We Are The World 25th Anniversary

When I first heard about the “We Are The World” remake Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones were doing with several of our current musical artists, I, along with several others I’m sure, was skeptical. I didn’t know how it would be along side the 1985 original which, of course, featured the late great Michael Jackson, along with other talented artists of that time. When taking a listen to this updated version, I couldn’t help smiling and laughing a a little, because you can definitely tell that the song has crossed over to reach my generation. I mean, you got T-Pain with his autotune, Justin Bieber and even Lil Wayne singing, and a whole rap verse featuring Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, among others. It was definitely cool to see LOL. And the crowd was sooooo diverse. I mean, you had Mary Mary, Pink, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige, Fergie, my girl Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Adam Levine, Toni Braxton, Miley Cyrus, Akon, Wyclef Jean, Usher, and so many other artists. Michael Jackson parts were featured as well. So watch the remake and the original and give thoughts about each one. The videos are featured after the jump.

“We Are The World” 2010

It was a good remake to me. Other people may not think so, but I would say that, just like the 1985 version, this remake had a purpose. Its purpose was to show the world that we can all come together AS ONE, no matter what our differences, to lend a helping hand to those in need. And that’s what matters. Not who was featured, not how it was sung, but the true purpose behind the song’s original meaning. Seeing so many different artists in different genres was a beautiful sight to me.

The “We Are The World: 25 For Haiti” 2010 version of the 1985 Classic was dedicated to the Haiti disaster. It can be downloaded at World 25.org. All proceeds go to helping the Haitian people rise again. So please give. They need us.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

We Are The World 25th Anniversary

When I first heard about the “We Are The World” remake Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones were doing with several of our current musical artists, I, along with several others I’m sure, was skeptical. I didn’t know how it would be along side the 1985 original which, of course, featured the late great Michael Jackson, along with other talented artists of that time. When taking a listen to this updated version, I couldn’t help smiling and laughing a a little, because you can definitely tell that the song has crossed over to reach my generation. I mean, you got T-Pain with his autotune, Justin Bieber and even Lil Wayne singing, and a whole rap verse featuring Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, among others. It was definitely cool to see LOL. And the crowd was sooooo diverse. I mean, you had Mary Mary, Pink, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige, Fergie, my girl Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Adam Levine, Toni Braxton, Miley Cyrus, Akon, Wyclef Jean, Usher, and so many other artists. Michael Jackson parts were featured as well. So watch the remake and the original and give thoughts about each one. The videos are featured after the jump.

“We Are The World” 2010

It was a good remake to me. Other people may not think so, but I would say that, just like the 1985 version, this remake had a purpose. Its purpose was to show the world that we can all come together AS ONE, no matter what our differences, to lend a helping hand to those in need. And that’s what matters. Not who was featured, not how it was sung, but the true purpose behind the song’s original meaning. Seeing so many different artists in different genres was a beautiful sight to me.

The “We Are The World: 25 For Haiti” 2010 version of the 1985 Classic was dedicated to the Haiti disaster. It can be downloaded at World 25.org. All proceeds go to helping the Haitian people rise again. So please give. They need us.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Highlights from the Grammys

Ok, so I’ve been MIA from here for a minute. Now I reappear with clips from the 52nd Grammy Awards that were held Sunday night. Ok, now I didn’t watch the full show because I was working on a huge school project, but through Twitter and Facebook (gotta love social networking lol), I read about some of the highlights of the night and watched the clips. So I’m gonna post what I thought was hot and what was definitely not. Check the vids after the jump.

BEYONCE THANKS JAY-Z IN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FOR FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Ok so this was huge, because B has never publicly mentioned Jay-Z as her husband, least of all in an acceptance speech. I mean, we all know that they’re married, but for Beyoncé to publicly thank him is awesome. They are definitely a power couple!

So there are my favorite moments from a show that I didn’t watch in full LOL. But hey, this is all I needed.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Highlights from the Grammys

Ok, so I’ve been MIA from here for a minute. Now I reappear with clips from the 52nd Grammy Awards that were held Sunday night. Ok, now I didn’t watch the full show because I was working on a huge school project, but through Twitter and Facebook (gotta love social networking lol), I read about some of the highlights of the night and watched the clips. So I’m gonna post what I thought was hot and what was definitely not. Check the vids after the jump.

BEYONCE THANKS JAY-Z IN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FOR FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Ok so this was huge, because B has never publicly mentioned Jay-Z as her husband, least of all in an acceptance speech. I mean, we all know that they’re married, but for Beyoncé to publicly thank him is awesome. They are definitely a power couple!

