Catching up with super-talented Olympic silver medalist Louis Smith ...
The British gymnast tweeted this Instagram of his newest pair of his sneaks sent by Adidas.
Meanwhile: The pommel horse hotness is being recruited by the popular television series Strictly Come Dancing. The show is looking to capitalize on Smith's popularity from the Olympics, reports The Sun.
A Strictly Come Dancing source said: "As an athlete, he is fit and dedicated and would be capable of some amazing dance moves. He is also gorgeous which won’t do him any harm when it comes to audience support.He has yet to sign on the dotted line but it’s likely when the line-up is announced next week he will be on the list of contestants."
Smith led Team GB to a bronze medal in the Artistic Gymnastics Men's Team Final at the London 2012 Games. This was GB's first gymnastics team win in 100 years. Smith followed that with an individual silver on the pommel. The pommel horse hotness took bronze at Beijing 2008 and became only the second Black male gymnast to win an Olympic medal.
The gymnast has tweeted a few more interesting snaps—such as hanging out with Kanye West during the London Games and shirtless partying with his mates while on holiday in Marbella.Those AFTER THE JUMP ...
Believe it or not, it's been almost six years since Cassie's self-titled debut. Now the recording artist slash model has just reintroduced herself to fans with "King of Hearts." The video to the catchy electro-pop track features a scantily-clad Cassie—wearing Versace and little else—surprising critics with a new range and new sound.
"After the first album came out, there was a lot of criticism," the Bad Boy bombshell told Rod 2.0 in a short phone interview two weeks ago. "I had a few bad performances and [some] people had a lot to say. I've taken the time to work on myself."
Taking that time off could pay dividends. Cassandra Elizabeth Ventura has been working on her second album for the past four years. The new music has been eagerly anticipated. And given Cassie's new look and new sound, it'll definitely make some noise.
ROD 2.0: I just returned from Rome, I was there about two months ago. In one of the clubs they were playing “Me & You.” The kids love you in Rome!
CASSIE: (LAUGHING) That’s crazy! I can’t believe people are still playing that in clubs but I love it.
R20: King of Hearts hadn’t dropped yet. But this was an Italo-disco version of the track. You know that style.
CASSIE: Oh yes. But that’s one place I haven’t even been yet. I would love to! I don’t even know what their club scene is like. I bet it’s really cool.
R20: You haven’t been to Rome?
CASSIE: No, unfortunately.
R20: You’ll love it and they’ll love you. You have so many projects going on right now. What are you most excited about?
CASSIE: I’m most excited about the new music. About releasing it and people hearing it. I’m anxious and excited but have to be patient. I’ve been working for a while on this project. I have to keep my wits about me and stay focused. But I’m really excited for people to hear the music.
R20: I’m really a big fan of King of Hearts. It sounds like a change for you but it’s a good change.
CASSIE: Thank you! King of Hearts is an extension of where I am—and where I started, as far as my sound. But it’s a grown up version and just a little bit different. It gives me a little bit more. I’m so proud of it and the sound. It’s going to work well with my audience and everybody. Especially the clubs.
R20: We were just talking about Europe. It could be huge over there if it isn’t already.
CASSIE: Oh yea. I was just in Paris for Fashion Week—
R20: We know! (LAUGHS)
CASSIE: (LAUGHS) And we dropped [King of Hearts] out there officially. There was a party and there was so much great energy. It fit right into what people are playing so I’m excited about it.
NBA superstar Earvin "Magic" Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. Johnson's coming out was a major international story and he was credited with helping de-stigmatize the disease at the height of the HIV/AIDS scare. Johnson wants to continue educating Black audiences about HIV and hopes to tackle another issue: Homophobia.
The NBA legend recently spoke with The Huffington Post about a new project that he's developing with hip-hop and rap stars to rally against homophobia.
"I learned a lot from the white gay community because they had gotten their community, rallied them, educated them and did a wonderful job about driving the numbers down. That is the best approach that I’ve seen; it’s been the most effective. So what we try to do in our community is bring those results to us. So I’m working hard to continue to educate minorities about HIV and AIDS and we’ve got to band together. We’re too fragmented right now, but if we can do that, we’re going to do well.
As a hip-hop fan, you realize that homophobia is still an issue everywhere, but especially in the black community. When people are scared to talk about it, that’s how the disease spreads. So what have you been doing to get that risk reduced?
