May 3, 2024

About the author  ⁄ Nadeska Alexis

Trayvon Martin’s Mom And Afeni Shakur Will Host A Retreat To ‘Help Heal Broken Mothers’

by 05/14/14

It was difficult, painful and unnerving to watch Trayvon Martin’s case unfold last year. And although we might never recover from the shock of the not guilty verdict, Trayvon’s mom, Sybrina Fulton, has made it her mission to move forward and help other mothers heal.

Fulton and the Trayvon Martin Foundation will host a two-day event called the Circle of Mothers Empowerment Retreat, in Miami from May 16-18, with the help of keynote speaker Afeni Shakur. The event will target families that have lost children to senseless gun violence.

Fulton tells MTV News that Pac’s mom understood exactly what she was going through, and now it’s time for them to pass along what they’ve learned to other families in need. “People watched my healing process publicly, but when I was really in bad shape it was not so public,” she said.

“I wanted to make sure that not only am I healing properly, but those mothers that are not in the forefront -– the ones that you don’t see on the news, in such high profile cases -– that those mothers are receiving the same treatment.”

“Mothers become the glue, mothers are the nurturers,” she added, explaining why this targets moms specifically. “I wanted to make sure that we are healing properly so we can make sure that our families are healing properly.”

Although it would be nearly impossible to get every single mother who has lost a child to gun violence to attend her retreat, Fulton hopes that the attendees will ...

Read More →

Jay Z And Solange Didn’t Go Jewelry Shopping — Here’s The Real Story

by 05/14/14

Here’s another rumor that can be put to rest. It was reported that Jay Z and Solange patched things up and went jewelry shopping after their now infamous elevator fight, but apparently there was no truth to that.

TMZ claimed that Jay and his sister-in-law made a brief stop at a high-end jewelry shop in New York, just one day after their fight, where they browsed but didn’t purchase anything.

That rumor was debunked when the shop owner, Mr. Flawless, made an appearance on the “The Wendy Williams Show” on Wednesday (May 14), and refuted those claims.

According to US Weekly, the store owner, born Greg Yuna, explained that neither Solange or Jay had been in his store — it was actually Floyd Mayweather Jr. who stopped by.

These Photos Prove Beyonce And Solange Are Still Good After Jay Z Fight

It doesn’t look like any member of the Knowles or Carter families plan on issuing a statement about the leaked video footage, but Beyonce has continued to give her own sort-of subtle commentary via Instagram.

She began with photos of herself and Jay Z, to let the world know that the couple are still in tact. She followed with photos of herself and Solange, to let the world know that the sisters are doing just fine. And, finally, she followed with a photo of herself and Rihanna — possibly to dispel any lingering wnispers that Rih was somehow involved in this drama.

These Photos Prove Beyonce And Solange Are Still Good After Jay Z Fight

by 05/14/14

There have been endless theories and speculation about what triggered Solange Knowles’ attack on Jay Z in a hotel elevator, but many of them have been framing Bey’s little sister is a very negative light. Seems like Beyoncé is getting a little weary of all the trash-talking, because on Wednesday morning (May 14) the 32-year-old star posted several photos of herself and her sister on Instagram — all in a row.

Maybe Bey scheduled these posts just in time to catch the morning news feeds.

Video footage of the incident first leaked on Monday, and since then Bey has only shared couples photos with Jay Z, or solo shots of herself. That didn’t help to silence the memes about Solange going on the attack, but it looks like Beyoncé is finally making a statement in her own way. She shared four snaps, including a recent shot of her cameo during Solange’s Coachella set.

In the aftermath of the fight, headlines began to circulate that Solange had erased Beyoncé from her own Instagram account, save for one single photo, but it turns out that wasn’t true. A thorough combing of Solo’s account found that Bey was still very much present.

A native of Grenada, a product of Brooklyn, a student of hip-hop. Hi, I'm @neweryork.
...

Read More →

Jay Z And Beyonce’s Statement About Leaked Footage? All Smiles At Nets Game

by 05/13/14

What leaked footage? Jay Z and Beyoncé sat courtside at the Barclays Center on Monday night, to watch the Heat’s close win over the Brooklyn Nets — and the couple were all smiles. There was no indication that the Internet was still crashing with memes and reactions to the footage of Bey’s sister Solange assaulting Jay Z in an elevator following the Met Gala last week.

Before the game started LeBron James made his way over to them to chat, and the rest of the night carried on as usual. The couple is infamously private, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the united front they displayed at the game last night, is the closest thing to a “statement” that they’ll issue.

Jay Z And Solange’s Relationship: A Look Back Over The Years

The Standard Hotel in New York, where the Carter-Knowles family partied after the Met Gala, issued a statement about the security breach that allowed the fight footage to hit the Internet.

“We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our fullest capacity.”

...

Read More →

Jay Z And Solange’s Relationship: A Look Back Over The Years

by 05/12/14

Following the Met Gala last week, Beyoncé shared photos of herself happily posing with Jay Z and a few starlets inside the big soiree, so no one would’ve imagined, then, what appears to have taken place later in the night. Leaked video footage shows what seems to be Bey’s sister, Solange, angrily attacking Jay Z in an elevator, while a bodyguard attempts to separate them.

If the footage is legit, it underscores that no family is immune to feuds. But the clip posted by TMZ on Monday (May 12) was still shocking since we’ve only seen happy photos of the Carter-Knowles clan over the years. In 2010, Jay Z even brought Solange’s son, Juelz, with him onstage to accept a Grammy Award. And way back in 2002, before they were in-laws, the trio appeared on BET’s 106 & Park to promote their musical projects together.