So there are my favorite moments from a show that I didn’t watch in full LOL. But hey, this is all I needed.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

"This Is It"-Michael Jackson

Happy Monday everybody! Sorry for not writing last week. Busiest week of my life, I swear, but I’m back! And back with Michael’s new single, “This Is It!”

The single officially was put on his website at midnight last night. It will be featured on This Is It movie in the end sequence. I’ve taken a listen, and I really like it! I hope yall do too! Take a listen…

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/10172910001?isVid=1&publisherID=59121

MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THIS IS IT! It’s starts October 28, and runs for two weeks only! RIP Michael…we miss you.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Deal Reached For Custody of the Jackson Kids

Michael Jackson left behind his exciting music, a wonderful legacy, and three beautiful children: Prince Michael I (12), Paris Katherine (11), and Prince Michael II aka Blanket (7).

So when the great King of Pop passed away, everyone wondered what would happen with his kids, the ones who just saw him as “Daddy” instead of the big-time superstar we knew him to be.

The decision has finally been reached. According to Us Magazine, one of my most trusted sources, Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson will have custody of the three children. Debbie Rowe, the mother of Prince and Paris, will get visitation, but no extra money.

NBC’s Today show reports that under the new deal, Debbie will retain her parental rights but has agreed not to claim custody.

I’m glad. Honestly I am. I feel like the kids should stay with Mama Katherine (LOL calling her that like she’s my mother or grandmother or something, but that’s what I call her LOL). They’ve known her, they love her, they feel comfortable around her. Debbie hasn’t really been there in the later years much. However, she does deserve to be a part of their lives. That is their biological mother after all. So I’m glad this deal was reached. It was what Michael wanted (at least as of 2002 according to his will). And something tells me that even if it was written this year, he would’ve wanted the same thing. The bond between him and his mother was a great one.

I wish this family all the best and they are still in my thoughts and prayers.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Deal Reached For Custody of the Jackson Kids

Michael Jackson left behind his exciting music, a wonderful legacy, and three beautiful children: Prince Michael I (12), Paris Katherine (11), and Prince Michael II aka Blanket (7).

So when the great King of Pop passed away, everyone wondered what would happen with his kids, the ones who just saw him as “Daddy” instead of the big-time superstar we knew him to be.

The decision has finally been reached. According to Us Magazine, one of my most trusted sources, Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson will have custody of the three children. Debbie Rowe, the mother of Prince and Paris, will get visitation, but no extra money.

NBC’s Today show reports that under the new deal, Debbie will retain her parental rights but has agreed not to claim custody.

I’m glad. Honestly I am. I feel like the kids should stay with Mama Katherine (LOL calling her that like she’s my mother or grandmother or something, but that’s what I call her LOL). They’ve known her, they love her, they feel comfortable around her. Debbie hasn’t really been there in the later years much. However, she does deserve to be a part of their lives. That is their biological mother after all. So I’m glad this deal was reached. It was what Michael wanted (at least as of 2002 according to his will). And something tells me that even if it was written this year, he would’ve wanted the same thing. The bond between him and his mother was a great one.

I wish this family all the best and they are still in my thoughts and prayers.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

MJ Rehearsal Footage Obtained; August Tribute Concert Cancelled

Man I was disappointed reading this news…

Access Hollywood confirmed that Sony secured the rights to the rehearsal footage of Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” tour for $60 million. Yep $60 million!! It’s Michael Jackson! Sony is planning to release a film of the footage in October (reports have said it might be on Halloween).

However, there was one condition. As part of their deal to get the footage, Sony also required that the planned August tribute concert in London be canceled. The studio stated that there couldn’t be a tribute concert prior to the film’s release, leaving me, along with millions of fans, I’m sure, somewhat disappointed. I was looking forward to the concert which I’m sure would’ve been televised, if not live, then sometime in the future. However, I know for a fact, that I would rather see Michael in his rehearsals of the tour, then seeing different celebrities pay tribute to them. No offense, I love Justin Timberlake and my girl Beyoncé, but they ain’t Michael LOL. So Sony did what they had to do. I understand. Looking forward to going to that movie, even if I gotta go all by myself LOL. I’ll be back at college, so I might even skip class and go see the earliest one LOL Hmmm…now that I mention it…yeah I’m seriouly thinking about it LOL I’m gonna come in there rocking a MJ shirt and everything. Probably would bring my camera cuz Lord only knows what the people of Baltimore and Towson, MD would be wearing LOL. Can’t wait for the release!!!! REST IN PEACE MICHAEL!!!!