What we’re trying to do is reach out to the hip-hop community because they have power — power with their voice, power with that mic in their hand and power with the lyrics that they sing. I have a lot of friends in that industry and so what we’re trying to do is rally them to get behind the cause, deliver the message to these young people that HIV and AIDS is big and it’s not going anywhere. They can make a difference right away by speaking out, because they have a big fan base.
So we’re finding out that a lot of them want to be involved; they’re just looking for a group like ours to latch onto and be a part of it. We haven’t really had any push-back from the hip-hop community.
Johnson says that he has a number of major names booked for the project, but would prefer to announce all the talent at a press conference. Read the interview HERE.
Homophobia and opposition from Black churches were largely the reason why HIV/AIDS was ignored for so long in Black communities. As a result, Blacks now account for more new HIV infections, AIDS diagnoses and HIV-related deaths than any other racial/ethnic group in the U.S. Black men are particularly at risk—and Black gay and bisexual men have the highest risk in the nation.
Johnson's new project is admirable and it will be interesting to see who he recruits. Hip-hop remains the bastion of Black hyper-masculinity. Kanye West's public calls against homophobia were not embraced by the community. Lil B's I’m Gay (I’m Happy) album provoked death threats and homophobic slurs from some angry fans. To be continued ...
Also on World AIDS Day: Jennifer Hudson, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Janelle Monae and others will sign off Twitter until they raise $1 million for Keep a Child Alive.
Condom prices rise as rains hit Southeast Asian rubber producing nations. "The cost of rubber climbed 65 percent over the past year, the Financial Times reported. Condomania, one of the largest specialty condom retailers in America, said condom prices jumped up to 20 percent in the past year and suppliers were warning of further increases."
Openly lesbian prosecutor brings down anti-gay Tom Delay.
Kanye West, Kylie Minogue, Keri Hilson and Kung Fu Panda help kick off the holiday season in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A blinged-out Kanye performed a "rousing though shortened" version of "Lost in the World", new music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, from atop the Big Apple float.
Watch Kanye perform "Lost in the World", Keri perform "Pretty Girl Rock" and Kylie perform "Get Outta My Way", AFTER THE JUMP ...
After 84 years, GM's once iconic Pontiac brand will "endure a lonely death on Sunday after about 40 million in sales. Its biggest triumph was the GTO ... in violation of a G.M. policy dictating the maximum size of a car’s engine. The GTO was a hit, and the age of the muscle car had begun. For most of the 1960s, Pontiac ranked third in sales behind Chevy and Ford — a position now held by Toyota. But in the decades since, Pontiac’s edge and high-powered image wore off. By early 2009, Pontiac had fallen to 12th place in the United States market, and its top-selling model was the G6, a sedan commonly found on car-rental lots."
That's how PAPER describes the scene stealer who—along with Drake—is arguably this year's breakout rap artist:
On ["Go Hard'] Nicki Minaj waxes Eminem-like on a more Elton John-like subject: "And I only stop for pedestrians, or real real bad lesbians." It's lines like these that have made her hip-hop's gayest MC -- a Jay-Z for the drag queens, as it were. "I see videos on YouTube where they impersonate me, and they do an amazing freaking job of dressing up as me," she says. In past interviews she's mentioned her own bi-curious leanings and has predicted hip-hop will one day embrace its first openly gay artist. But as far as being a gay-positive presence in hip-hop, Minaj insists, "I didn't set out to do that. I just like to put a spotlight on the people who support me, and it just so happens, you know, that the gay community has supported me -- more than I ever could have imagined."
Being an acting student at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the "Fame school") really opened her mind. "I saw gay kids, I saw white kids, I saw grunge and pink hair and piercings," she recalls. "I think because of that, I didn't put limits on myself or what I was going to put in my raps. I really just wanted to be diverse."
In the May 2010 Details, Nicki Minaj
was asked if she thought hip-hop was becoming more gay friendly. The response: "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine
an openly gay male rapper being embraced. People view gay men as having
no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."
Nicki Minaj appears this weekend at Atlanta's Black Gay Pride celebration with Kelly Rowland, Fantasia, Lil Kim and Dondria.
In related news: The Trinidad-born rapper is featured on Kanye West's just-released track "Monster" with Jay-z and Rick Ross—who famously said that he was "willing to record with an openly gay artist such as 50 Cent." Minaj gets rave reviews from the "kids.' "Minaj slays!" says WhatsTheT. Listen to the track HERE.
Club Turk Baths, "one of San Francisco’s first gay bathhouses as well as
one of its last", soon to become a doggy day-care hotel.
