IDOLS PLUS MAMA AFRICA

A classic song, "Beat It" gets ruined by 4 "West African Idols" contestants:

Speechless.
And here's a video clip of Akon's "Mama Africa":

CLASSIC NAIJA THROWBACK

This song is really old but it was on my mind a moment ago. Enjoy.

Styl-Plus: "Olufunmi"

BORIS KODJOE ON BEING A FATHER

Boris Kodjoe, photographed with daughter Sophie, age 2, and son Nicolas, 7 months, is featured in the upcoming Father's Day edition of "Essence" magazine:

[click on all images to enlarge]

On being a dad:

"Having kids gives you wings and makes you feel like a superhero. Fatherhood taught me unconditional love, again and again, and a depth of emotion that I've never experienced. Sometimes I wonder, What was I doing before?"

On raising a boy and a girl:

"My older sister always kept me in check, so I knew having a girl first would provide a great influence on the behavior of my son. Their demanors are different-she's very sweet and affectionate, and he's a real boy, very stoic. Sophie loves her little brother [mom is wife Nicole Ari Parker] and kisses him all day long. Nicolas is the happiest baby in the world."

Boris Kodjoe's next project is indie film Alice.

[picture source]

DJIMON TAKES KIMORA & CO FOR A WALK

One of FG2BH's favorite couples Kimora Lee and Djimon Hounsou were spotted strolling around in Cannes.

[picture source: Concrete Loop]

Holding hands and kissing in front of Kimora and Russell's children suggests that these two are legit. Hopefully this relationship doesn't slow down Djimon's film career. He is after all the spokesmodel for Calvin Klein briefs, ladies.

Both Friedman and New York Daily News columnists Rush & Malloy took note of the public display of affection jumping off between guests Kimora Lee Simmons and actor Djimon Hounsou. “Their kissing and hand-holding removed all doubt that
they're a couple,” wrote Rush & Malloy in Thursday’s column.
Freidman noted: “They caused a stir, of course, as did Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland, who put on a terrific full show with all her singers and dancers by the
du Cap pool.”

[EURWEB.COM]

DJIMON AT CANNES

All eyes were on new couple Djimon Hounsou and Kimora Lee Simmons at the recent Cannes Film Festival bash:

Supposedly these two were spotted getting cozy around Los Angeles prior to attending a party at Eden Rock during the 60th International Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, May 22, 2007, in Antibes, France.

Djimon and Kimora also hung out with Naomi Campbell:

Do you think these two make a good-looking couple? Speak on this folks...

OUT & ABOUT: ADAKU OKPI

Adaku Okpi of Rocawear Marketing pose with R&B songtress Ciara and hip-hop mogul Jay Z at New York City's nightspot, Baddakan.

[pic credit: Toya's World]

Why the celebration? Rocawear and Jay Z celebrate the new face of Rocawear Ladies, Ciara with toast by Armand de Brignac.
Check out Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got" music video for a visual of Armand de Brignac:

FG2BH applauds our fellow Naija girl Adaku. For my Nigerian-Americans out there, Adaku means from the Igbo translation: "hope of wealth." Head on over to URBAN-HOOPLA for more coverage from the event.

INTRODUCING BEEBE OKOYE

In the June edition of "Essence" magazine, architect Beebe Okoye is featured for her New York City based store called, "Kiva Café."

-click on image to enlarge-
[pic credit: Essence via Kiva Cafe.]

Kiva Cafe is known for its rich world-renowned artifacts. As Beebe perfectly put it, "I wanted to create environments that would inspire people-where you eat off functional art, listen to world music, and savor homemade dishes."
Kiva Café and Catering is located at 229 Hudson Street, north of Canal Street, and is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. through Fri. and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sun. For more information, call 212-229-0898 or visit http://www.kivacafe.com/

ZAHARA OUT & ABOUT

Via People:

Adorable Zahara, 2, can't help but grin as dad Brad Pitt picks her up along with 3-year-old brother Pax from their Prague school on Tuesday. The actor, who recently revealed he misses New Orleans, has been a dutiful dad, escorting his kids to and from school while in the Czech Republic.

FG2BH WISHES YOU A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

FG2BH wishes all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day. On that note, enjoy this throwback video:

For more Mother's Day video tributes, visit {Throwback Terrace}.

IMAN AT SOHO GRAND

Iman attended the Annual FUNDRAISING GALA OF WAYUU Taya Foundation down in Soho Grand Hotel in New York City:

That red lipstick is a good look on Mrs. David Bowie.
[pic credit: Pro-Hater]

AKON IS REALLY 34!

Apparently Akon, who is currently under fire for underage dancing antics, lied about his actual age.

