the chal banz blog

SHOP AROUND: Nicki Minaj is set to appear on the big screen again, this time for "Barbershop 3". I was surprised when I read this because I figured this would of been a straight to DVD title but as far as who is returning from the original cast, it's not yet known. Common is also said to be starring. So what do you think? Looking forward to "Barbershop 3" or nah? SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: Will you be tuning in to see Wiz Khalifa on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend? Or do you plan on having or attending a fight party to see Mayweather and Pacquio? Whatever you plan on doing this weekend, have fun! FOR CHRIS(T) SAKE: And Chris Brown and Rihanna were in the same room this weekend as they both celebrated friend Travis Scott's birthday which included a huge snake. Yikes! Speaking of Chris Brown, word is that he and Karreuche may be back together or at least speaking when it was seen in an Instagram post of Karreuche's of a dog and a hand that looke...

Hey everybody I hope you are liking the new layout to my blog. The picture you see is me! :) My new blog link is http://chalbanzmusic.blogspot.com make sure you make note of that if you follow me or if your associated with the blog.

COUNTRY GRAMMAR: On the new album album front, Nas has teased a Summer release date for his new album while Nelly is recording a country EP, his first since being a free agent after leaving or being dropped from Universal Records. I always said Nelly should go the indie route because his album don't sell like they used to and when they didn't he'd get mad and air his frustrations out on social media. You all looking forward to Nas' new album or even Nelly's country EP? Speaking of Nelly, he and his boo Shante Jackson just celebrated their one year anniversary together. Gosh, it seems like they've been together longer than that. Doesn't it? PREGNANT HOUSEWIVE?: And it went down last night on part 1 of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" reunion. There was plenty of shade thrown around and a rehash of went down on season 7 and season 6. Speaking of Housewives, Kandi Burruss-Tucker and her husband Todd Tucker are still going forward with their plans to ...

ARM CANDY: Jay Z has come out defending his streaming music service, TIDAL saying it needs time to grow did other popular music services such as iTunes and Spotify. Do you think he has a point or nah? And Tyga has tattooed his girlfriend Kylie Jenner's name on his arm. That's always a big no no when artists and celebrities do that. The relationship becomes doomed once you do that in my opinion. But best of luck to them. And I say that because Tyga's ex and baby mama blasted Tyga when she leaked out text messages of him saying he wanted to get back together. He kindly responded back and said he ain't with the "tea". Well there you have it! TOUR DE FORCE: Speaking of Tyga, his friend Lil' Wayne found his tour bus shot up in Atlanta. I don't think anyone was hurt but is it safe to say Birdman might of sent his henchmen out for Wayne? Hey you never know! Speaking of Lil' Wayne, his ex boo Trina was said to perform in Columbus, Ohio but however did not...

Happy Friday y'all! MAN UP: Has Ciara snagged a new man? Well that's what rumors suggest. The singer is reportedly dating Seattle Seahawks player Russell Wilson. The two was spotted together at an event a few days ago. One thing is for sure, Ciara keeps a man, kind of like how J.Lo does. Though I think this is the longest J.Lo has reportedly been single. What do you think about the Ciara cozying up to a new man? I mean anything is possible especially after how crappy Future was towards her. OCEAN'S WATER: In other music news, Frank Ocean has legally changed his name to Frank Ocean, his stage name. Frank filed the documents in court over a year ago and they were finally settled after Frank had to clear up his driving record. If you didn't know Frank's real name is Christopher. Funny being that he once had been with another Christopher. Chris Brown! I thought about changing my name. Still considering it. TIDAL WAVE: Something that is likely being considered is a join...

In album news, Boosie BadAzz will release his new album, "Touch Down 2 Hell" on May 26. The album features appearances from T.I., Rick Ross, Keyshia Cole, and Rich Homie Quan. Tyler, The Creator lands at #5 with his new album "Cherry Bomb" and Young Thug arrives at #26 with "Barter 6" after only four days of release. Young Thug's full length studio album will arrive in August. Drake's album, "If Your Reading This Its Too Late" maintains its position in the top 10 at #10. A physical version of that album was just released or about to be released. Well that's all folks! Until next time!

KEEP HOPE ALIVE: Bobby Brown reported a few days ago via concert that his baby girl Bobbi Kristina was awake but according to Cissy Houston, grandmother of Bobbi Kristina says she's awake but "unresponsive". So there's still hope for this young lady and hopefully she pushes through. I reported this story a day or so ago and I was saying how some of the Houston family refuted Bobby's claims but the real deal was Bobby was correct all along but the Houston's wanted to clarify that statement and they did. DUET IN THE WORKS: After appearing alongside one another on "Watch! What Happens Live", Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan are talking about collaborating as well with Kandi Burruss who also appeared on the show. I would say I'm interested in hearing Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan on a track together. Are you? Speaking of Brandy she just got a new show on BET titled "Zoe Moon"(I believe that's the title). Brandy will play a recently divorced w...