Wanted: Ebonics translators. The Drug Enforcement Agency is looking to "hire 9 translators fluent in 'ebonics' to help monitor, transcribe and translate conversations recorded in drug investigations." No shitznit?
Towleroad posts a thoughtful interview with John Amaechi, who reflects on coming out after leaving the NBA. "I keep in touch with some [players], most don’t keep in touch and made it clear that they didn’t want people to think they were gay, some are gay and think I am too under [much] scrutiny to be associated with without the risk that they are outed." Amaechi was also asked if he ever had any kind of relationship with a NBA player. Amaechi responded: "Not romantic."
Estelle has become the template for transatlantic music success. In 2004, the West London-born singer-songwriter burst onto the British R&B scene with "1980" and "Free" from her debut album The 18th Day. After winning the MOBO for "Best Newcomer" and a number of other awards, Estelle gradually managed to slightly repackage her distinctive sound for American audiences. Signed to John Legend's HomeSchool, produced by Will.i.am and featuring a guest vocal by Kanye West, Estelle's 2008 US breakthrough
hit "American Boy" earned her a Grammy Award. Quite impressive.
Now based in America, Estelle is getting her freak on with the David Guetta-produced "Freak"—the video is fierce and Estelle gives a special shout-out to Rod 2.0—the first single from her forthcoming album All of Me. "We're looking at a late August or early September release," Estelle tells Rod 2.0. "And another single or two as well."
So the same wholesome London girl who sweetly sung about American boys is now singing ... "Kiss him, slap him, pull his hair"? We discussed this, as well as Estelle's new video, ballroom voguing and "the kids" over an extended phone call last Friday. At times it was a little difficult to follow because of her accent—which is very lovely—but she was a doll.
ROD 2.0: Love, love, love "Freak. " But why do you want to slap the man? Was this Tiger Woods you were singing about?
ESTELLE: No, no. (LAUGHS) This was just a different part of me. I want to do an album that is a little schizophrenic ... sweet, sad, upbeat, freaky. All the different parts of me. I wanted to do an
album with my different personalities, all 20 of them. I think
everybody has it in them or at least the potential. People are either surprised by it, they love it or they don't get it.
R20: The video is high concept—the space suit, voguing and runway. How many wardrobe changes did you have?
ESTELLE: Wow .. at least four or five. My back was in pain from all the outfits and the bubble suit ... it was sooo heavy. And the director had me leaning against that guy for so long. I was standing there so long, I was about to freak him. (LAUGHS)
R20: You should have,
he was hot. (LAUGHS) That necklace you were wearing is hot. Is it Paloma Picaso?
R20: Good luck with that. The jewelry, outfits and Naomi Campbell walk was fierce. You were giving us the
Latex Ball in New York Part 2.
ESTELLE: Ohmygod, I never had so much fun.
I've been here for three years and always wanted to attend the balls. So
many of my friends are gay and hang at the balls and I finally went. So
much fun. Those kids are so talented and creative—they taught me to
walk. Absolutely! I never had so
much fun. Some of those kids were dipping and dropping so hard, pure fun. I love the balls.
Estelle talks her new CD, gay audiences stateside vs London plus watch the new "Freak" video AFTER THE JUMP ....
During last night's opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, "We Are the World: 25 For Haiti" made its premiere to millions around the globe. It's the updated version of the 1985 charity single that will benefit relief efforts in earthquake-stricken Haiti. More info here.
The new version of "We Are the World" has a completely different cast than its predecessor. Only a digitized version of the late Michael Jackson remains, with his sister Janet singing along to his vocal tracks from the original. The sound is ... current and unfortunately most of the singers voices are Auto-Tuned. One of the highlights: Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Hudson harmonize and then J-Hud delivers a powerhouse performance on the verses originally performed by Stevie Wonder.
More than 80 artists participated. Jamie Foxx continues to channel the late Ray Charles, who was at the session 25 years ago. LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Kanye West and Mary J. Blige have solos. Lil Wayne and Vince Vaughn (srsly) make appearances, too.
The track was never one of my favorite songs in the 80s and this version still doesn't terribly impress me. But anything to help raise money or awareness for Haiti is a good thing. Love to hear your thoughts. Watch the version that debuted last night WHEN YOU JUMP ...
A Strictly Come Dancing source said: "As an athlete, he is fit and dedicated and would be capable of some amazing dance moves. He is also gorgeous which won’t do him any harm when it comes to audience support.He has yet to sign on the dotted line but it’s likely when the line-up is announced next week he will be on the list of contestants."
