Music In Ya Ear!: Keri Hilson – “Pretty Girl Rock”

Keri Hilson gives us a history lesson in her new video for “Pretty Girl Rock”, off her upcoming album ‘No Boys Allowed’. Miss Keri Baby kicks off the vid taking a cue from Josephine Baker in 20s regalia, and soon Hilson goes flows throughout the decades, fashioning herself as Diana Ross, Janet Jackson decked out in her utilitarian wear in “Rhythm Nation” and TLC’s T-Boz in the group’s silk pajamas-sporting “Creep” vid.

Check out the video after the jump….

Music In Ya Ear!: Keri Hilson – “Pretty Girl Rock”:

“The video is cute, but not my favorite. I think it should’ve looked much more tough, she looks to dainty in this video. What are your thoughts on this video?”

Spotted: Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana

JANET Jackson might be about to walk down the aisle! Sources say the singer’s romance with her billionaire boyfriend, Wissam Al Mana, is heating up. The couple — who have been dating for the past few months — were spotted Tuesday dining at Rabbit in the Moon on West Eighth Street.

“Janet was glowing. They had a corner table and were very cuddly. They seemed very much in love,” a source told New York Post gossip column Page Six.

“Wissam picked up the check, and when asked if they’d be back next week, they said they were flying to Paris for Fashion Week.”

Jackson — who split with Jermaine Dupri last year after seven years — met the Qatari businessman, who at 35 is nearly 10 years her junior, when she performed at an event in the Middle East last December.

Recent reports claimed Janet is keen to have kids with Wissam.

“Janet adores them, and now she’s had the opportunity to see what it would be like to have kids of her own,” a source said.

“She’s finally ready, and a younger man like Wissam would make the perfect father. All she needs now is a proposal.

“Spending time with a younger man who is handsome and fit has Janet paying closer attention to her diet. As a result, she’s lost 20lbs. in the last six months.

“The fact that Janet is in super shape and has been working out daily, means her body is pregnancy-ready.”

Photos via: Google Images/showbizspy.com

Related Articles

• “Meet Janet Jackson’s new billionaire boyfriend!” and related posts (icydk.com)
• Janet Jackson & Wissam Al Mana: Workout Partners! (justjared.buzznet.com)
• Janet Jackson: Paris Fashion Week with Wissam Al Mana! (justjared.buzznet.com)

Just In: Jackson Family Visit Michael’s Grave

[The Jackson Family visit Micheal Jackson grave on the 1st Anniversary of his death at Forest Lawn Memorial Park at Glendale, California.]

On the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, Janet, Randy, Tito and Jermaine Jackson gathered at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, Calif. to pay their respects.

The group — all dressed in black — arrived around 11 a.m. PT and entered through a back entrance of the mausoleum in which Michael is interned. About 500 fans also quietly gathered, many wearing sequined jackets or white gloves, according to a witness.

Michael‘s children Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, 8, were not in attendance. They were last publicly spotted in Hawaii Thursday with their grandmother (and legal guardian), Katherine Jackson.

“Sorry Big Bro, for not getting ur children there on the anniversary of ur last day. I tried,” Twittered Randy.

Katherine traveled to Michael‘s hometown of Gary, Ind. Friday afternoon, where she unveiled a marble memorial of her son. A cell-phone vigil was also held in broad daylight outside Michael‘s childhood home.

Joe Jackson filed a wrongful death suit against Michael‘s doctor, Conrad Murray, Friday at the federal court in downtown Los Angeles, TMZ.com reported. Joe claims Dr. Murray withheld information from doctors and EMTs that could have saved Michael‘s life, and he’s suing the doctor for unspecified damages as a result. (A federal court clerk told the site there was a “mistake” in the paperwork, though, so the lawsuit will have to be refiled.)

Source: OMG!

R.I.P. Michael Jackson, you will forever be missed.

Music News: VMA Breakdown

It was an intense and exciting Sunday evening as the “2009 Video Music Awards” took over New York City, causing quite a stir with Kanye West‘s outburst, Madonna‘s surprise appearance, Janet Jackson‘s tribute performance to her brother Michael and the cast of ‘Twilight”s big reveal of their extended ‘New Moon’ trailer.