"Akon, who has gone from appearing on every third radio hit to appearing in every third Idolator post: A tipster writes in regarding the singer's oft-contested age, which both Rolling Stone and Wiki list as 25, but which has been the source of much Zeta-Jonesian speculation since his career took off:

"a friend who works at [well-known national magazine] was checking out Akon's age, and using some sort of database of prison records (since Akon claims to have been incarcerated, and indeed was) and it turns out that his age is not, as he claims, 25, nor is it 27 or even 31. Akon is 35 years old. His PR people put so much pressure on the editors that they wouldn't allow the actual factual in
the magazine"

[source]

CHIMAMANDA ON JANE'S 30 UNDER 30

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 29, of New Haven Connecticut is featured in "JANE" magazine's 30 under 30 inspirational women of the year.

-click on image to see in full-
Adichie in her own words:

"Translating literally from the Igbo language, my name means, "My God will not fall down." With more complexity, it's something like, "My spirit is indomitable." It's quite unique, even for Igboland. I love it and hate having it shortened. I also love that some Nigerians are naming their daughters Chimamanda because of me, which is quite humbling."

[pic credit: JANEMAG.COM]

BORIS KODJOE & HOUSTON PARTY CIRCUIT

NBA baller Allen Iverson joined actor Boris Kodjoe down in the Houston, Texas party circuit:

Boris Kodjoe also hosted a Fashion Show as apart of UPgrade Thursdays at nightspot Venue:

[pic credit: INDAMIX.COM]

OVIE MUGHELLI IN 'EBONY'

NFLer Ovie Mughelli is featured in the June issue of "Ebony" magazine:

-click to enlarge-

In the issue, Ovie describes his ideal lady as someone who "must believe in one true God." Ovie Mughelli, 27, currently plays for the Atlanta Falcons as their fullback. Visit [YBF] to see Ovie ring the closing bell at Nasdaq during the NFL draft week in NYC.

BORIS KODJOE DOES 'EBONY'

In celebration of the new black fathers, Boris Kodjoe and his son Nicolas are featured on the June issue of "Ebony" magazine:

Boris on fatherhood:

"Children didn't choose to be here. Therefore, as parents, we have the responsibilty to make their start as prosperous as possible. Give them every opportunity to make it to the top. Every child has a right to have a mother and a father."

On having his child, Sophie, prior to his marriage to actress Nicole Ari Parker:

"The marriage was planned and on the books. We really didn't worry about timing. Both things are a blessing and however they occcur, that's fine with us."

On his parents marriage:

"Kodjoe's parenting style also leaves no room for excuses. Sure, his parents were married and divorced twice. And, he spent more time growing up with his White German mother than his Ghanaian father, but, he says, that's no reason to think negatively about his own marriage to Parker and his committment to their children."

Boris with her daughter Sophie and son Nicholas:

-click on all images to enlarge-

[pic credit: EBONYJET.COM]

AKON ON HIS MOTHER'S DAY GIFT

In spite of his cancelled Verizon AD campaign, Akon in the Mother's Day edition of "Jet" magazine reveals his gift to his mother, Kine Thiam:

"I bought my mother a car, the 750 BMW...I went from from being a troubled convict to a successful young man, a son she can brag about."

The current issue of "JET" features mother-son duo Dr Donde and Kanye West which you can read about over at [Urban-Hoopla].
[pic credit: ebonyJET.com]

And in related news, Akon has finally issued a public apology:

"First, and most important to me, I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I've caused to the young woman who joined me on-stage, her family and the Trinidad community for the
events at my concert in Port of Spain on April 12th," Akon said via a statement. "It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience. Somehow, that standard was not met. Again, I apologize to those concerned and to all my fans and I pledge to all that we will strive to make sure this type of incident does not happen again."

[via Yahoo]

IMAN HITS UP THE NYC GALA

Iman and her husband Brit rock star David Bowie attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in New York City in matching his and hers suits:

If you guys have been reading this blog, you'll know I pointed out Iman's toe game earlier via Urban-Hoopla. So I'm glad she decided to cover up those bad boys. Iman's still the fashionista in the fashion/modelling world. Please don't get it twisted. I'm also glad Iman decided to rock a suit than a dress like every other person that attended the event.

[pic credit]

IS GOLDEN BROOKS NIGERIAN?