CLICK: Jay Z Violently Attacked By Beyonce’s Sister Solange In Leaked Video

Take a look back at some photos from Jay and Solange’s public appearances over the past 10 years.

It was a family affair in 2004, when Jay sat next to both Solange and her father, Matthew Knowles, during the Grammy Awards.

The 46th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Backstage and Audience

In 2005, Soloange joined Jay, her big sister and Kelly Rowland at the NBA All-Star Game.

Celebs at NBA All-Star ...</p>

<a class=Read More →

See Nicki Minaj As A Baby In These Old Pictures From Her Mom’s Album

Nicki Minaj is a master of transformation — from the colorful wigs and wild makeup to the more simplified and sexy look she sported at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards — but what was the YMCMB rapper like as a child?

Nicki’s mom recently chatted with MTV News about her own musical career, but she also brought along some childhood photos of the Queen Barb. The photos included a shot of Carol Maraj holding baby Nicki in Trinidad, and another of her as a giddy teenager who couldn’t stop cracking jokes at her mother’s baby shower.

The physical similarities between the rapper and her mom are undeniable, and apparently Nicki has always had a soft spot for Mother’s Day.

“One thing about Nicki is that she’d always insist that she had to give you a gift,” her mom explained. “So she’d go and maybe get her father to buy something, or even if she drew a card — she always presented something.

“My most memorable [Mother's Day] is when a truck pulled up and there were a whole lot of balloons saying ‘Happy Mother’s Day,’ with a huge bouquet of flowers,” she recalled. “I kept it on the table for months until it withered away and the balloons started shrinking.

“But what I love the most on Mother’s Day is to be seated in church with my children. That’s the best gift they can give to me.”

...

Read More →

Nicki Minaj’s Mom, Carol Maraj, Hopes To Inspire Abused Women With Her Music

by 05/09/14

There’s no doubt that Nicki Minaj is already one of the most successful rappers in the game, but who knew that musical talent actually runs in the family? Nicki’s mom, Carol Maraj, is getting ready to roll out her debut project this year, led by the recent single “God’s Been Good.”

Don’t expect any rapping from Maraj though. Her genre is gospel and she’s been warming up those vocal chords in church for years. “I’ve been writing my own music since 2004, but [more recently] I started to work on me and record some of my songs,” she told MTV News, explaining that she was inspired after hitting the studio to record backup vocals for a friend.

“That was my first time in the studio and I saw her doing her thing and thought, ‘Let me try this.’ I had my songs written down, and in my head, but that’s what gave me the motivation to record. I was very shy when I got to the studio at first, but it got better.”

It’s obvious that Ms. Maraj is very shy and soft spoken, but her passion comes across in the music and she’s already been performing her tracks at local concerts in New York. Upcoming releases from the Trinidad native will include more reggae and calypso influences, and you can always expect the music to be uplifting.

“‘I’m Leaving My Pain’ is my next single,” she revealed. “It’s [dedicated to] battered and abused women. It’s to encourage them to not ...

Read More →

J.Cole’s Artist Bas Shows Us The Basement Where He Spent Last Winter

by 05/09/14

J.Cole caught his big break when Jay Z signed him to Roc Nation in 2009, so two albums into his own career, Cole found the right moment to pay it forward. He recently inked a deal with Interscope to launch his own label, Dreamville Records, headed up by a new artist named Bas.

Bas has already dropped two volumes of his Quarter Water Raised Me mixtape series, but his first official label release was the April EP Last Winter. The project’s title was inspired by the brutal New York winters that Bas spent recording in his parents’ basement, so MTV News took a trip out to Queens to learn more about the Dreamville signee, in that same basement where he recorded. Check it out above.

...

Read More →

French Montana Is Basically A Kardashian Now: A Look At His Fabulous Life

It’s official — French Montana is the latest “It Boy” in the Hollywood scene. He might be the last rapper that anyone would’ve expected to transform into a socialite, but if the Louboutins fit you’ve gotta wear ‘em, right? The Morocco-born, Bronx-bred rapper got his start slinging street DVDs and pushing his popular Coke Boys mixtape series, but these days it looks like he’s trading up for a life in the Hollywood Hills.

‘Kanye Kardashian’ still can’t deal with paparazzi but French nailed it in like, a month

He’s been slimming down to look good for all of those photo ops

He said peace to the streets of NYC and hello to The Hills

Which is easy, since he and his realtor have built up a better rapport

Dogs are for suckers, so he copped two pet tigers for the crib

His toys probably cost more than your rent

And first thing in the morning, he takes selfies with his girlfriend’s reality star sister

But he does some of his best thinking at night, thanks to that view

And honestly, he just makes for really great arm candy

...

Read More →

Instagram Deleted Rihanna’s Account And Restored It, So Why’s She Still Missing?

by 05/08/14

What exactly is going on with Rihanna’s Instagram account? Over the past few days her profile has continued to vanish, then pop up again, leaving fans a little confused. A rep at Instagram confirmed that they did, in fact, temporarily delete the account, but it has since been reinstated on their end.

“On Monday we briefly disabled the account by mistake and restored it quickly,” a rep told MTV News. “But I can confirm that we have not deleted the account subsequently.”

What gives, then? Rihanna has been having so much fun on Instagram over the past few months, it seems strange that she’d suddenly decide to disable the account. One guess was that it might’ve had something to do with the topless Liu magazine photo she posted and subsequently removed, but Instagram made no comment on that.

In the meantime, while we wait for Badgalriri to join us again, there are a few other artist accounts you can hit for some semi-explicit content — just don’t expect to see any nipples.

There’s Nicki Minaj…

Teyana Taylor…

Jhene Aiko…

Iggy Azalea…

...

Read More →