"James Joint(Interlude)" is the latest song by Rihanna which appears in snippet form. There is no word yet if the song is actually longer or if this is the full track. This kind of reminds me of "Birthday Cake" which was like no longer than a minute or so. That song became so popular that Rihanna was forced to make the song into a full length track. No word yet or where this song will appear but we're betting its from Rihanna's upcoming album rumored to be titled #R8, which may get the surprise release treatment. Get high with Rihanna on her latest "joint". No pun intended! :)

BIG PROBLEM: So the big news of the day, at least as far as what I'm seeing is that Big Sean and Ariana Grande have broken up. The split was amicable and their people are asking us that we respect their privacy at this time. Yeah right! Just imagine if this was a nasty breakup(which its not being reported as) then we could possibly look forward to a "I Don't Fuck With You Part 2" from Big Sean. AWAKE: In much better news, Bobby Brown has revealed that his daughter Bobbi Kristina has awaken from her coma. He shared the news during a recent concert. But I was reading today that the Houston family saying the news is not true and Bobbi's condition hasn't changed. So who do we believe in this? I believe Bobby. Some of the Houston family members are crooked in my opinion, just look at Pat Houston. I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her. I'm just saying. Thoughts?

R.I.P. Hey people! I've been away for a few days but not intentionally. I guess I do have a life outside of this blogging thing. :) Sad news in R&B as it was reported a few days ago that Johnny Kemp, 80s singer who sung the song "Just Got Paid" passed away at age 55. In other sad news Ben Powers, who starred on the 70s sitcom "Good Times" died. He was 64 years ago. If the name doesn't register he played Thelma's husband in the later years of the show, by this time James(the father) had died and Janet Jackson was starring as Penny. R.I.H. ALBUM NEWS: On the album release front, we have new albums from Young Thug, "Barter 6" was just released but his proper debut album, "HY!*UN35"(which translates to High Tunes) will be released on August 28. Jamie Foxx will release his new album "Hollywood" on May 18. The album features the single "You Changed" featuring Chris Brown. The new album from Drake, "Views From T...

HOUSEWIFE SINGING: Demetria McKinney who was recently seen on season 7 of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" has inked a record deal with eOne Records. The singer and reality TV star celebrated the news today as some of her co-stars (from RHOA) and several other blogs reported the news. Congrats to Demetria! Poor thing wasn't at this year's reunion but I don't think she made enough of a splash to be asked in my opinion. KANDI KOATED: Speaking of "Housewives", Kandi Burruss-Tucker has landed yet another reality TV show on Bravo. Titled, "Kandi's Ski Trip", the three episode show will show Kandi's family and Toddy's family trying to mend fences. The show airs on May 17 at 8 P.M. EST(Eastern Standard Time). A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME: And Kandi's old label mate Bow Wow is making headlines again, this time saying that he and his wife Erica Mena are living with Bow Wow's Mother in her basement. The comment caused a lot of flack as you ...

RING A DING: So apparently Meek Mill gave Nicki Minaj some sort of ring that she's been showing off on social media, rightfully so I guess. I'm guessing its a promise ring. I'm sure its no engagement ring then again stranger things have happened. Is Hip Hop's newest couple headed for the altar? I guess we will have to wait and see. Meanwhile some other girl started sporting her ring which is the same as the one Nicki Minaj has been sporting. Next thing you know Meek Mill and this girl are going back and forth. If you really wanna know more you can just check their social media accounts on Instagram and you'll see all this and more. WIZ KID: In other music news, wait is there anymore? I did read that Wiz Khalifa just scored his second #1 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100. Its whatever the name of the song is from the "Fast & Furious 7" soundtrack. Congrats to him! MARRIED MAN: In some other noteworthy news, Tia Mowry-Hardrict(not sure on the spelling...

THUG CHRONICLES: Funny thing about Young Thug besides his nonsensical style of rhyme, I had a dream about him one night and he chasing me and I was like the road runner trying to get away from him. Speaking of Young Thug he was threatened with legal action when he attempted to name his album or mixtape "Carter 6". So now his new project(as I'll call it) will now be called "Barter 6" and the "B" stands for "blood". Young Thug has been popping a lot of shit on social media lately and taking shots at Wayne. I thought he was your idol but nowadays admirers beef with their idols. What do you all think about this whole Young Thug obsession with Lil' Wayne? Does it creep you out? COKE WARS: Well would it creep you out to hear that Rihanna does coke? Well that was apparently the rumor going around after a picture caught the singer in what seemed like she was engaging in substance abuse. Rihanna being the "clap back" celebrity that she ...

