50 Cent Unveils Fragrance

I reported to you guys a few weeks ago that 50 Cent had a new brain fart for the world. Well earlier this week 50 debuted his first fragrance 'Power by Fifty Cent' at Avenue in NYC. Now if we could just get him to handle his business and shut the hell up, we'd all be in good shape!

Diddy In Talks With Red Stripe Beer

Diddy may strike a deal with Diageo, the world's largest brewery company, to promote the Guiness and Red Stripe beer brands according to Advertising Age.

In 2007, the Hip Hop entrepreneur teamed up with Diageo to promote its Ciroc vodka brand. A spokesperson from the company declined to elaborate on the potential deal, commenting that the company does not make statements on rumors.

As the face of the Ciroc Vodka brand, Diddy has had a hand in the creative aspects of the beverage's marketing and is generally credited for the upturn in the drink's sales. However, Diddy is not the only Hip Hop figure who has aligned himself with alcoholic beverage brands.

Jay-Z signed a deal with Bud Select, Common supported Smirnoff, and Kanye West backed Absolut. Such alignments are not uncommon within a genre that makes many references to such brands in songs and videos.Diddy's attempt to juggle three alcohol brands, however, is not common. For the most part, artists have involved themselves with one endorsement at a time. In addition to the potential deal with Guiness and Red Stripe, Diddy also has his own clothing line, fragrance line, and continues to be involved in the music industry.

Ludacris Wants You To Drink His Drank!

Atlanta all around guy, i.e., rapper/actor/business man, label pres Ludacris aka Chris Bridges has announced plans to release his own line of cognac called “Conjure” from France.

Luda first debuted the new drink at the Vin Expo which is a liquor-based event. The new line of cognac will hit stores starting at around $35 a bottle.

Luda will be the next celeb among many such as Jay-Z, Diddy, Lil Wayne and many others who have their own brand of liquor.

Queen Latifah Next Up For Fragrance

Queen Latifah is the latest celebrity to get in line for their own fragrance, as she is set to release her as of yet titled signature scent.

Set to be released sometime this September, the Queen says she was approached by the same people who worked on Jay's scent and the rest is history.

"The company is the same company that did Paris Hilton's perfume and they just did a deal with Jay-Z," Latifah said told WENN. "They approached me about developing a scent and I thought if I could create something that is unique to me and special enough for women to want to wear it and maybe some guys, then I will be very happy with that. I personally like to wear a nice scent, and, if I like it, I'm buying it for years and years - so that could be really cool."

I reported earlier this week that 50 Cent was the latest, now he and Latifah will join the the many other celebs to introduce their own fragrance such as Jay-Z, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Usher, and possibly Beyonce, with scents on the market.

50 Cent Has A New Business Idea

50 Cent is at it again. He's still got the idea that he can rule the world, and heck... if he keeps at it, he very well might have a large stake in it. 50 has decided to bring us his smell. Not actually the smell of himself but a new mens fragrance. He and Lighthouse Beauty, which is the company headed by his manager, Chris Lighty, have joined forces to launch the mens cologne 'Power by 50 Cent' which will be available in Macy's stores nationwide this fall.

Dwayne Wade Sues Former Business Partner

I guess Dwayne Wade is taking a cue from his girlfriend Gabriel Union in terms of legal woes. Seems Dwayne has been having some issues with a former business partner. According to TMZ, Wade recently filed a $100 million lawsuit against Baron Richard von Houtman for slandering his name and libel (false statement of fact that injures someone's reputation)

Wade says the Baron alledgedly informed the Miami Heat head coach that Wade had been using performance enhancement drugs and cocaine. In the court papers, Wade says it should be obvious Houtman is a lair, simply because of his bogus use of the Baron title. Here's what he says in the suit:

"Despite the abolition of the monarchies at the beginning of the 20th century, and notwithstanding that the defendant did not begin using the alias "von Houtman" until sometime around 1995, the makeover of the defendants identity was not complete until 1998. "Given the lack of any historical record ... it is the defendants own grandiose vision of himself that motivated the use of the title or, perhaps, an intention to falsely communicate to others a sense of prestige."

