December 2005 Archives

Time flies when you're having fun. 2005 is drawing to a close.The interns and I have been diggin' through this year's crates to compile the...

Mary J. Blige announced on The View today that her cd The Breakthrough is certified platinum. In a news item for MTV, it was reported that by end of day yesterday Mary had sold 727,000 copies.

It's Mary Mania. If you missed the SOHH Soulful exclusive with Mary, check it out here.

The "Star Spangled Banner" is an anthem that every gifted singer is honored to be called on to sing. Mariah Carey has done it. Beyonce has done it. Even Whitney "Show me the receipts" Houston has done it, and better than most! This year Fantasia (yours and my favorite baby mamma) put her own stank on the anthem for the Major League Baseball All Star Game.

Now that DESTINY has been fulfilled, it's time for Kelly Rowland to fight her way from the hells of the Surreal Life. We know Beyonce is going to stay busy; Jay-Z, Matthew Knowles and Donnie Ienner will see to that. Michelle Williams will have a bigger career because...

There aren't too many things me and the interns here at SOHH Soulful want for Christmas. Being blessed to be alive is pretty much all any of us can ask for. But since you know people like us are so ungrateful here are a few choice items we thought we'd ask for...

Last night Bravo ran the Being Bobby Brown Christmas Special and for the first time the world got a chance to see how the Brown-Houstons celebrate Christmas. I would lie and say that the are just like everyone else but...

Pictures are worth a thousand words, sohh I shouldn't have much to say. However it just wouldn't be right if we didn't pose a few venomous questions.

Subject: Maya & Diddy
Question: What da hell?

It's the Tuesday before Christmas and if you are still scrambling for that grab bag gift for a co-worker or need a few more stocking stuffers, Mary J. Blige (The Breakthrough, Geffen) and Jamie Foxx (Unpredictable, J Records) both have something new in the stores today for you to spend your hard earned dollars on (hard earned unless you're a higher up at the New York City MTA). But the question is, will purchasing either be a waste of money?

Mary J. Blige is as relevant to hip hop as she is to R&B. She's probably the only female that the fellas feel no shame bumpin' out of their jeeps while cruising through any hood.

What Mary has is innate. It's organic. Our connection to her over the years has been through her music; almost like a life line is somehow connected to our own aching hearts. A new day has dawned and Mary J. Blige, star of the upcoming Nina Simone biopic, is on the verge of releasing The Breakthrough, her seventh studio album and latest curriculum for living.

It's mixed bag of happenings today in the world of R&B. In scouring the net I found these points of interest.
- Kelis gets her Holla Back Girl on... with new single "Bossy"
- Listen to the complete Mary J. Blige album, The Breakthrough online
- See the new Beyonce video for "Check On It"

There will be no disappearing acts around here. We're still big up in SOHH. Did you miss us? Ok, let's cut to the chase and get back up on the horse.

This week's Billboard charting is in and on the R&B tip Mariah Carey got the lock on the #1 R&B album in the country with the Emancipation of Mimi. Chris Brown's self titled debut drops from being #1 on the overall chart to position four which awards him the second top R&B album. I like this kid, but this second single has to grow on me. T-Pain gets the #3 position with Rappa Ternt Sanga. (I fear the fate of R&B). Ashanti comes in with the #4 R&B album with her new cd Collectables by Ashanti. That's not bad. Say what you want about Ashanti, but homegirl always seems to stay afloat. See the full list here.

Now that we've paid the bills, has any one seen the new cover of Complex magazine featuring Usher? I am sure it's a great article, but...

It's Monday y'all. Go ahead and get that dirt off ya shoulder and get right for our seemingly usual Monday episode of WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS!

Back in the early summer I heard a rumor about Janet Jackson. After she flashed her boobs for the higher ups over at Virgin and got Jermaine Dupri a job it was not only rumored that he would be executive producing her next studio album but that...

Has anyone been keeping up with Making the Band 3 on MTV?

Last night P. Diddy announced the names of the 5 chicas that will be a part of his pop/R&B band. The winners were Aubrey, Andrea, and three other girls. As we all know this is his third season trying to create a super group that he can abuse to make some $change$ for Bad Boy Entertainment.

It's Grammy nomination time and the interns and I are here baffled by a few things. SOHH, we decided to enlist your help in clearing up the top 5 things SOHH Soulful is confused about when it comes to the 48th Annual Grammy Nominations:

SOHH Soulful loves the the R&B veterans, however we have a significant interest in music from new artist, especially those that believe they have something new to introduce in terms of a sound or frame of reference. That's why when we asked to showcase T-Pain's new single "Ridge Road" exclusively, the interns and I jumped at the chance.

This song cannot be found on any other site on the internet. Something told us we should have listened to the song before being so happy ass about an exclusive.

The Inc., G Unit, Roc-a-Fella and Disturbing Tha Peace all have that R&B singer in their camp that can sing hooks on everyone's track or be the arm candy when necesary.

For The Inc., it's Ashanti, for G-Unit it's Ma$eOlivia, for Roc-a-Fella it's Teairra Mari and so far for Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace it's Bobby Valentino. HUH?

I don't mean to reduce the former lead sing of Mista down to just being around for the occassional beauty shot. Bobby V. actually believes that he has the secret of surviving the competition of the Omarions, the Chris Browns, the Ray Js etc.

New Music Tuesdays

I assume that they'll be doing it up big tonight at Ashanti's lil album release party.... she, Ja Rule and the Gottis Lorenzos have a lot to celebrate and it doesn't all include her new Collectables cd hitting stores today. She and Ja Rule dropping cd's this week and next week might be more about smoke and mirrors than them thinking we really want to hear Ashanti's already mediocre stuff, remixed and repackaged for a little holiday nausea.

Damn, it's Monday again already. The weekend was a blur. Not as much went on as did the previous holiday weekend, but it still seems appropriate for us to play, "What Had Happened Was..." so we are all caught up!

According to the National Enquirer (they getting respect these days) Fantasia auditioned for the starring role in Dreamgirls and blew the executives away. It's said ol' girl brought the house down. But...

Let me first say that Michael Jackson is the King of Pop/Rock/R&B.

Did anyone see VH1 News Special: Michael Jackson's Sexual Childhood? Now that Michael has been acquitted, VH1 produces a news special that goes back and finds biographers, photographers, writers, neighbors and all these old personal friends that attest to Michael not only being pimp slapped by Joe (we knew that already), but how he was sexually abused. The show exposes all the sexual repression and issues he's had. Now, I just have one question.

Don't call it a comeback, Mariah Carey has been here for years. This trip to the top of the R&B charts is nothing new. Check the stats and the plaques. And timing couldn't be better since she is also nominated for 7 Billboard awards.

Mariah partnered with Jermaine Dupri (one of the most underrated producers around) for a slew of new hits on the platinum edition of Emancipation of Mimi. Coincidentally Jermaine is also behind the remix that took Dem Franchize Boyz to the top of this very same chart. Don't sleep.