Urban Lifestyle

*Can’t get enough Beyoncé? If you’re not tired of her yet, like many of us, the grown woman is telling it like it is in her new yet to be titled album. We know this because her brand new song “Grown Woman” was just leaked all over the Net. Get it if you can. The new song, produced by Timbaland and penned by The Dream resonates with its tribal beats and chants with frenetic energy. So you already know when the album comes out, it’s going to be fierce. Beyoncé is enforcing herself in a real way. In the meantime, rumors are still circulating about whether or not Bey is preggers, especially after postponing her Belgium appearance during her “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.” Her hubby did, however clear the air over the radio, telling the world that she is not pregnant and the concert will go on.

Beyoncé is the controversial cover girl for the Spring 2013 edition of the esteemed Ms. magazine, a 42-year-old publication with plenty of feminist cred. The cover art is Beyoncé in an asymmetrical pink dress with a silver shimmery strap and the headline “Beyoncé’s Fierce Feminism.” Some question the motives of Ms. magazine and say that the mag only has the pop star on the cover to boost sales. Having Beyoncé on the cover of pretty much any magazine is a no-brainer for an editor. But beyond increased sales for the magazine, the Beyoncé cover story is sparking discussion about the intersection of race and gender and more specifically about the notion of “respectability politics” that seems to only apply to women of color. That in itself is a worthy discussion and does not at all detract from Ms. magazine’s core mission of providing intelligent and hard-hitting feminist political analysis. Who said you can’t be sexy and a feminist? Ms. magazine’s Facebook page contains comments that are representative of the other reasons why Beyoncé is a controversial choice for a feminist magazine cover story. Many people, simply do not see Beyoncé as a feminist even though she has labeled herself as such. “If she’s wearing stripper outfits, dancing like a stripper for men, and calling women “b*tches,” she’s not a feminist. Despite what the so-called “third wave feminists” are claiming, feminism is NOT whatever the hell you want it to be,” said one commenter. Comments like that harken to the notion of respectability politics and the more general discussion of whether or not you can be overtly sexy and still be a feminist. For black women, whose portrayals in media over the years often toggled between asexual Mammy and hypersexual Sapphire, any and every famous black woman is automatically given the added responsibility of “representing” for her demographic. Is it empowering to see a multi-millionaire strut around in six-inch heels and barely-there outfits while belting out the latest “you go girl” anthem or is Beyoncé a (literally) glittering, in-your-face example of how far away we are from attaining feminist ideals in this country?  Can a woman who says “girls” run the world in one song and tells bitches to bow down in another truly be considered a feminist? Read the story before you comment Another commenter on the Ms. Facebook page chimed in as a peacemaker. “The cover will provoke conversation and debate, which could be good, or it could just go down the endless cycle of name-calling: “Slut!” “Slut-shamer!” “Puppet to men’s domination!” “Uptight, close-minded jealous has-beens!” Is it possible we can have this debate WITHOUT the vitriol?,” said the commenter. Most of the commenters probably have not read the story. The typical Facebook page commenting pattern is to read a headline, don’t read the story and then make long-winded arguments about what is assumed to be in the story. For this piece in particular though, it’s worth actually reading it. Janell Hobson, the author of the cover story, penned a thoughtful, well-written, well-researched piece that brings in numerous opinions from academics and pop culture critics. Additionally, a look at the Ms. magazine covers for the past decade or so, reveals that Beyoncé is very much a departure from Ms. magazine’s usual cover aesthetics and the typical cover story. The previous issue was an illustration of a wire hanger for an article about abortion.  Author Alice Walker, a former Ms. contributor who coined the term womanism, resigned from the magazine in the 1980s citing the publication’s lack of women of color on the covers. Regardless of the personal opinions on whether or not Beyoncé in particular is a feminist or if Ms. magazine is somehow sullying its name by having a pop star on the cover, the fact remains that the story has started a conversation amongst a diverse set of interested parties and

The new retirement age is getting younger for many Americans who can least afford to retire. A new study released Tuesday by Prudential finds African-Americans retire earlier than the general population on average, despite significantly lower retirement savings. About 25 percent of African-Americans surveyed expect to retire before age 60, compared to 20 percent of the general population. Among current retirees, the average retirement age for African-Americans is 56, according to the study, three years younger than the general population. Yet African-Americans are also retiring with a far more meager financial cushion than average. Even if they participate in 401(k)s and other retirement accounts, the Prudential study found African-Americans have a median savings of $9,000 in their employer-sponsored plans, compared to $20,000 among the general population. “If you couple the fact that African-Americans are retiring earlier with smaller balances (in retirement savings), that really is a challenge for many families,” says Michael Davis, a senior vice president for Prudential Retirement. Lower balances are the result of several factors, the study found, including taking loans or withdrawals from plans before retirement age for immediate needs. “The number one financial priority that African-Americans identified was paying down debt,” Davis says. “For the general population it was saving for retirement.” Click here to read more.