KISS ME: So Drake has spoken out regarding the shocking kiss between he and Madonna over the weekend. While the video showed Drake looking rather disgusted with the kiss, Drake however says that he "feels 100" about the kiss and he thoroughly enjoyed it. JACKIE: Something else you may enjoy is the new upcoming album from Ciara titled "Jackie". The singer recently released the album's tracklisting which features 11 tracks and the deluxe version 16 tracks. The album features guest appearances and production from Missy Elliott, Pitbull, Dr. Luke(worked with Britney Spears), Polow Da Don, Diane Warren, Harmony Samuels(worked with Fantasia), and Ester Dean. The album's second single has been selected and its titled "Dance Like We're Making Love". Current single "I Bet" features a recently released remix with T.I. and Joe Jonas, but on separate remixes. Sounds like there's a lot going on and it is if you ask me. So with that being said...

The Game just landed yet another reality TV show for VH1 titled "She Got Game". This time instead of trying to get married to his now ex-girlfriend, the hardcore rapper is now looking for love, "Flavor of Love" style. The new dating show has just been greenlit by VH1 and will air this Summer on the network. Will you be watching?

KISS THIS: Madonna kissed Drake over the weekend during the Coachella festivities. Of course the shocking kiss between the two has made it onto social media shocking everyone. If you haven't seen the video its everywhere, but with that said you won't find it here! :) #1: Mariah Carey has revealed that her new album, "#1 To Infinity" will arrive in stores on May 18 and feature all of her 18 #1 hits from 1990 through 2008. The album's new single "Infinity" should be debuting any day now. Mariah recently signed a new record deal with Epic Records and she will embark a Vegas residency at Caesar's Palace. Are you all looking forward to Mariah's new song? HERE COMES THE BRIDE: Tina Knowles, mother of Beyonce and Solange recently got married to her longtime boyfriend Richard Lawson. Lawson is an actor and he was in "Scream Blacula Scream", that's where I remember him from. I don't know much else of what he's starred in after that ...

HIGH ON LIFE: News of Nelly getting arrested Saturday morning is making the news rounds. The 40 year old rapper was arrested in Tennessee after his bus was stopped and for failing to provide the proper documents to operate the bus, the officers searched the bus. The whiff of marijuana didn't help because there was also marijuana found on the bus as well as drug paraphrenalia and five rocks of meth which tested positive. This whole story is shocking but then again its not. Nelly's use of drugs have been a constant rumor in the last few years. If that wasn't enough the officers also found several handguns. RIDE OUT: And Lil' Wayne left a cryptic tweet on Twitter saying he needs a "ride or die" which prompts me to believe that Christina Milian ain't that. She was singing that she was a "Rebel" for him so who knows. I dont know what kind of relationship Lil' Wayne and Christina Milian have. Hell I'm not sure if they know. But whatever it is ...

BABY LOVE: Congratulations to Justin Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel. The couple welcomed a baby boy today named Silas Randall. This is the first child for both. THUG PASSION: Moving on...Lil' Wayne graced a stage a few days ago and made light of Young Thug appearing naked on his album cover for the "Carter 6". Shots were definitely fired and Young Thug responded by saying "he is my idol" and he doesn't feel right dissing him back. So there it is. You know what they say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Though I don't recall Wayne appearing naked on an album cover but maybe he was planning to. But as far as the imitation part goes I was referring to the use of "Carter" in the album title for Young Thug. What do you guys think about this story? I mean because a lot can be said. NANNY DIARIES: And a lot can reportedly be said about Tamar Braxton and her husband Vincent Herbert. The pair are being sued by their former nanny who says...

Jody Watley emerged into a successful solo career in 1986 with the release of "Looking For A New Love". The single went to #2 Pop and #1 R&B. The song is notable for the catchphrase "hasta la vista baby".

MAKE YOU DANCE: So I saw that Janet Jackson is reportedly releasing a new single titled "Dancing Tomorrow" on April 28. How do we feel about that? Are we excited? It's been reported that Janet has been working on new music for awhile so I guess we will finally get a chance to see what Janet has been working on all these years. FUCK YOU, PAY ME: And it was reported that Lil' Wayne had dropped his lawsuit against Birdman but apparently not. He has indeed moved the case to New Orleans, whatever that means. I'm thinking it means he must of filed some charges in the state of New Orleans and he is still pursuing the case. Wayne claims he is owed $51 million dollars from Birdman from sales of Young Money artists Drake and Nicki Minaj. As a result Lil'' Wayne's long awaited "The Carter 5" has been placed on hold indefinitely. In a strange twist of irony label mate Young Thug is naming his new album "Carter 6". Why? I don't know but it ...

