So in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been exposing my musical pleasures of late on the site in hopes that you would not only pick up on some new music, but get to know what I’m all about a bit more. Well one band that I have been following since my freshman year in high school (that’s right 8 years) is Paramore, and while I’ve been taking a ton of heat for it from everyone at the office lately, I will back them 100% always (doesn’t help that I think lead singer Hayley Williams is absolutely gorgeous).

Moving on to the real point of this story. The red headed lead singer recently sat down with Spin Magazine to talk about the bands latest album Brand New Eyes, how the band almost split up, and whether she dreams about other rock stars or not. The interview is actually pretty funny she talks about how she was more excited to see Paulie Shore than Diddy.

It really is an awesome interview, so be sure to head over to Spin Magazine and check out the full interview.

The October issue of Blackbook won’t be on newsstands until next week, but here’s a sneak of the photo shoot.

So…The web is buzzing about Diddy aka Sean Combs‘ standards of beauty re: his promotional shoot for Ciroc Vodka.

Can someone say paper bag test?…Or should I just say that if anyone knows what is marketable and sells…it’s Puffy.

CIROC Promotion

Ciroc promo is this Friday, March 27, 2009
Time: 3:00pm – 7:00pm and 12:00am – 3:00am
Requirements:
Race: White, hispanic or LIGHT SKINNED African American
Height: At least 5?6 or taller
Size 7 or smaller.
This is a cash @ wrap job and the booking will be thru our partner. Please submit asap. Talent will only be contacted if the client is interested in booking you!!!

Compensation: $35.00 per hour

***

Funny thing is, I was just having a conversation about this issue with one of my girls nearly a week or two ago…Yes, the whole color complex thing is still alive and very real. Right up there with the good hair debate…Tyra has been known to address the light vs. dark issue on her show…

I, for one, am medium brown, but not light-skinned (especially not in the summertime). She on the other hand is of Puerto Rican/Cuban descent, so she could just as easily pass as a light-skinned or mixed chica…She’s also very pretty, but…

Remember all that hoopla about L’Oreal whitewashing Bey’s print ad?…And consider the successful black female entertainers in the game now, I’d say Na Na Campbell, Iman and Ciara are literally the few standouts that come to mind in terms of brown skin beauty…

On the larger stage, however, lighter girls still appear to dominate…Bey, Halle, Alicia, Rih Rih, you get what I’m sayin’…

FYI: Ciroc Vodka has since put out a statement aka disclaimer vilifying Puffy’s, now infamous, casting call announcement.

On another note, as smart and entertaining as he is…Puffy scares the ish outta me…People always seem to leave him differently…i.e., LOON…and SLIM from 112 ain’t so slim anymore (LOL)…And we all know about MASE, SHYNE and BIGGIE…need I go on?

Your thoughts?

(this is from our RAW feed and was written by someone on our NEXT Network. You can check out the full post and more from this writer by clicking the link below)

LINKAGE: COME ON PEOPLE…

NOTE to celebrities: You can’t treat the inauguration like a Hollywood party.

While Halle Berry and Sharon Stone each shelled out $50,000 for President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in celebration, there are some cheaper celebrities who want to get in on name alone. “It’s hilarious,” said one insider. “Sean Combs is trying to get four tickets to the inauguration. He’s acting like it’s a party at Bungalow 8, like they should just let him in. He’s too cheap to pay and thinks he can just show up.”

via IT’S NOT A CLUB- New York Post.

………..THEN BRING ME A DIDDY HEAD IN A KFC BOX. Not only is Diddly Bop raping us raw with new “product” with I Am King the fragrance, now we Bond movie aficionados have to prepare plans of retaliation at the thought of Diddy conning his way into being the next Bond. When I first viewed this abomination, I could have flown away to fashion purgatory with the KIDZ where Drags in polyester make everyone watch reworkings of Heatherette shows and sip tepid Appletinis before a sing-along of I’m Half The Man I Used To Be. No, wait, after I watched this video I wanted to do m’self a favor, snatch out my eyes and eat them on a soda cracker with Beluga so I wouldn’t have to see his face again. Wait, wait, I got more. After I watched this I wanted to send Diddy a ticking, smoking package that read “URGENT, OPEN IMMEDIATELY”…………I might have gone to far now!

I love to attention whore m’self to the masses just like any other manly diva, but at least I have the dignity to whore m’self for free………y’know like classy people……..like a lady! Have you ever wanted to kick yourself in the naughty bitz until you bled into your internal organs and went into septic shock and ended yourself? Well if not don’t watch this because the temptation is real.