Madonna opened the awards show, paying tribute to the late Michael Jackson.

Madonna called Michael Jackson a “hero,” a “king” and a “human being” as she paid tribute to the King of Pop at MTV’s “2009 Video Music Awards,” prior to Janet Jackson‘s anticipated performance.

“When I was six, my mother died. I think he got the shorter end of the sick,” she says of the music legend. “I never had a mother but he never had a childhood.”

Madonna said when she learned of Michael’s death while preparing for her tour, she felt as if she had “abandoned him.”

“I know his pain,” she said, referring to the constant media attention the King of Pop received.

Madonna said his legacy lives on, starting with her two sons who are big fans of the late singer. “There’s a whole lot of crotch grabbing and moon-walking in my house,” Madonna joked.

She concluded her tribute saying, “He was a king, but he was also a human being. … Long live the king.”

Following her words, dancers made their way to the stage to perform to Michael‘s acclaimed song “Thriller.” Janet Jackson followed that performance up with her own tribute, singing the song “Scream,” a duet she recorded with her brother.

Taylor Swift then went up onstage to accept the award for Best Female Music Video from Taylor Lautner and Shakira, but her speech was cut short when Kanye West grabbed the microphone from her, declaring that Beyonce’ Knowles had the best music video of the year.

Swift was also amongst the performers of the night, in addition to Green Day, Pink, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys and Kid Cudi. Cudi dedicated his performance to the late Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, while Pink performed high in the sky with a trapeze artist.

The show concluded with a preview of Michael Jackson‘s anticipated documentary ‘This Is It.’

Here is the list of Moon Men winners at the 2009 VMA’s:

Breakthrough Video- Matt and Kim, “Lessons Learned”

Female Video- Taylor Swift, “You Belong with Me”

Rock Video- Green Day, “21 Guns”

Pop Video- Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

Male Video- T.I. featuring Rihanna, “Live Your Life”

Hip-Hop Video- Eminem, “We Made You”

Best New Artist- Lady Gaga

Video of the Year- Beyonce’ Knowles, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”

Check out more photos below from last night’s VMAs.

Source: theInsider/MTV

Music News: MTV preparing a behind-the-scenes documentary of MJ VMA Tribute

Michael Jackson VMA Tribute

MTV is creating a half-hour documentary titled “Making Of MJ VMA Tribute,” which will go behind-the-scenes of the production of tomorrow night’s tribute to Michael Jackson at the VMA‘s and will air on the station next weekend.

According to the TV listings at Zap2it.com, this documentary will air at the following times on MTV:

Sat 9/19, 12:30-1:00pm
Sun 9/20, 12:00-12:30am
Sun 9/20, 5:30-6:00pm
Sun 9/20, 6:30-7:00am

Source: janet-xone.com

All On The Cover: Janet Jackson Covers Harper’s Bazaar

All On The Cover: Janet Jackson
Magazine: Harper’s Bazaar
Newstands: October 2009
Photographed by: Tom Munro
Website: www.harpersbazaar.com
Notes: A surprise October 2009 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, featuring Janet Jackson both on newsstands and the subscriber’s cover. Miss Jackson breaks the silence for the first time since Michael‘s death in a world exclusive interview for Harper’s Bazzar, which is already available at Bazaar’s website. More Janet Jackson images by Tom Munro including a few excerpts from the interview below.

In her first interview since her brother’s death, Janet talks to Harper’s Bazaar about how she coped in the days following Michael‘s passing. In the article, Janet reveals for the first time that she has indeed split with Jermaine Dupri, confirming rumors that they had broken up this summer.

The title of her new book “True You” is also confirmed and will be released next year. The article also states that her new album will come out next spring and that she will go on tour next year, however it does not explain whether the tour simply means a promotional tour or a concert tour.

ABCNews.com posted a photo of the magazine cover along with an article that contains some short portions of what Janet said in her Harper’s Bazaar interview.