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Possible Jackson reality show?

According to OMG! Yahoo, A&E is working on a reality show featuring Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy Jackson. Footage was filmed for an hour special that was said to be the backdoor pilot for a potential reality series. This footage showed the Jacksons getting a new album together and a reunion tour! A&E planned to show the special sometime next year with the tentative title “The Jackson Family.”

Of course, with Michael Jackson’s recent passing, things have changed. There has been no additional footage shot, and the network is trying to determine how Michael’s passing will be displayed in the special. Folks at A&E are speaking with the Jackson family to determine what direction the show will go, so production is on hold for a while. A&E executives are saying “Stay tuned” though, so we shall see.

Definitely, if there is to be a reality series, I’m in to watch. It would be cool to see the Jacksons still going strong even with their recent loss of Michael. And to have a new album and a reunion tour?! That would be crazy. Plus, I’ve heard that there is a possible idea of a hologram of Michael performing on the stage along with his brothers. Now there’s nothing that can replace the real thing, the real electrifying performances by Michael, but that would still be cool to see. So we shall see! I will definitely keep you posted.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

The Sendoff

To view pictures of the memorial booklet click HERE

Wow…all I can say is wow. Today was one of the most beautiful memorial services I ever had the opportunity to watch. Today, the life of Michael Jackson was celebrated at the Staples Center in LA as I reported earlier today. It was a beautiful well-put together service, and I’m happy that I got the chance to watch it (Well, really I took the chance LOL I was at work, but yeah my afternoon was Michael based).

It started out grandly. Michael came out in style in his golden casket escorted by his brothers as a choir sang, “Soon and Very Soon, We Are Going To See the King.” As his casket rolled across the front of the stage, people yelled and clapped for the King of Pop. And I couldn’t help but let a few tears fall.

The tributes were amazing. Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, and Mariah Carey sang beautifully. Queen Latifah spoke as well. Jennifer Hudson (beautiful as ever, and it’s about her time on that baby ain’t it?! LOL) sang my favorite song by Michael “Will You Be There” and killed it. Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Magic Johnson gave their favorite memories about Michael, and it was so touching. Mr. Gordy called him “the greatest entertainer that ever lived.” And it’s true.

A touching moment for me, when I actually broke down and full out cried during the memorial, was when Usher sang “Gone Too Soon.” He struggled toward the end to keep it together, and the Jackson clan came and comforted him. I just cried and cried, because it finally hit me, just how I knew it would, that he was no longer on this earth. Honestly, I feel like Michael really was gone too soon. It seems like he had so much more to give, and it just wasn’t his time, but God makes no mistakes, and that was said throughout the service. He is still present in spirit of course, but it’s still sad.

Another touching moment was Rev. Al Sharpton’s eulogy. He spoke the truth about Michael. I remember this quote from him that he said directly to Michael’s children: “There was nothin strange about your daddy. It was strange what he had to deal with. But he dealt with it!” He still went through it. Think about it. All the humiliation and rumors, the FALSE cases from people trying to get some money. He had to go through all of that. Marlon spoke on it toward the end of the service, as he broke down in tears. He said that nobody should have had to deal with all of that, and maybe now they will leave him alone. But honestly, I think it’s all just beginning, unfortunately. That’s ok, though. Haters are great, but you know what? The good ALWAYS outweighs the bad! And Michael definitely has more fans than haters!

Probably the moment where I cried the most was at the end when little Paris spoke. Hands down, MOST EMOTIONAL MOMENT OF THE MEMORIAL! She spoke briefly, surrounded by her brothers and other members of the family, before breaking down into tears: “Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much.” And then she turned to Janet for comfort. I was just done. Lost for words. It was so sad.

Like I’ve said several times before, Michael is no longer here physically, but as long as he is remembered and celebrated, he will never be gone. His music, his humanitarianism, his legacy, it’s all just too big. And to my generation, we have to pass on his music to our kids, so that they could pass it on to their kids, and so on and so forth. The name MICHAEL JACKSON will never die!

Michael, we miss you. We love you. You are and always will be the King of Pop, or, as Berry Gordy more appropriately put it, THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER THAT EVER LIVED! Take your rest, and make sure you have a big concert ready for us in heaven!!!

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté