I love this guy! Lol.

Venus, is that you? Lol. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the world’s leading global sport for women, announced today the selection and funding of women’s leadership programs in Cameroon, Liberia, China, Jordan and the Dominican Republic, along with a new global advertising campaign designed to raise awareness and promote the goal of gender equality. Venus Williams (pictured above) is a part of the advertising campaign, elevision spots as well as a print ad, is expected to be run by a number of international and national broadcasters, including Eurosport, Zee Sports in India, NTV in Russia and the Tennis Channel in the USA. The ads are designed to raise awareness and promote the goal of gender equality and women’s leadership. They are also designed to introduce the Tour’s rising star players as global role models for women’s leadership in their role as Promoters of Gender Equality. The television spots and print advertisements can be viewed on the Tour’s official website.

In addition, Venus Williams’ clothing line, “Eleven,” and her retail partner Steve & Barry’s, announced today that they have created a special Venus Williams/UNESCO tee shirt that will be sold at Steve & Barry’s retail outlets, online at the Tour’s official website and at select Tour tournaments, with the net proceeds from sales to be donated to the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership.

Is it just me, or does homegirl look like a straight up dude? I really hope this get-up was just for this event Lol, since it is about gender equality and what-not…

ALL PHOTOS BY ITALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER MARINO PARISOTTO

The beautiful Eva Mendes graces the pages of the 2008 Campari calendar, in a range of shots that explore fairytales and fantasies as captured by Italian photographer Marino Parisotto. The 2008 Campari calendar has a limited print run of 9,999 copies, which will be distributed internationally. This is what Eva had to say:

The Campari Calendar has been a truly unique experience. I had never posed for a calendar before and I was thrilled that Campari has given me the opportunity to interpret these wonderful stories, who wouldn’t want to live a fairytale even if for a short while?

The 12 fairytales include: Little Red Riding Hood, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, The Little Match Girl and Sleeping Beauty. Peep the rest of the photos after the cut.

 

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BOOKING PHOTO (VIA SPLASH NEWS)

Well, it’s about damn time, I’d say! Nick Hogan and a friend were seriously injured back here in August 2007 after they were speeding along an interstate. Nick has been arrested on several criminal charges, including third-degree felony reckless driving involving serious bodily injury. Police also cited Nick for use of a motor vehicle in commission of a felony, being under the age of 21, and operating a vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of 0.02 percent or higher and illegal window tint. Hogan turned himself in to authorities at this morning, hours after police in Clearwater issued a warrant for his arrest upon the completion of an “extensive investigation” into the wreck by a team of four officers. He is currently being booked on the charges at the Pinellas County Jail.

Daniel Jacobs, the 22-year-old driver of a second car, which investigators have concluded was racing Hogan’s at the time of the crash, is also being issued a summons to appear in court for reckless driving. “Nick and the entire ‘Hogan’ Bollea family are saddened that criminal charges have been filed in regards to the tragic single car accident on August 26, 2007,” the family said in a statement. “Nick will meet and answer these charges in the appropriate arena—a court of law.” Despite being a minor at the time of the accident, Hogan will be tried on the charge as an adult. Hogan’s passenger, 22-year-old John Graziano, a Marine who had just completed a tour of duty in Iraq, remains hospitalized, reportedly in a coma. Graziano, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, may have also suffered brain damage caused by swelling of his brain. CONTINUE READING

First up, a big thank you goes out to ijeoma for updating me on the Trey Songz situation. Apparently he was just caught up in a mess and was totally innocent. The charges brought against him will probably end up getting dropped. But unfortunately for the Springfield, Massachusetts police, they’re not going to get off as easy, because Trey is considering legal action against them, and I don’t blame him one bit.

Trey Songz says he is contemplating legal action against the Springfield, Massachusetts, police department after he and two members of his entourage were arrested early Sunday morning following a performance at Springfield’s Hippodrome. In an incident involving several police officers that followed a person firing a gun into the crowd outside the Hippodrome, Songz (real name: Tremaine Neverson) was arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to Springfield police. Kenny Bugg, who was with Songz, was arrested on the same charges while another man in their party, Jasper Murray, has disorderly conduct charges pending. Both offenses are misdemeanors. Anthony Williams, the man who allegedly fired the gun, is charged with a number of crimes including assault with intent to murder, assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon.

“The show went real well. No incidents [inside],” Songz recalled on Tuesday morning (November 6), describing the night. “As soon as we finished [performing], they turned the lights on and everyone started to leave.” Ironically, the end of the show marked the beginning of Songz and company’s problems. They exited through the performers’ entrance, but that entrance leads into the same parking lot used by the general public.

“My homie goes to get one of the police officers to escort us out of there and [someone in the parking lot] started bussin’ [firing a gun],” Songz recalled. “So we started ducking in the car. So my homie runs back to the car and gets in like, ‘They bussin’!’ By the time we look up, we see the police [had] apprehended somebody, so we said, ‘We ain’t finnin’ to wait.’ We got out the car and proceeded to walk, ’cause the hotel is only a block away. The police stopped us and were like, ‘Hold up, hold up.’ ” CONTINUE READING

As I Am is the title of R&B songstress Alicia Keys’ forthcoming album set to be released November 13th off of J Records. Make sure you go pick it up once it hits stores! Or, you may pre-order it via clicking the album cover above! Well I recently had the chance to listen to the album today exclusively and I must say, this album is the shit! All I can say is growth, growth, GROWTH. Growth in vocals, harmonies, production team - everything! It’s some nice Downbeat and soulful ballads, hard breakdowns, stellar arrangements … I feel everything just comes into play with As I Am. This record is possibly, in my opinion, the R&B/Soul album of the year (material wise). I pulled a lot of my favorites from here, I heard some Prince, some Boogie (Mrs Hill), some Sam Cooke — this album brought me back to a state of nostalgia.

The soulfulness and richness is so uncanny in this day in age! Of course Keys adds her own uniqueness to sound, I surely wouldn’t doubt her much, I just appreciate her even more for this! She has definitely come a long way and you can tell by the dynamics in her powerhouse-voice! I still can’t figure out how she puts sooo much feeling into her projects, it’s almost chilling, she makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand! I’d play this album if I were painting or drawing or doing something artsy becos that’s the kind of influence this leaves.

My personal favorite tracks, and possible standouts, are “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” “The Thing About Love,” “I Need You” and “Sure Looks Good To Me”.

[ » CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW AS I AM BEFORE IT HITS STORES 11/13! ]

I’m sure most, if not, all of you heard about Diddy searching for a new assistant and all. Well he was recently on Oprah to announce his final decision … Watch the clip above to find out who will be Diddy’s new assistant! Oh, and, I forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS HEATHER! Oops!

[ VIDEO SPOTTED @ HIP HOP CRUNCH ]

I swear, everybody and their mama (mine and yours too) is in this damn video, LOL. This is the second single, “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)” from Jay-Z’s latest studio album, “American Gangster,” which is in stores now! The video was directed by Chris Robinson and features cameo appearances from Diddy, Nas, Mariah Carey, Beanie Sigel, his “roommate” Larry Johnson and more. I think I saw Cassie too but I’m not really sure. Pretty dope video! Check it out above…