Janet Jackson Opens Up About Losing Michael….Brotherly Love: The Pop Star Talks About Growing Up With the King of Pop…

There had always been a powerful bond between Janet Jackson and her brother, Michael. Perhaps this is why she says she hasn’t watched television or read a newspaper in the two months since her brother’s sudden death.

“I’d, I’d just like to say that to you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family,” the pop star told Harpers Bazaar. “And he will forever live in all of our hearts.”

She also opens up about her relationship with Michael and their last day together, and how she’s coped by immersing herself in a new album and book.

The Michael Jackson Only She Knew…

As a 14-year-old, it was Janet‘s job to take care of her superstar brother. “I would shop for him. I washed his clothes and cleaned his room. When mother would go out of town, she’d say, ‘I’m leaving you in charge. Take care of Michael.'”

She knew early on that her brother loved clothes that stood out. For the 25th Anniversary of Motown special, Michael grabbed his famous sparkly black jacket from his mother’s closet.

“If it was shiny, if it had any kind of bling, he loved it,” Janet said. Except for his shoes. He danced them down to the soles. “He would wear his shoes all the way down,” remembered Janet. “His penny loafers would have huge holes in the bottom.”

She recalls the joy of making the 1995 music video “Scream” with her brother. “We had so much fun back then. We would organize our days together.”

She also fondly remembers the last time she saw Michael — a month before his death.

“The last time we were together, he’d laugh so hard, he’d just start crying.”

In 2002, Janet told Diane Sawyer how important her brothers were to her.

“I was close to my brothers growing up, and I missed them a great deal when they would go out on tour,” she recalls. She admits that she used binge eating as a way to cope with the pain of their absence.

“I can be an emotional eater,” she says. “Of late, I have been doing that, yes. It started when I was very little. My brothers were gone on tour a lot, and I would miss them so much.”

Moving On as a Family…

Jackson says that they are going through the ordeal of her brother’s death as a family. She’s especially proud of Michael‘s children, Blanket, Prince Michael and, especially, Paris. She said that people have told her that the way that Michael‘s daughter spoke at his memorial really gave them a sense of how he was as a father.

She says the kids are doing well. “They’re with their cousins,” she says. “That family love will keep them going.”

*Source | Harper’s Bazaar/janet-xone.com

P.S…
Don’t forget to check out the VMA‘s Tonight on MTV for Janet Jackson’s Tribute to Michael Jackson. Check back for more updates.

Just In: Jackson’s Kids in Better Spirits at Post-Memorial Reception

After Tuesday’s somber memorial for their father, Michael Jackson‘s three children seemed to be in better sprits at a reception immediately following the service.

Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, all sat in the “VIP” area at a kid’s table that included all the Jackson cousins and relatives in The Grand Ballroom at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

There were around 15 kids at the table, with ages ranging from 7-17. (Blanket was probably the youngest in the group.)

Jackson‘s children seemed very close with their cousins, as they all were playing and goofing around.

At one point, Prince Michael pulled out his cell phone. It looked like he was playing a game on it; he then passed it along to one of his cousins.

Blanket – who appeared overwhelmed at the memorial – was in a much better mood. He looked like he was having so much fun chasing around his cousins. The boy – whose hair is almost down to his waist and whose front tooth is missing – appeared playful at the reception, tickling his cousins and tapping others on the shoulder and then running away.

Paris also seemed to be in a better mood. She hugged her cousins and chatted with guests.

At one point, someone brought over the program from the memorial and all three of the kids — including some of the cousins — gathered around to look at the pictures.

Jackson‘s children seemed really poised and polite as they shook guests’ hands and chatted with them. People were coming up and shaking Prince Michael‘s hand a lot. The kids interacted extremely naturally with each other.

Grace Rwaramba, Jackson‘s former nanny, was overheard saying: “The kids are holding up really well. It’s good for them to be around the other kids.”

The reception featured a classical music quartet that played softly onstage. (Food included mini cheeseburgers, spanakopita, mini crab cakes, vegetable plates, cheese plates and fruit.)

