POLAROIDS: SERENA WILLIAMS & BRANDY AT ESSENCE BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD LUNCHEON

On Thursday, February 24th Serena Williams and Brandy jumped into the Pepsi We Inspire photo booth at the Essence Black Women of Hollywood Luncheon in LA. Got to love these celebrity BFFS.

VIDEO PREMIERE: LADY GAGA "BORN THIS WAY"

The clip was directed by Nick Knight, along with Lady Gaga, the Haus of Gaga creative team and choreographer Laurieann Gibson. The pop star confirmed last week that she will unleash another "Born This Way" video as well. The second version, she says:

...is a more stripped-down version of the song that will be released on iTunes and also released as an audio file. A portion of the money raised selling the song is actually going to go towards an anti-bully charity.

"Born This Way" is available now for free with a pre-order of the Born This Way album from Target.com.

KELLY ROWLAND ANNOUNCES FIRST SINGLE

Kelly Rowland recently dropped some news about her upcoming album before heading into the Roberto Cavalli fashion show in Italy. The first single off Kelly's upcoming album is called Motivation and features Lil Wayne. Regarding the video Kelly revealed:

I start shooting in L.A. in a week. I’m aiming for a very sexy, feminine video and I’m looking for womanly, sexy designs. 

Kelly describes the track as a mix of dance and mash-up, and i'm looking forward to hearing this track! 

CIARA & RIHANNA SQUASH TWITTER FEUD

During Ciara's recent appearance on E!’s Fashion Police, the singer didn't have good words about fellow artist Rihanna, revealing: 

I ran into [Rihanna] recently at a party. She wasn’t the nicest. It’s crazy, because I’ve always loved and respected what she’s done in fashion. It wasn’t the most pleasant run-in.    

RiRi somehow found out about Ciara's comment and hit back on Twitter, writing, “My bad ci, did I 4get to tip u? #howrudeofme.”

Ciara responded "Trust me Rhianna u dont want to see me on or off the stage.” Read More to see how this concluded!

INSIDE THE KELSEY GRAMMER, KAYTE WALSH WEDDING

Getty

Kelsey Grammer wed his new bride, Kayte Walsh,  in a rainy New York City this past Friday at the Longacre Theater.

Grammer's two eldest daughters, Spencer and Greer,  attended the ceremony and his son, Jude, joined Walsh's brothers as a groomsmen.  Check out more details about wedding below: 

QCU VIDEO OF THE WEEK: CEE LO'S "BODIES "

Check out the video for "Bodies," my favorite track off Cee Lo's The Lady Killer featuring my favorite actress Kerry Washington. I win!

ON THE SET: NELLY & KELLY'S "GONE" VIDEO

To tide fans over until the video premiere, some stills from Nelly & Kelly's video for "Gone" recently hit the net.  The clip was shot in Cancun, Mexico and these two have such good chemistry.  I hope the single starts to pick up on the charts here soon!

Spotted @ - Sandra Rose

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: KIMMORA LEE MAKES A CLEAN DIFFERENCE

 A lean Kimora Lee Simmons was spotted at the 3rd annual Make a Clean Difference Program at Alain L. Locke Elementary this weekend in New York City.

PR Newswire reveals, "since the [Make a Clean Difference] program's launch, Bounty, together with partners HandsOn Network and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, has united more than 1,000 volunteers to transform the learning environments of 30 public schools in 10 cities across the country benefiting more than 14,000 school children." 

imagery: Getty

CIARA & USHER'S "TURN IT UP" VIDEO WILL NOT BE RELEASED, CIARA CONFIRMS

Model Christina Teigen (L) and singer Ciara speak during the 2011 NBA All-Star game.

Rap-UP TV caught up with Ciara during an NBA All-star weekend event to discuss the state of her music career.  The singer was optimistic about her future, and freely admitted that she is putting her faith in God that everything will work out.  Check the interview out after the cut.

NOEMIE LENIOR SPEAKS ON SUICIDE ATTEMPT

Backing in May of 2010, fashion model Noemie Lenoir was found unconscious by a man walking his dog after a suicide attempt near her Paris home. It was reported that Lenoir had large quantities of drugs and alcohol in her system. Lenoir recently opened up to The Guardian about what drove her to attempt suicide.

"I did something really, really stupid. I had been living in New York and I moved back to Paris, to try again with the father of my son. It was a big change. I wasn't so healthy in Paris... I couldn't find a gym, and exercise is important to me because I am very hyper."