Ooooook.... I'm lost. Where do the lies come in to play about Wade? Anyways, Wade and Houtman were business partners that attempted to establish a chain of restaurants called D. Wades Place. But before anything could be put together completely, the Baron tried to sue Wade for not coming through on his end of marketing obligations. When it was all said and done, only two restaurants were opened via the partnership and later closed. Houtman sued Wade in 2008 over the business deal gone wrong. Now, Wade is returning the favor.

Jeezy, TI & Kanye Jump On the Video Game Band Wagon

We all saw the pics and have heard the stories and Jay-Z and Eminem being one of the driving forces behind the latest video game craze in the upcoming “DJ Hero”, and once that news broke, er'body wanted to get a piece of the pie.

Young Jeezy, T.I., and Kanye West have also garnered positions in the newest game coming out called “Rapstar” video game, a direct competitor for “DJ Hero.”

“Rapstar” will be made by the newly formed 4mm Games, a company created in part by two co-founders of Rockstar Games. In the game, a performance is recorded using cameras for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Once a song is complete, players can then take a 30-second clip and upload it to the Rapstar online community.

An Executive Vice President at the company says the game will allow fans to create “the music video of the next generation that stars you.” Other features included in the game will be a Battle mode (where players alternate rhyming lyrics to score the most points) and Freestyle mode (that lets players perform their own raps and songs over instrumental tracks).

Kevin Federline Possibly Doing A Childrens Clothing Line

Yes ladies and germs... male groupies are even making head way in the come-up game. But you gotta give credit where credit is due; Kevin Federline didn't stop until he hit pay dirt by marrying Brittney Spears. Dude went on to have two kids by her, and drive her crazy so that he could collect from her!!! That boy is gooooood!

Well, K-Fed is reportedly in talks to start his own children's clothing line. According to WWD.com, K-Fed is in talks with Gerard Guez about a licensing deal. Federline made an overnight stop at the Project trade show in Las Vegas in the interest of research, stayed overnight at the Venetian and said he was looking around at the styles and was hoping to be inspired by what he saw."It's a really tough business, I'm trying to take it seriously and make a quality product for kids but not have parents pay like $500 or something ridiculous for a pair of jeans," he said. "You buy your kids a pair of True Religions, then they roll around in the dirt like kids do and a $200 pair of jeans is gone. With this economy, I'm looking to do something much more reasonable."

Yeah, that sounds good Kevin... but you know the prices of your clothes ain't gonna be too far off the mark of $500. No word on what he'd call his line or a release date

Ushers Grapes Have Gone Sour!

Usher Raymond IV is the latest victim of failed business ventures. Usher's The Inman Park franchise of the Grape opened in late 2006 and has closed, according to its parent company.

The wine bar, bistro and wine retailer, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, did not reopen once the New Year rolled around and did not renew its liquor license with the Georgia Department of Revenue. Currently, three local branches of the Grape remain: in the Vinings Jubilee shopping center, Phipps Plaza and Atlantic Station.

The Atlanta-based Grape Enterprise Group Inc., which both owns and franchises shops mostly throughout the Southeast, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November. When Usher first met with reporters at the opening of the Inman Park branch wearing a cabernet-purple blazer, his plan was to start franchises in locales as far flung as Shanghai and South America. Oooobviously that ain't happenin!

Monica's New Clothing Line

Awww, how cute! R&B diva Monica has a new clothing line coming out called 'Regions of Rock'. I'm so glad they decided to cut little Rocko's hair... now can we work on the baby? But why does her logo look like a turkey? Is it just me that thinks that?

Pharrell Williams Goes Green

Cutie pie Pharrell Williams has teamed up with Bionic Yard, a textile firm, to help create a variety of products from recycled bottles. According to All Headline News, Williams will take on the role as the company's owner and spokesman as he attempts to "go green" and make usable objects out of recyclable plastics.

"I'm so interested with the technology behind this," Pharrell said in a statement. "I am also very concerned with the environment and want to make a conscious effort to make it better. We want to provide quality fabrics that also happen to be sustainable."

