Neo-Soul diva Jill Scott is preparing for the release of her new studio album this year. The record, entitled ‘The Light Of The Sun’, serves as the 4th installment of her critically acclaimed ‘Words And Sounds’ series. It is scheduled to be released in late August or early September.

One of the highlights of my summer was seeing Jill Scott perform live when she came to Detroit, MI so to say that I’m excited about this album is an understatement. The above photo is rumored to be her new album artwork but nothing has been confirmed. In the meantime check out her website and enjoy this Trailer promoting her new album.

Today’s featured guest is Full Figured Fashion Week™ Founder/Executive Producer, Ms. Gwen DeVoe.

Billionaire Oprah, 56, is launching her own cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network, next January, and last week called the scandal-hit Duchess to offer her a deal.

A source close to Sarah Ferguson said last night: ‘Oprah made the call this week. They spoke in person and, for Sarah, the offer is a ray of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

‘Oprah has known Sarah for some time and the Duchess went on Oprah’s show to explain herself after her most recent scandal. Oprah has always been impressed by Sarah’s ability to pick herself up and reinvent herself.

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The female vocal group is now as close to extinction as any beautiful rare bird.  Killed off by commercial demand and video vixens, for me, and my girlfriends, they will live on forever in our, “Girl do you remember…” conversations. It is their voices that made us proud to be young black women coming of age in the 1990s and this is what they meant to us…

Salt-N-Pepa= Swagger. Do you remember where you were the first time you hummed along to “Shoop?”  I was in 7^th grade and I spent long afternoons praying that someone would order the video on The Box.

The lyrics dripped with confidence mixed with just the right amount of sex appeal and a dash of cocky, giving birth to the idea of the female mack.  Shoop was the epitome of “go for yours girl, because I’m surely going for mine.” These ladies made respect a requirement, not an option.

En Vogue= Sophistication. Who didn’t want to be Dawn, Terry, Cindy, and Maxine all at the same time?  I practiced “Hold On” on a daily basis in my bathroom mirror in preparation for my sold out concerts on the playground during the summer of 1990.  I wanted to emulate everything that I perceived En Vogue to be, beautiful women with extraordinary vocal talent.

Their words reflected self-esteem, self-worth, independence, and empowerment, all wrapped up in four lovely packages. True, I was only 8 years old and I couldn’t conceive the weight of the lyrics of “Hold On” until adulthood, even today, there still hasn’t been a group that’s had the same impact as En Vogue.

TLC= Sass. Crazy….Sexy…Cool…put ‘em all together and what did you get …T-Boz, Left-Eye, and Chilli. These sistas combined their individual talents to inspire girls all over the world to embrace their uniqueness and dare to be different. T.L.C. was unconventional in a funky and classy way.

While I love everything that T.L.C. has ever given life to, “Baby-Baby-Baby” will always be my number one. Talk about making somebody love you on your terms. You’d have to be dumb, deaf, and blind to miss the meaning of…

“Cause a girl like me, Won’t stand for less, I require plenty conversation with my sex…” enough said.

S.W.V= Soul. No talent show of the early 1990s was complete without at least two groups of girls performing one of S.W.V.’s songs, and it may have even been the same song. Sister’s With Voices stepped up the female vocal group game when they introduced emotion into the equation.  To this day, I cannot sing “Weak” without closing my eyes and losing myself in the words of the song. We may not have understood what true love was, but baby we knew what it was supposed to feel like.

Destiny’s Child= Style. Before there was “The Beyonce”, there were four beautiful girls that sure could “sang” and looked good doing it.  “No, no, no” was innocent and playfully flirty. Say what you want with your mouth boy, but your eyes are really telling the truth. Destiny’s Child (the first edition) was stylish without being tacky, seductive without being raunchy, and youthful with just the right amount of maturity. The last great female group of the 90s, Destiny’s Child will always be my very own dream girls.

And the tombstone reads, “R.I.P. Female Vocal Groups: Gone But Not Forgotten.”

• Funny
• Heartbreaking
• Provocative
• Discovery
• Truthful
• Rebellious
• Revolutionary
• Caring
• Living
• Life Size
• Positive
• Strong
• Reflective
• Love
• Growth
• HUGE!!

The Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides resources, education and information related to screening, prevention and treatment for the Hepatitis Virus and Liver Cancer.

Their mission is to educate people about the relationship between chronic infection of the Hepatitis Virus and its association with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) – which is the most common cause of liver cancer.

More information is coming but if you are in the area, plan on attending this very special event.

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Enjoy!!

What do you think of her performance?

Artist: Christina Aguilera

Album: Bionic

Release Date: June 8th

With 30 million albums sold worldwide and the prestigious honor of being the only artist under the age of 30 included in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, 5 time Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera has already achieved an unprecedented level of success. Aguilera’s been hard at work in the studio for the past year and is pleased to announce the released of her highly anticipated 4th studio album Bionic (RCA Records) on June 8th, 2010. The first single from Bionic is the fiercely energetic anthem “Not Myself Tonight”, produced by Polow Da Don.

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Artist: Sheryl Crow

Album: 100 Miles from Memphis

Release Date: July 20th

For Sheryl Crow, the title of her seventh album isn’t just a location; it’s a state of mind. “I grew up in a small town 100 miles from Memphis, and that informed not only my musical taste, but how I look at life,” she says. “The drive to Memphis is all farmland, and everyone is community-oriented, God-fearing people, connected to the earth. The music that came out of that part of the world is a part of who I am, and it’s the biggest inspiration for what I do and why I do it.”

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Artist: Brittney Wright

Album: The Beginning

Release Date: August 24th

Thrilling audiences since her first church solo at the age of three, Brittney continues today through her soulful lyrics and captivating contralto. A native of Cleveland, OH, she attended Cleveland School for the Arts perfecting her craft as a trained soloist in several disciplines; then relocated to Baltimore to pursue a degree in music at Morgan State University. Brittney has shared the stage with Fred Hammond, Kelly Price and even Burt Bacharach and Wynton Marsalis! After adding songwriting and vocal arranging to her extensive resume´ the depth of her talent shines on her debut release!

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Artist: Fantasia

Album: Back To Me

Release Date: August 24th

At the age of 19, Fantasia Barrino won the third series of American Idol, and became the first ever artist to top the US Hot 100 chart with a debut single. “I Believe” stayed at the top for 11 weeks, firmly establishing Fantasia as a new force in pop music. Back to Me is the third studio album by American singer Fantasia Barrino, released by J Records on August 24, 2010 . Back to Me is her first studio album in four years since 2006′s Fantasia.

As Oprah Winfrey’s quarter-century run on daytime TV comes to a close, her new adventures may be accompanied by a TV film dramatizing her life.

Producer Larry A. Thompson is set to produce the two- or four-hour Winfrey film will be based on Kitty Kelley’s tell-all biography.

The TV project is expected to air in September 2011, which would coincide with the end of Winfrey’s weekday talk show.

Thompson has produced TV biopics about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and Sonny and Cher.

There is no word on who will play Oprah Winfrey but who would you like to see play this media mogul?

Betty is classy, earthy and unassuming . She’s also got a fantastic sense of humor about herself – so it’s only natural that she become a centerfold model.

The 88-year-old Betty White will be available all year long with THE BETTY WHITE CALENDAR, a 24/7 tribute to one of America’s most beloved actresses, comediennes, and winner of multiple Emmy Awards.

The Betty White Calendar 2011 is priced at $12.99 and will go on sale in September. Proceeds from the calendar will benefit The Morris Animal Foundation which helps improve the lives of animals.