T.I. releases his second music video this week. Following his high speed chase with Lil Wayne, TIP brings it in for his CeeLo Green-assisted "Hello," the latest off his album, Troubleman. In the Klasfeld-directed video, the hip-hop star hits the wild west, which serves as a metaphor for his own life where he faces adversity [...]

Kevin Hart and Bobby Brown The cast of Real Husbands of Hollywood celebrated the end of filming for season two with a wrap party at Xen Lounge in Los Angeles. Handsome men galore were in attendance like Kevin Hart, Boris Kudjoe and Duane Martin (who owns Xen) were joined by Nicole Ari Parker, Omarion, Kevin McCall, Eva Marcille for the celebration. Peep the pics below. Kevin Hart, Omarion and Chris Spencer Kevin Hart, Chris Spencer  Duane Martin and wife actress Tisha Campbell-Martin Kevin with girlfriend Eniko Parish   For more celebrity photos, visit theJasmineBrand.com.

Tip & Cee-Lo Hit The Road Off his Troubleman album, T.I. links up with Cee-Lo Green for the visual to their collab, "Hello." Ride out in the desert with the rapper and the singer above.

*“The View” began this morning with co-host Whoopi Goldberg quickly mentioning that Barbara Walters “is not here today.” What she didn’t reveal is that news broke this morning of her daughter being arrested early Sunday in Naples, Fla. on suspicion of driving under the influence. Jacqueline Danforth, 44, was with a male passenger when cops found them “extremely intoxicated” in their car, which was parked on a highway with its lights off, according to a police report obtained by TMZ. Danforth protested the police officer handcuffing her male passenger, and was then taken to the ground and put in handcuffs. Danforth later submitted to a breathalyzer test and blew a blood alcohol level of .218 — nearly three times the .08 legal limit in Florida. She was taken into custody and later released on $1,000 bail. Danforth, the daughter of Walters and the late Broadway producer Lee Guber, is a New York-based entrepreneur. Walters announced May 13 on The View that she will be retiring from broadcast journalism next spring after a career spanning more than 50 years.

The duo of Tyga and Chris Brown are back at it in the all-white everything video for "For the Road," of Tyga's latest Hotel California album. In the Colin Tilley-directed clip, T-Raww lounges in an all-white room with a white dog, as he thinks about leaving his girl to hit the road.

Sergio Garcia of Spain talks to the media in a press conference during a practise day for the BMW PGA Championships at Wentworth on May 21, 2013 in Virginia Water, England *The ongoing beef between Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods went to an ugly level on Tuesday night at the European Tour awards dinner in England, where Garcia made a racist comment toward the world No. 1. Garcia was asked in jest if he would be inviting Woods to dinner during next month’s U.S. Open. According to multiple media reports, Garcia responded, “We’ll have him ’round every night. We will serve fried chicken.” Sergio Garcia of Spain (L) talks with Luke Donald of England and Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium (R) on stage at the European Tour Dinner, prior to the BMW PGA Championship, at the Sofitel Hotel, Heathrow Airport on May 21, 2013 in London, England This morning, Tiger responded via Twitter: “The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate. …I’m confident that there is real regret that the remark was made. …The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf.” As previously reported, Garcia took issue with Woods for what he viewed as a breach of golf course etiquette during the third round of The Players Championship two weeks ago. Tiger Woods of the USA and Sergio Garcia of Spain stand on the 11th tee during round three of THE PLAYERS Championship at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2013 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida According to media reports, Garcia left the European Tour awards dinner Tuesday night at the BMW PGA Championship in Virginia Water, England, before he could be questioned. He later issued a statement through the European Tour. “I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during the European Tour Players’ Awards dinner,” Garcia said. “I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.” Sergio Garcia of Spain attends a press conference during the Pro-Am round prior to the BMW PGA Championship on the West Course at Wentworth on May 22, 2013 in Virginia Water, England Garcia addressed the media this morning in England and apologized again, saying “my answer was totally stupid and out of place. I feel sick about it.” This was not the first time “fried chicken,” associated with racial stereotypes of African-Americans, was referenced in a racist manner toward Tiger by a fellow golfer. A similar comment got Fuzzy Zoeller in trouble following the 1997 Masters, when he quipped that fried chicken would be served at the following year’s champions’ dinner, which Woods would host as defending champion.