Todd Bridges, Corey Feldman, Chris Tucker, Brooke Shields, Wesley Snipes, Rev. Al Sharpton, Kim Porter, Mariah Carey, Jesse Jackson, Spike Lee and Anil Kapoor from Slumdog Millionaire were among the guests.

Usher pretty much kept to himself and still looked sad.

As for Jackson‘s siblings, Latoya made the rounds at the reception, greeting guests. Janet did not really interact with her family, only to chat with sister Latoya momentarily. (Both ladies kept their sunglasses on the entire time.) Janet also carried around Blanket‘s Michael Jackson doll for him. (Her beau Jermaine Dupri did not attend.)

Joe and Katherine Jackson briefly chatted up Brooke Shields, who was smiling but still mourning as her eyes were red.

Jermaine Jackson talked to family members and hugged a lot of the guests.

At the end of the evening, a few guests took photos with Wesley Snipes, Usher and even Joe Jackson.

Feldman, still dressed in his bizarre Michael Jackson outfit, gave Joe Jackson a hug and a handshake on the way out.

Michael‘s three kids left with Katherine Jackson, who remains their temporary guardian until a July 13 court hearing.

Source: US Weekly

Wire Talk: Paris Jackson’s Memorial Comments Wasn’t Planned, It Came From The Heart

As the star-studded tribute to the King of Pop concluded, Michael Jackson’s own children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, took the stage during a group performance of “Heal the World.”

The climactic moment of Tuesday’s Michael Jackson memorial service came when after the song, 11-year-old Paris Jackson gave an impromptu speech from the stage surrounded by the Jackson family. Paris stepped to the mic and spoke through tears: “Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” she said. “And I just want to say that I love him so much.”

Her aunt Janet Jackson then took her into her arms for a hug before the entire Jackson family left the stage, closing the service that lasted more than two hours. The moving tribute was especially startling because it marked one of the first times Michael’s daughter has ever been heard publicly.

Ken Erlich, the producer of the memorial, has told EW that the moment was in no way planned. “A lot of the show was not scripted,” he says. “A lot of the speakers spoke from their heart. We told them we’d be happy to work with them, but a lot of them — the Smokeys, the Berry Gordys, the people who knew Michael all his life — wanted to speak from the heart, on their own. When [the Paris moment] happened, I had asked the family to come up if they wanted to and say something. I thought, frankly, that we were going to get the brothers and the sisters. This went way beyond that, obviously.”

Erlich also reports that the moment when Usher left the stage to sing “Gone Too Soon” next to Jackson‘s casket was similarly impromptu. “He did that on his own and it was wonderful,” says the producer. “All we had time to do with this show is create the sense of it. The rest of it happened because we allowed it to happen. We didn’t want to get in the way.”

More photos of the kids below…

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Singing to “We Are The World”Above: You notice that Blanket dresses like Michael used to dress, with the high-water pants, white tube socks and penny loafer shoes. Check out the photo I put below to compare.

Prince Michael:

Paris:

Blanket:

Just In: Michael Jackson Memorial Photos

The Michael Jackson Memorial Photos: The Coffin, The Brochure, The Kids, The Hearse & More…

It’s over. The funeral and the memorial service for the King of Pop have occurred and the Jackson family had their own private luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

It was beautiful, moving, well coordinated and produced. Wonderful performances and eloquent speeches echoed the sentiments of most of the world. Somber but still warm and loving, it was a respectable and fitting tribute.

You’ll be able to see broadcasts and videos of Mariah Carey, Trey, Usher, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer and the other performers and speakers, along with his daughter’s heartbreaking comments, played over and over again online, on YouTube, on tv, etc.

But let’s face it, what you really want to see is that coffin, his kids, the brochure and other little incidentals. I’ve got those here for you, thanks to the AP and Getty images.

