Ne-Yo Speaks

Credit: Ellen VonUnwerth

ESSENCE.com caught up with the prince of R&B to discuss his real beef with R. Kelly, losing a son and grown-folks business.

Essence.com: You’re a busy man. Let’s switch gears to address some of the rumors, like your beef with R. Kelly. I understand you are suing him?

N.Y.: As of right now, things are pending legally so I’m not at liberty to talk about the case. You know, I never have a problem talking about anything, but I’ve been advised not to discuss the case.

Essence.com: That’s understandable. Well, can you explain how your dismissal from the tour came about?

N.Y.: Well, it wasn’t even told to me directly by [R. Kelly]; he sent his people to tell me.

Essence.com: So do you think your affiliation with Jay-Z and Def Jam had anything to do with it, considering that they once toured together and didn’t complete the tour together?

N.Y.: I don’t think so, because if that were the case I wouldn’t have been on the tour to begin with. It’s no secret that I’m a Def Jam artist so I don’t think that had anything to do with it.

Essence.com: It’s been reported that you were asked to leave the tour because you upstaged him. Is that simply speculation?

N.Y.: Well, I’m the one who made that statement. I only did two shows in Columbus and Georgia. It was only the next day after the first two reviews came out and they gave me great reviews and his were not so positive.

Essence.com: Wow—so did you ever speak to R. Kelly about your dismissal?

N.Y.: Nope. That was another thing—as a man he showed me blatant disrespect. He never tried to come and speak to me, but he wouldn’t even have to come to me, I would have been willing to talk to him about it, but that never happened.

Essence.com: Had you met him prior to this tour?

N.Y.: No, I was on tour and I didn’t get to speak to that man. I didn’t see his face. He didn’t make an attempt to speak to me; it was as if it didn’t matter that I was there.

Essence.com: Well, what about during rehearsals?

N.Y.: Never.

Continue to the next page to read more from Ne-Yo on R.Kelly, baby mama drama and the gay rumors.

Ursh and Tameka try to tell us like it is in Essence

 

 

 

 

I scurried to the nearest news stand yesterday to see if they had a copy of next Month’s Essence Mag. Finally they got it! Flip all the way to the back of the mag and this is what I found out about Ursh and Tameka…. (A great album will come out of this when it’s all said and done) She’s just as dumb as Kim Porter! Or then again just as smart!
Usher on how the media and bloggers reacted negatively to the news of his engagement to Tameka Foster:

It was like, wow. (Getting married) and having a child is something that everyone should celebrate. What’s happened to us as a culture and a people? I’m not ignorant, so I’m not going to go out there and lash out….

For Tameka the commentary was less about Usher and more about how we (women) feel about ourselves. “We don’t like ourselves. If I were Hispanic, Usher would have the sexiest wife alive. If I were mixed, he’d have the sexiest wife alive. But he has a Black girl and it’s like she’s horrible and she’s ugly.” (Sorry have to disagree with you Tameka it’s not because you are a black girl it’s because you are ewwwwww shady and because I think you put roots on him your attitude sucked from day one booboo and where your kids at????? )

Usher on how he and Tameka have stayed strong:

Ours is not a typical love story, but it is a true one. Tameka and I have been fortunate enough to go through the thick of it in the beginning. We’ve had that opportunity to huddle up as a team, to make sure that we’re clear and speak as one voice.

Tameka on when she knew to trust her instincts, instead of her girlfriends, about starting a relationship with her future husband:

Thank God I didn’t listen to my girlfriends…. Usher was my road dawg. I’d seen him love, and I’d watched him date women who were not worthy of him. He was so sweet, going out of his way to cater to their every need. And I’d see them not even be grateful.

 

Usher on what he’s learned about becoming a father:

Tameka’s given me one of the greatest gifts I’ll ever have. With a child, now I have purpose. I understand love.

Tameka on falling for her husband:

I feel totally uninhibited with Usher. I’ve never been in a situation with anyone, even as far back as high school, where there were no secrets. I know I can tell him anything and he’s not going to judge me. I can finally share my dreams. And because of that, I know that man loves me.

 

Usher and Tameka on the cover of November’s Essence

Usher and his new bride, Tameka Foster, will grace the November 2007 issue of Essence magazine and behind the scenes footage from their photo shoot has hit the net- and it does not show Tameka in a very good light.

Here is the link to watch the behind the scene’s footage at the cover shoot.

Keisha Cole on the cover of Essence

One of the things she discusses is her ending of her relationship with Young Jeezy……

ESSENCE: You recently got out of a serious relationship. How’s that been?

COLE: After my ex-boyfriend told me to go on and live my life, I saw him at a place with another girl. I was pissed! I tried to rip her head off. Then he was like, “Dude, you broke up with me.” But that’s just what it is.

I just couldn’t do it. It’s weird. After this guy proposed to me, I was like, dang, this is everything a woman lives for: to be married, with a ring, to be able to represent something. But for me, it was the opposite. I was scared. When you get married, you become one; you don’t live just for yourself anymore. I’m just not ready for that. I’m not done with my goals in life. What’s the word when you just kind of fall back and let your man do the man thing? Submit? I’m all jacked up on that word. I just couldn’t submit. But I loved him. That’s the crazy thing about it. It’s been hard because I really missed that child.

ESSENCE: How do you feel about constantly being compared to Mary J. Blige?

COLE: I feel like we are very similar based on everything we’ve been through in our personal lives. It’s helped make us sing the way we sing. Because she didn’t have a vocal coach, and neither did I. And when I met her I told her, “You winning all those Grammy’s—congratulations—it gives me inspiration to this day that maybe I can do the same thing.” You know, it’s just a real big life circle. I think there are a lot of things that she could tell me that’d help me. I’m not trying to take nobody’s place or nothing like that. But I’m just saying, as a woman—as a young Black woman—if she knows some of the answers, Give ’em to me!” (Laughing.) But she said that I could call her anytime. I just haven’t done it yet.
Click here to read more….

Source: Essence

Usher gettin’ hitched today!!!

According to people.com…..

Usher will marry Tameka Foster at record executive LA Reid’s home in New York’s Hamptons on Saturday afternoon, PEOPLE has learned.

Among the 70 to 100 guests expected at the private, outdoor celebration are Usher’s mother and former manager, Jonetta Patton.

This is the first marriage for the R&B singer and actor, 28 (real name: Usher Raymond), and the second for Foster, 37, a stylist who has worked with Lauryn Hill and Toni Braxton – as well as with her about-to-be-husband.

Usher and Foster, engaged since earlier this year, first became a serious item a year and a half ago, she’s said. In January, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together, due in the fall.

Foster was previously married to Noontime Music cofounder Ryan Glover, with whom she has three children.

“He just accepted me for who I am,” Foster, told Essence.com last month about her relationship with Usher. “I have flaws, I have an attitude problem. ? Overall, I have issues that a person could either love or hate, but he accepted me completely. And every day he still treats me like we just met.

Earlier this month, in an open letter to PEOPLE, Usher addressed rumors that he was somehow being coerced into getting married. “I am happy, excited, completely clear and independent on my direction, feelings, decisions,” he wrote, “and I am NOT BEING LED.”

Later this year the star plans to release his follow-up to his multi-platinum-selling album, Confessions.