People say, 'How could she do it, how could she try and kill herself, didn't she think about her son?' But they don't understand. I love my son so much. But I didn't think I was good enough, I thought I was poison. Poison for me and poison for him."

CATCHING UP WITH: OCHOCINCO & EVELYN LOZADA ON SOUTH BEACH

Chad Ochocinco and his fiancee, Evelyn Lozada, spent some time on the beach in Miami with Evelyn's 17 year old daughter Shaniece over the weekend.

It's a celebration, pop-pop bottles! I'm still waiting on them to announce that they are getting their own reality show.

CORINNE BAILEY RAE, KEISHA BUCHANAN, & PRINCE CASSIUS AT LONDON FASHION WEEK

This post goes out to all my Quicksters from the UK! Former Sugababe,  Keisha Buchanan, was goregeous and hip at  the Bora Aksu Show during London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011 at Somerset House.

 

Another one of my favorite ladies from the UK, Corinne Bailey Rae, hit up the PPQ Show rocking an interesting look.

UK blogger/social, Prince Cassius, was spotted at the Paul Costelloe Show.  Prince Cassius was named by GQ as one of Britain's best dressed men, and yes, his Afro is for-real!  

imagery: Getty

JOURDAN DUNN, SACHA M'BAYE FOR BURBERRY

Who said models of color can't sell product? I'm glad Burberry isn't buying into that notion. 

Jourdan Dunn and newcomer Sacha M’Baye star in Burberry London's latest editorial shot by the legendary Mario Testino.

FASHION WEEK (FALL '11) WRAP UP, PART I

Fashion week (Fall 2011) week is almost a wrap, but of course I'll be giving you a quick rundown of my favorite celebrities, models, tastemakers, and designers spotted around the grounds!

The Celebs

(L-R) Actresses Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union posed together backstage at Nicole Miller.  Meanwhile, Kelly Rowland was spotted backstage at the Eva Minge and Kim Kardashian was backstage at Charlotte Ronson.

Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, and daughter Bee Schaffer sat front row at Band of Outsiders along with Kanye West & Kid Cudi. 

LaLa Vasquez and Angela Simmons front row at Charlotte Ronson.

The Models

(L-R) Photogs caught up with model Sessilee Lopez backstage at Vivienne Tam, and one of my new favs, Ajak Deng strutted the runway for Libertine.  

 The Tastemakers

(L-R) Fashion journalist Amanda Garrigus and stylist Crystal Streets hit up a Starbucks Frappuccino lounge in between shows, and their peers Brad Goreski & June Ambrose were spotted show hopping. 

imagery: getty

DATING APPS: FOR ALL THE SINGLES ON VALENTINES DAY

Single on Valentines Day? Take a look at three popular dating apps to see how well they cut through the hassle of the singles scene to put us on the path to a love connection!

• ZOOSK: Free to download, but have your credit card handy. When you want anything more than superficial contact, like sending a “wink” to a woman, it’s gonna cost you. One month of service is $29.95. Discounts apply for multiple-month subscriptions.

• IDATE: Free to download. Subscriptions start at $9.99 per month. You can also use the service gratis by allowing the app continuing access to your Facebook account. The only one of the three apps reviewed here that allows you to complete your profile entirely on your phone. Even the broadest of search specifications returned few or no match results. The developer’s site notes that iDate has “thousands of personals and pics” -- not exactly great odds for finding your soul mate in a world of 6 billion people.

• OKCUPID: Free. If you want an upgrade to what the site calls A-List Extras, you’ll pay $9.95 per month. The app’s Quickmatch feature, which is the dating equivalent of Google’s “I’m feeling lucky” option. Don’t like the match OKCupid picked? You can easily skip it and move on to the next prospect.

BEYONCE, LADY GAGA, USHER, JANELLE MONAE, CHRISTINA AGUILERA & MORE AT THE GRAMMYS

Check out my favorite shots from the 53rd Grammy Awards:

Lady Gaga, Beyonce, & Usher caught up backstage at the Grammys.  

 Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, &Yolanda Adams gave a great tribute to Aretha Franklin to open the show. 

Janelle Monae was a BIG part of my favorite performance of the night!

TOP 2011 GRAMMY PERFORMANCES

1) Bruno Mars, B.O.B., Janelle Monae Medley

2) Cee-Lo Gwyneth Paltro "Forget You"

3) Lady Gaga "Born This Way"

LADY GAGA ARRIVES AT THE GRAMMYS IN AN EGG!

The moment everyone's been waiting for is to see what Lady Gaga is wearing to the Grammys...and she just show up in an egg!!! 