The Tickets:

The Memorial Brochure Cover:

The back of the memorial brochure:

A sad, Joe Jackson leaving his Encino home, heading for Forest Lawn Cemetery early yesterday morning:

The Motorcade consisted of black Cadillac Escalades, black Ford Explorers and black Rolls Royces:

The Hearse:

The motorcade leaving Forest Lawn cemetery on their way to the Staples Center:

On the freeway:

A good look at that gold-plated Casket (Coffin):

Above and below: The Promethean velvet-lined model by the Batesville Casket Company. Rumor has it that, Michael Jackson ordered it for himself, after seeing that James Brown was buried in the same years ago. It’s a $25,000, solid bronze, 14-karat gold-plated, custom casket.

The pallbearers, those of whom were the Jackson Brothers, each wore a single white sequined glove:

Above: From left: Randy, Tito, Marlon, Jackie and Jermaine

Above: a tender moment as brother Jermaine tosses a rose onto Michael’s casket while singing “Smile”.

The Children: Paris, Prince and Blanket:

Above: Michael Jackson’s children, Paris Michael Katherine, Prince Michael II (aka Blanket) and Michael Joseph Jr. (aka Prince Michael).

Above: Janet (L) and La Toya (R) with Prince Michael Jackson II (Blanket) and Paris Jackson

Above: the heartbreaking and unexpected speech from Paris Jackson

Rev. Al Sharpton (nice eulogy, by the way):

Yes, it’s true, Corey Feldman donned his “Michael Jackson” costume:

Above: A Michael Jackson mural with fan’s signatures stands in front of the Staples Center.

Above: A Michael Jackson impersonator poses outside at the public memorial service at the Staples Center.

See a video of the memorial in its entirety here.

Just In: Michael Jackson’s nanny Speaks Out!

In Jackson’s employ for more than a decade, Grace Rwaramba started as an office assistant to the pop star before becoming a nanny to his three children: Prince, now 12; Paris, 11; and Blanket, 7. She was last fired by Michael in December, and claims that when she visited the children in April, she herself had to buy balloons for Paris’s birthday, because Michael was so broke.   “Michael had no idea about money,” Rwaramba says, citing a $1 million offer he received to appear in Japan. “By the time everyone took their share,” she says, “he ended up with $200,000.” In another line she said that routinely had to pump out the singer’s stomach after he’d ingested a dangerous combination of drugs. “I had to pump his stomach many times. He always mixed so much of it,” Rwaramba tells The Times of London, referring to drugs.

“There was one period that it was so bad that I didn’t let the children see him,” she is quoted as saying. “He always ate too little and mixed too much.” “For the record, Grace never pumped Michael’s stomach.She has no idea how she would even do such a thing,” Chopra spiritual teacher, medical doctor and Jackson’s longtime friend. He also says of Rwaramba, “Grace is more than my best friend,I refer to her as my sister.”

Having now arrived in Los Angeles from London, Rwaramba, who is originally from Rwanda,is expected to be interviewed by LAPD detectives investigating Jackson’s death on Thursday, according to People. Rwaramba at one point proposed a famliy drug intervention for Michael in Vegas, and went so far as to contact his mother Katherine and sister Janet for their help with it. But when Michael found out about her efforts, he fired her. “He didn’t want to listen,” she says, “that was one of the times he let me go.”

According to Rwaramba, on Friday, the day after Michael died, his mother Katherine called her from Michael’s Holmby Hills house and asked where he kept his cash. “She said, ‘Grace, the children are crying. They are asking about you. They can’t believe that their father died. Grace, you remember Michael used to hide cash at the house. I am here. Where can it be?” Rwaramba advised looking “at the garbage bags and under the carpets.” Then, said the former nanny, “She said, ‘Grace, where are you? Come. I will pick you up from the airport.’ She sounded so strong. So strong!” Katherine Jackson grandmother announce that she will grow the kids but now Debbie Rowe ex wife wants the kids after she give up the custody for her kids for 8.4 Millions $. “They are not Michael’s children artificially inseminated by an anonymous donor, I never had sex and did not share a bed during the three year marriage.” Money really can change you…

People close to him, his family they will lie about him on interviews for money, so who really cries for him? Who really loved him? Only fans? Money really can change people.

For more about Michael, click here.

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“Who should get the kids? The grandparents, the nanny, the ex-wife, or other and if other who?“