Most notably, Williams is looking to add clothing to his list of items he wants to create.

"We want to do everything from high end luggage, to high end denim, to university caps and gowns to Parks Department uniforms," he added. "It's a plus that the fabric brings environmentalism to a whole new level."

According to Bionic Yarn, 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills every day, but could be used to create items like luggage and jeans.

Korto Momolu and Jerrell Scott Debut Their Collections

Two of my all time favorite contestants from last seasons hit show of Bravo's hit show 'Project Runway,' Korto Momolu, the runner up from the fourth season, and Jerrell Scott, the third runner up, celebrated the launch of their retail collections Wednesday night in LA at Jane Doe John Doe Boutique.

The store is now selling collections from those “Runway” alums alongside pieces from Season 4 winner Leanne Marshall, and fellow contestants Stella “Leatha” Barbarella and Blayne Walsh. AccessHollywood.com caught up with Jerrell and Korto last night to talk about the evening. “For me, it’s my first time selling my collection, and I wanted to bring my very talented friends, like Korto, in with me,” Jerrell told Access.

“I have two stores in Little Rock that carry me, but people e-mail me, and if you want my designs, you can buy them,” Korto said. Her husband and daughter were celebrating with her in LA for the opening. “I’m a hustler,” she continued. “So call me!”

“It’s all about making it accessible though,” Jerrell continued. “We want to get our stuff out there and available to everyone.”

And judging from their opening night turnout, they should be successful. The evening was packed, with guests spilling out of the boutique onto West 3rd Street.

For more info on their collections and retailer Jane Doe John Doe, Click Here.

T.I.'s AKOO Clothing Line Weekend Debut

From the looks of things, T.I. was right when he said everybody wanted a "Swagger Like Us." In addition to his highly successful release of Paper Trail, the rapper has just launched his own clothing line.

Last night (Thursday), Tip along with a few friends, Irv Gotti, Maino, and exectutives John Monopoly and Michael Kyser kicked off the launch of the line at Taj Lounge in New York City. It was announced that Akoo (A King Of Oneself) would be in stores on November 15 (Saturday).

"Akoo is fly upscale fashion for the young and sexy, for the old and rich," Tip said. "Either way, if you cannot provide swag for yourself, you just holler at me and I will appoint something to you." I ain't mad at the boy!

Check out T.I.'s AKOO Clothing website!

Timbaland Steps Into Films

After popping up on damn near every hit single during the past few years, Timbaland is about to add his first feature film into the to his repatoure'.

The producer's Mosley Media Group is teaming with Effie T. Brown's Duly Noted Inc. to produce "Vinyl," the story of five young women facing life-altering decisions about their relationships with members of a rock band.

Writer/director Richard Zelniker's film is set to begin shooting in the spring, with Brown, Marcus Spence and Timbaland's wife Monique Idlett-Mosley producing. Timbaland, the artist formerly known as Tim Mosley, is executive producing. Brown has two Sundance prizewinners under her belt: "Real Women Have Curves," starring America Ferrera, and "Rocket Science." Timbaland has contributed music to more than 50 film and TV projects. The pair plans to promote the film with behind-the-scenes content designed for mobile devices.

Lil Wayne Not Releasing Champagne

For all of you champagne lovers you can cancel that Christmas party if you were waiting on the release of Lil Wayne's Halo Champagne.

It's being reported that Wayne has put an indefinite hold on introducing his Halo Champagne which is a very smart idea. Reasons being that Wayne didn’t think it was safe to release Halo due to the country’s struggling economy. As previously reported, Wayne partnered with Milestone Brands and Voirin-Jumeh to create Halo Champagne earlier this summer. The champagne was slated to hit stores by year’s end.

I'm glad to see that he thought this through and didn't just blow his money especially at a time like this in our economy. I'm not saying that the brand would have failed... but he's smart for waiting for things to pick up.