Images via @RyanSeacrest @Billboarddotcom

BRANDY & MONICA REUNITE AT PRE-GRAMMY EVENT

Brandy & Monica won a Grammy for their smash hit "The Boy Is Mine" back in 1999, and the friends caught up with each other at last night's Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons in Beverly Hills.  Check out more of my coverage from this event at URBAN GIFTED. 

imagery: Getty

SOLANGE, JAY-Z, RIHANNA, CASSIE, FLORENCE, BRANDY, & MORE ATTEND PRE-GRAMMY EVENTS

Friend-in-my-head Solange Knowles came out to support her brother-in-law, Jay-Z at the Gucci + RocNation pre-GRAMMY brunch held at Soho House in West Hollywood.

 

Will Smith + Jay-Z

Sean John models, Cassie & Lauren London, hit up the event. Has anyone seen Lauren and Lil' Wayne's baby...it must look like it's daddy?

 Producer Marc Ronson + Actor Ryan Phillippe

BranNu aka Brandy looked pretty damn good heading into a pre-Grammy party at Bardot Lounge. 

It puzzles me why Ciara was partying it up with production team Tricky Stewart & The Dream who were responsible for the majority of her latest flop album Basic Instinct.  The trio attended the RedZone Entertainment Pre-GRAMMY party at The Playhouse.

imagery: Getty

LISTEN TO GAGA'S "BORN THIS WAY"

Lady Gaga - Born This Way (Radio Version) by AnimalMon

"Fans in the US can download the single right now for free when they pre-ordering the Born This Way album from Target.com, where the hotly anticipated release is being sold as an exclusive deluxe version with three additional studio tracks and five remixes.  Born This Way, the album, is due out May 23rd."

KANYE WEST, LINDSAY LOHAN SPOTTED TOGETHER AT GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI EVENT

Both Kanye West and Lindsay Lohan attended the Giuseppe Zanotti Beverly Hills store opening dinner held at BOA in West Hollywood.  I wonder what Mr. West was saying to Lindsay? 

imagery: Getty

BRUNO MARS MAKES COURT APPEARANCE, PLEADS GUILTY TO COCAINE POSSESSION

Last year, Bruno Mars, whose government is Peter Hernandez, seemed to be on top of the world as his music began to dominate the charts.  Then, in September, he was unexpectedly arrested at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas for possession of cocaine.

Mars was back in Vegas for his hearing on felony drug possession charges on February 4th.  According to the Las Vegas Review Journal,  Mars will be sentenced to a year of probation, pay a $2,000 fine, perform 200 hours of community service and attend drug counseling. 

I truly hope that Mars doesn't have a bad habit.  He could have a HUGE career if he stays focused.  More "Do-Wops" and less "Hooligans."

imagery: Getty

RACHEL ZOE SHOWS OFF HER BABY BUMP

...in a self-styled photo shoot of course. Rach and her business partner/husband, Rodger, invited Elle into their bedroom to discuss their expanding family. 

Regarding the baby Zoe reveals, “Boy or girl, I plan to take this child to fashion shows.”

ERYKAH BADU SPINS AT SUPER BOWL PARTY, BENEFIT CONCERT WITH PRINCE CANCELED

Erykah Badu played DJ during the Grey Goose Super Bowl event over the weekend in Dallas.

Badu was supposed to open for Prince for a Super Bowl benefit concert for the Gross-Michael Foundation last Friday, but the even was CANCELED at the last minute with no explanation. 

OCHOCINCO & EVELYN LOZADA SPOTTED IN DALLAS AT SUPER BOWL EVENT

The newest reality couple,  Chad Ochocinco and Evelyn Lozada, were spotted at the Maxim Super Bowl Party this weekend. 

I wonder if they'll get their own reality show on Vh1?  ...Makes sense to me.  

imagery:Getty

GQ SUPERBOWL PARTY: MILES AUSTIN, ANDY RODICK, T.O., BORIS KODJOE, ADRIAN GRENIER

Sausage Fest! GQ relocated to Dallas Texas to celebrate their coolest athletes and pre-game for Super Bowl XLV, but there there didn't seem to be many ladies around.  The shindig took place at Hickory Street Annex and was hosted by tennis champ Andy Roddick. 

Kim Kardashian's ex, Miles Austin, and T.O. picked up some swag from the Lacoste booth.  

Boris Kodjoe

There's a lady! Entourage star Adrian Grenier was spotted chatting up Hayden Panettiere.  Do you think he got the digits? 

imagery: Getty