One faithful FG2BH reader sent me this interesting tidbit about the ethnicity of actress Golden Brooks of "Girlfriends" fame:

I bolded the important subject matter:

There's more to Golden Brooks than meets the eye. For starters, the San Francisco native's strong acting prowess is evident with her portrayal of Maya Wilkes -- the ghetto-centric, loud-mouthed soul sister who shakes up the scene every week in the groundbreaking TV sitcom 'Girlfriends.' Brooks, who has played the role since its inception eight years ago, is nothing like her screen persona, however.
Reared in Lagos, Nigeria, the thirty-something (more on age below) thespian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology with a minor in Theater from the University of California at Berkeley.
A classically trained dancer who is also a classically trained actress has performed all over the world and has taken on a broad variety of roles from Chekov to Shakespeare. She holds a Master's Degree* in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College but maintains she did NOT attend the ritzy women's college during they heyday of other famous black sitcom actresses Robin Givens or Holly Robinson Peete. "Chile, you know she's ten years older than me?," Brooks deadpans about Givens. "Yeah, she's older than me. But I went there way, way, way after her." Well since she brought up the subject of age, I dare to ask what's hers. "I'm 30," she states defiantly and then elaborates, "My IMDB is all wrong. I'm in the process of getting that changed. I had an old publicist a long time ago put that in the wrong year, but I'm 30 and I'll be turning 31 in December." Well since we're in a joke-y mood, I join in on the fun and blurt out "The last time you saw 30, you were standing on 130th Street." Unfazed, Brooks said "Thank you," then broke out into laughter and proclaimed, "That's hilarious." "It's hard to say that in Hollywood," she continued the chatter. "Anything with a three in front of it, you're like 'hmmmmmmmmmm.'

[AOL Black Voices]

Apparently Golden was raised in Nigeria. Apparently she has a Master's Degree like I do. So does this mean Golden's Naija (Nigerian)? Golden did emphasis on how her IMDB profile is all wrong:

-click on the image to visit Golden's official IMDB page-
Her cat is named Saeku. I'm Igbo so that doesn't sound nor look familar to me. Naija or not Golden Brooks is a talented actress. She's currently filming "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" for 2008 release. Read up on Golden's interview with Black Voices here.

In an interview with MenMagazineOnline, Golden had this to say about "Girlfriends":

I hated it. Why do people have to compare something to something else white? Like Girlfriends being called a black Sex in the City because - why - we're four professional women talking about our woes of finding a man and maintaining our careers? We can stand on our own without the comparisons. No one compares The West Wing to a black anything … I'm very passionate about this and protective of my people.

DJIMON IN EN VOGUE'S HOLD ON

Prior to his Oscar-nominated days, Djimon Hounsou was eye candy in En Vogue's "Hold On" music video:

He's the guy with the sax.

NAIJA FASHION SHOW

One of my faithful readers sent me this hilarious YouTube clip of a Naija fashion show:

Don't you love what each model does at the end of the runway?

OLUCHI WELCOMES A BABY

Oluchi Onweagba and her husband fashion designer Luca Orlandi of the brand Luca Luca welcomed their first child in April 2007. [Visit Bella Naija for the exclusive.]
Feels Good 2 B Home congratulates Oluchi on the arrival of her first child. I'm quite sure she'll either flaunt her child-baring shape in an upcoming fashion magazine spread.


About Oluchi and Luca's relationship:
After reportedly dating Naomi Campbell, Orlandi married Nigerian model Oluchi Onweagba in August 2005 on St. Barth's. [source: nymag.com]
For those who don't believe Luca and Naomi had a thing in the past:
Luca and Naomi Campbell at the Fashion Group International's Night of Stars in New York City:

SEAL AND HIS SON

Seal shows how touching a father-son outing can be with eldest son Henry, 1, at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday. The singer was reportedly traveling with his entire brood – including wife Heidi Klum. [Via People]





[pic credit]

NNENNA DOES 'JEWEL' MAGAZINE

"America's Next Top Model" alum Nnenna is featured in a photospread in the Spring 2007 issue of "Jewel" magazine:

Nnenna is one of the models flaunting the new cosemtics trend---glamorous spider-like eyes.

CHAMILLIONAIRE DOES 'RAP-UP'

Chamillionaire is on the current cover of Rap-Up magazine:

RAP-UP.COM posted up an exclusive first look at May/June 2007 2nd Anniversary Issue of Rap-Up. The double cover features Chamillionaire on one side and Ciara on the other.

CELESTINA IN LIFE & STYLE

Celestina Aladekoba of MTV's "Dancelife" fame is featured in a photoshoot in last week's issue of "Life & Style" magazine:


Celestina is modelling two of the season's best swimwear.
-click on images to enlarge-

Via DanceLife:
Celestina Aladekoba
With almost no professional training, this striking beauty and natural talent originally from Nigeria has become a music video "It Girl" after recently co-starring in Prince's "Black Sweat" video. The driven performer sees dance as a first step to greater success.

Via DanceLifeFan.com:
A music video "it girl," Celestina has been a featured dancer in several major videos, most recently co-starring in Prince's "Black Sweat," her second video with the artist, having danced in his "Musicology" video previously. Celestina has also appeared in videos for Missy Elliot, the Black Eyed Peas, Nelly, Will Smith, Usher, Beyonce and Stevie Wonder. Her film and television work include appearances on "That's So Raven," "The 2004 Soul Train Awards" and "American Dreams."

Celestina in Prince's Musicology music video:

She's the one on stage in the red dress...