DIE YOUNG: Erykah Badu is starring in a short film, "They Die By Dawn" is available exclusively on TIDAL, the new streaming music service spearheaded by Jay Z. The movie stars Rosario Dawson and Michael K. Williams(of "The Wire"). Will we get to see the short film out side of the TIDAL domain? More than likely! BILLBOARD BOUND: The Billboard Music award nominees were released today and Iggy Azalea is one of the top contenders. Some of the categories she's nominated in include Top Streaming Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Digital Songs Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, and countless others. Her surprise nemesis Nicki Minaj is nominated in some of the same categories. Who do you think will win? Do you think Iggy will win? MUSIC BITS: And their saying Lil' Wayne has allegedly dropped his lawsuit against Cash Money. But we'll see how true that is. And Azealia Banks is in hot water as always. Her interview with Billboard found the rapper saying she ...

OCEAN DRIVE: Frank Ocean has revealed that his new album, "Boys Don't Cry" will be released this July. It's been nearly 3 years since Frank released his Def Jam Records debut. I'm ready for a new Frank Ocean album are you? JAIL BIRDS: Do you recall when Keyshia Cole said she was going to jail for 30 days? Well it looks like she won't be going to jail after all since her DUI case was thrown out. And The Game is being sued by the police that he punched. Game claims he punched the police only after the police threatened to take a gun out of his bag and shoot him. As we know Game is about that life and he will fight anyone anywhere. There are plenty videos online of game fighting other rappers, fans, and just overall rude assholes. MOVIE TIME: Miguel is said to be starring in a romantic drama directed by John Legend! For some reason this doesn't surprise me. Somewhere along the lines Frank Ocean should be cast as well if you get my drift and I think you do. :...

HAPPY EASTER to those who celebrate the holiday today!Yesterday there was obviously a lot going on and while I was seeing it, I wasn't blogging about it until now. "Die With You" is the latest video and single from Beyonce. The song was released as a dedication to her husband Jay Z(who makes a cameo at the end) as the couple are celebrating their 7th year anniversary. The video is very poignant and sweet and I'm sure if this song were released via iTunes, it would be a huge hit. What do you think about the new Beyonce(excuse the accent mark until I figure out how to do it on this laptop) song and video? Yay or nay? Oh and if you were wondering where this video is from, its from the new streaming service TIDAL, which offers exclusive content you can't find anywhere else but you know stuff like that always happens to find itself released outside of those boundaries.

Who knew people were still this crazy about Plies? Well obviously there are some people who are. I know Plies does have a nice following on his Instagram so I suppose he's not exactly irrelevant. So yesterday footage of Plies being taken down by a fan was released and you can watch the shocking video above. What I don't understand is how security ain't jump in faster. Like you usually when an artist is performing on stage, whether their moving around or not, security typically takes care of anyone who bumrushes the stage especially if its unwarranted. The guy who took Plies down later issued a video, complete with a bloody nose and broken fingers saying he was a fan of Plies. Clearly he is a fan judging by how close he was. As far as my security is concerned I would of fired all their asses. He shouldn't of been that close and then to get pulled off the stage is even worse. I would of been handing out pink slips left and right. Actually the whole incident can be view...

Tonight's "Throwback Video" is from Shanice Wilson-Alexander(aka Shanice). "Turn Down The Lights" is the video and single from Shanice's 1994 Motown album release, "21..Ways To Grow". "Turn Down The Lights" just missed the top 20 on the R&B charts peaking at #21. Get into this classic video and song!

LOVE HANGOVER: Amber Rose is not going down without a fight when it comes to her love for her husband Wiz Khalifa. The social media maven expressed her undying love for Wiz in an effort to get him back. Do you think these two will make amends? Do you care? MISSING YOU: And do you even care how Chris Brown has been going out of his way to show love for his ex via social media. He has been making posts about her, liking her pictures and next I'm sure the gifts will start flowing in and before you know, she'll be back. I think we all know that. What do you think? "BET" ON THIS: And Ciara has announced May 4 as the release date for her new album "Jackie", named after her Mother which I think is pretty sweet personally. Current single "I Bet" is #43 on the Billboard Hot 100. A remix featuring Joe Jonas and T.I. is currently in the can and we should be hearing that anytime. Ciara worked with Harmony Samuels(worked with Fantasia), Polow Da Don(worked wit...

In an effort to provide more of a visual experience for you, I'm posting this video and because its also a favorite song of mine right now. Some of the things Rich Homie Quan says particularly in this song is hilarious especially the line where he says "her hair short like Dennis Rodman". I also like the little dance he does. Call me crazy! Enjoy!