and Meek Mill for example.  They signed with Rick Ross and in turn had instant success.  They have so much buzz, they're always on features, their solo tracks are crazy, and do we even have to talk about their collaborations in their own camp?  Rick Ross has a knack for putting his signees in the right situation.  Stalley is up next, Gunplay got buzz so we can only expect the same for Omarion right?  If Omarion stays in his lane, he can bounce back from his YMCMB fiasco. 

Here’s some food for thought. Possible ways that Omarion can mess up this opportunity up:

-He can turn into a singer/rapper: Trey Songz and Chris Brown have taken their R and B game to a new level.  When they are not releasing an album their rapping and singing on their mixtapes.  And the surprise is that they are actually good at it.  Trey and Chris can actually spit (s/o to the 804!).  This is rare for R and B singers and they have made it hard for the competition.  Omarion is in the same age bracket as Trey and Chris and basically has the same fans.  I just hope that his new label situation doesn’t force him to change with the times (<- - -Hence that whole Face Off album in 2007 with Bow Wow. Omarion sounded like he was out of breath on every record. That rap/singing thing he was trying to do was an epic fail on his part). 

-If he sticks to the same formula:  Ok, this might sound like a contradiction to what I just said.  But I think that Omarion is having the same struggle as Bow Wow (ironically).  He has to fully erase that B2K and I just turned 21 image.  He still comes off as a younger artist.  He can still capitalize off his dance background, but please let’s not see any music videos of him moonwalking or ticking on the screen.  Dancing is cool don’t get me wrong, but he needs to let go of those You Got Served days.

MMG is the most powerful camp in the music industry right now.  Their chemistry is great and so is their track record.  I wish Maybach O a lot of success, but will blog about him if he fails. (Follow me @eyediditmyway)

Cash Money Films present: Rich Gang

YMCMB has been on a mission in recent years to establish their imprint everywhere.  So far, they have been successful in music.  Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj are hit machines; they have number one albums, sold out tours, and other ventures.  They also have Jay Sean and Kevin Rudolf who are on their roster and create revenue in other genres of music.  And let’s not forget their endless roster of other rap artists including Bow Wow, Tyga, Lil Twist and the list goes on.  Their team is still growing; and whether it’s a fire mixtape, a noteworthy album, or a feature…somebody from YMCMB is always in the spotlight.    

Birdman is now trying to capitalize off YMCMB’s success and expand their brand by entering the film industry.  His latest creation is called “Rich Game” which is set to start filming in the fall.  Birdman describes the film as a 2012 Balla Blocking.  The film will be centered on Lil Wayne but everybody on the label will be featured in the film.  It’s kind of like a documentary…but not really…according to Birdman it will just focus on the team. 

I cannot wait to see this film!

Maybe it’s me but I see a Straight-To-DVD movie in our near future.  Really sir, spare us.  YMCMB has interesting people on their roster because they truly take living that “rock star” life to heart.  But as Birdman pointed out he just wants people to be themselves in the movie, no acting school required? So…what exactly is the plot again?  Why is this something that needs to be a movie a not a docu-series on YouTube?  Maybe this should be an 8-episode show pitched to VH1, BET, or MTV.  Not…and I repeat NOT a movie!  Granted if you look at history Balla Blocking, I Got Da Hook Up, and State Property those are hood classics.  BUT they are not to be confused with a John Singleton movie.  I mean those movies are no Boyz N Da Hood, no Baby Boy.  Similar, but there is more quality, more cinematography involved.  Hell, John Singleton’s movies have plots; you have to go to acting school!

Birdman can do several things…not pay producers, gang bang, flaunt Lil Wayne’s money, and ruin a good track by talking all over it; but creating a captivating movie- -I think not. Stick to your day job.