-Z’maji of HauteBlogXOXO

RELIEF! After seeing Diddy’s disturbing family spread in October’s L’Uomo Vogue, I was completely relieved to see a family photo not as ostentatiously creepy! Shot by Mario Testino, Natalia Vodianova looks adorable with her two beautiful babies! I’m picking up a Peter Pan meets Wendy, innocent charm sort of vibe! Okay, so the horse is a little scary looking, the kids don’t look too pleased and Natalia looks a tad bit dazed, but admit it, this shot in Vogue is very tastefully done. Celebrity mommies and daddies everywhere…learn from this! 

Thanks Fashionista!

I don’t care how much money these girls will one day inherit, the Combs twins have my total and absolute sympathy. As if their names D’Lila Star and Jesse James (no, I’m not kidding) weren’t bad enough, how about this awful photo, worse than any toddler toilet or naked butt picture, that appeared in October’s L’Uomo Vogue. So, what exactly is wrong with this photo…a lot:

-Two babies. Naked. In a magazine. With their father. Better not show that one to perspective boyfriends…

-Diddy has got his girls decked out in Chip n’ Dales bow ties. What’s next, hooker heels?

-Looks like one of the babies is coping a feel on her sister. I don’t care if you live in Alabama or LA, incest is NOT OKAY.

-The poor baby on the right obviously had her belly photoshopped. Save that for when you’ve got love handles! 

Looks like this one will end up in the “photos to burn” pile. 

Thanks Concrete Loop!

Nah, just joking. It’s just the closest thing we’ll ever see to it.

Diddy attempts to take us back to the late nineties with his horrible Blair Witch impersonation. The mogul figured he’d share with all of us his “fear” of Sarah Palin by reenacting his favorite scene from the overhyped shaky camera shitfest. Seriously dude, I’m more scared of the fact that you think it’s right to subject your minions to such an over remixed pop reference. You couldn’t do a Cloverfield-stye video and have Sarah Palin step in for the monster terrorizing New York. Or at least a Saw-reference as that’s the only “scary” movie that has had some staying power.

Poor attempt at parody dude, and where the hell is Cassie? If I was marrying an MySpace hip hop hottie I wouldn’t be alone in my bed diddling with my Final Cut Pro, if you know what I mean.

Plus dude, the Muppets did it better…

Here is the new print ad for Sean John’s new fragrance I Am King. Yes he named it I Am King. Don’t laugh the fragrance is expected to make $100 million.

Hate to rain on King Diddy’s parade but, this ad looks very similar to these Michael Kors ads from 2005. Kors has been pimping the ultra-luxe lifestyle (helicopters, private jets, yachts, etc etc) in his ads for years now.

When it comes to fashion, Diddy is far from King!

[Source, Source]

Diddy speaks in behalf of his new perfume named “I AM KING” due out in Dec.

“I believe in positive affirmations, If I say, ‘I am not going to succeed, I’m a loser,’ then that’s what I am going to be. If we say we’re kings and we say we’re queens, that’s what we’re going to be. It has nothing to do with being arrogant.”

Thanks NY Mag

Normally when everyone sits comfortably in their seats during fashion week they expect new fresh designs from a variety of designers; however, there’s been a glitch in the trend. When it comes to the issue of presenting his Sean John collection during spring fashion week, Diddy’s saying hell no! In fact, the only presentation Diddy has planned is an editors’ convention occurring this month. It’s certainly quite a shift from last years Sean John presentation during fashion week. Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to celebrate without Mr. Combs.

“Nelly has the attitude, the swagger, and most of all the physique that our customers can both aspire and relate to … And let’s be honest, all of the ladies out there are going to be thanking us for this campaign,” says a spokesperson for Sean John.

Daniel and I were discussing this venture over the weekend and come up with the conclusion that these ads are not that exciting. I thought Sean John was trying to revolutionize men’s clothing by moving completely away from any “ghetto” stereotypes. This ad in particular is so stereotypical of what is “ghetto” in fashion, with his jeans ultra baggy, hanging so low that the underwear are revealed and they are so long they bunch on the floor. Now what is soo cool about this? Yes, Nelly looks hot, he has an amazing body, no one is disputing that, but this campaign is in no way stylish, trendy, or revolutionary. Very disappointing!!!

Give the modern hip hop loving black man a collection he can actually appreciate or get the fuck out of fashion Diddy.