Pharrell Tries His Hand At Exclusive Furniture

What you are looking at is the latest brain child of BBC member Pharrell Williams. The chair below is called Perspective. It was designed by Pharrell in collaboration with Domeau & Pérès who built it and will be making the additional chairs. The chair, as well as another chair design and a table will be part of a show in Paris at the prestigious Emmanuel Perrotin Galerie. The show will be from October 21st 2008 until January 10th 2009. The chairs will be available in a few colors and only 4 of each will be sold. The chair below represents the love between a woman and man. And you can bet your sweet pa-tootie that these things will be going for a few g's!

O'So Krispie Opens New Dance Studio

Remember the chick that won the competition when TLC held their auditions for the replacement of Left Eye? Well, she's opening up her own Dance Studio here in Atlanta. I just received an email from someone who works closely with Tiffany "O'So Krispie" Baker. Here is the message that was sent:

Whether you're an Entertainer or a regular Joe, a child or an adult, a veteran or a rookie, O'So Krispie DANCE studios is the place for you. O'So Krispie studios is a private dance training facility equipped with everything you need to exceed your personal expectations in dance and performance. The one on one training you will receive will assist you in reaching your goals and taking your performance skills to a higher level. The studio is located 10 mins from downtown Atlanta, Ga making it convenient to the Mecca of the music industry. O'So Krispie studios specializes in many areas of dance including but not limited to hip hop, ballet, jazz, salsa, meringue, swing dance, line dance, acrobatics, gymanastics,pop and lock, belly dancing, break dancing and cheerleading. Although we specialize in many dance styles our teaching approach differentiates from that of other dance schools. Instead of teaching routines, we here at O'So Krispie studios focus on the fundamentals breaking moves down and forming them to fit the student. This insures that the students are well versed and allows them to explore they're creativity.

Interested yet? If so respond to this email with your name and number and some one will get back to you immediately with the details on how you or someone you know can be apart of this exceptional program. Classes begin on November 1st, 2008. Space is limited so don't hesitate, sign up today!

O'So Krispie Studios: Providing quality dance instruction for the elite!!!

Mary J. Blige To Release Her Own Perfume

The "Queen" of R&B, Mary J. Blige, is joining the ranks of many other celebs out there who are dabbling in the fragrance market. Mary has been really gettin her paper lately with endorsement deals for Chevy, Carols Daughters and many others. Now the soulful diva has her own perfume coming out.

Following in the fragrant footsteps of Diddy, J Lo., and Mariah, Mary is said to be releasing her fragrance through Carol's Daughter, for whom she already serves as a spokesperson. "The name of it just came to me, but I can't tell you," Mary reportedly said. "I've always wanted to do a fragrance because I love when men and women smell good.

Ludacris Designs New Era "A" Fitted Cap

Ludacris is on a never-ending quest to keep makin this paper. The Atlanta rapper/entrepreneur made continued to expand his business acumen by becoming the first Southern artist to release his own limited edition New Era fitted hat.

Luda has become the latest addition to the New Era family and their highly touted artist inspired college titled "Capture The Flag."

The hat, which was designed by Ludacris himself, will feature the signature of the city to which Luda resides, which we all know is Atlanta, with the "A" emblazoned on the front with black and clear crystals, red piping, Luda's "Disturbing Tha Peace" imprint on the inside lining, and the words, "Just Getting Started" on the back of the fitted cap.

This hat isn't like any other hat which is typically restocked once sold out. There will only be 200 caps distributed throughout the world. The price for each cap is $125 and will be available to buyers October 17.

Usher To Launch Lingerie Line

15 minutes from being washed up R&B star Usher has plans to make the time you spend with your mate into pure seduction!

Usher is in the process of coming out with his own line of lingerie for men and women.

The ATLien was seen out at Paris Fashion Week at the Marlies Dekkers runway show, and while there, he gave a "confession" that he was trying to find some inspiration for his own line of undies.

Usher says that "comfort and intimacy" will be key in his new line. You can catch a glimpse into what he'll be coming out with in his new video for the track "Trading Places".

Usher is following the pattern of Janet Jackson with this idea. Remember I told ya'll about her line called Pleasure Principle due out in November. Well Chris Brown is also coming out with a line of mens boxers called "Fat Head"??? [insert your comments here cuz I have none on that one!]