July 23, 2007

Dear Usher

Your open letter to the media inspired me. It's quite rare for someone of your stature to communicate in that manner, so I thought I'd take a page from your book and send you a note in response.

First let me congratulate you on your pending nuptials to your fiancée, Tameka Foster this weekend in The Hamptons. I'm sure record executive L.A. Reid's home will be the perfect backdrop for your first time jumping the broom.

Though we are only seven months into the year, 2007 has shaped up to be a monumental year for you. So far, you've gotten engaged; fired your longtime manager and mother, Jonetta Patton; are expecting your first child, a son, in December; terminated your entire camp and are now slated to get hitched. It's been eventful to say the least.

I know there have been several internet stories attributed to me about you that were not true (anything I need to say about an artist will be written in my column or said on my radio show). I also know that you weren't too thrilled with some of the stories me and my morning show cohorts did about you on the 'Tom Joyner Morning Show.' As an artist who was apparently primed to be heir to the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson, you should have expected that you'd receive the type of scrutiny that you are currently dealing with. You have to know it comes with the territory.

While none of us will deny that you are a great performer and talented singer, many of us are worried about your superstar status strictly based on decisions you have recently made. Who can tell a man not to fall in love? I sure can't! Despite the objections that your fans have with Foster and the reality of how you two became a couple, I've always said if it is good enough for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, why shouldn't it be good enough for you? Maybe if you and the bride-to-be would adopt some young African children, the negative attention about your relationship will ease up just like it did for Brangelina.

Nonetheless, my suggestion to you is to take a break. Disappear for a while. Get married, go on your honeymoon and have your first born quietly. Stop trying to force your friends, family, fans and the media to accept Foster. You're really coming across like a parent trying to feed brussel sprouts to a child. No more letters to the media, no more phone calls to radio personalities and no more of anything else that will make people question your current state of mind! More importantly, no more denying things that are true. That always comes back to bite you in the butt!

More importantly, you only have one mother! The worst thing you could do is to not mend your relationship with her as soon as possible. While you've made the transition from R&B star to pop sensation with the Rolling Stone cover to prove it, we all know that your core demographic is African-American females. There's nothing a Black woman hates more than a man who doesn't know how to treat his mother!

So I write this to you, without getting in any digs or making any jokes, and I hope you take my advice to heart. Take a little time during your time off to watch a few E! 'True Hollywood Stories' and some VH1 'Behind the Music' specials. The decisions you're making aren't new-somebody cue Deborah Cox and Whitney Houston's song 'Same Script, Different Cast'-but I'd hate for your story to end just like so many before you.

All the best!

~Jawn

Buzzworthy

Soul singer Norwood Young, fresh off his run on the E! Entertainment series 'High Maintenance 90210,' has released his newest CD, 'Just Norwood,' on Norbet Records. The compilation features the song, "8th Wonder," which is making waves at urban radio outlets. Called 'The Ambassador of Love,' Young was previously a lead singer in the jazz collective Pieces of a Dream. His Hollywood home has become a tourist attraction, regularly causing traffic jams in his community as drivers stop to view the 17 statues of Michelangelo's naked David in his front yard.

Former 'Good Day Live' correspondent Bo Griffin will be returning to TV starting in January. The personable TV talent, who name was initially tossed around as a replacement after Star Jones Reynolds' abrupt departure from 'The View' more than a year ago, will host a new HGTV series called 'The Big Reveal.' (Coincidentally Jones hosted a series called 'House Hunters' for HGTV last year.) In addition, Griffin will host a holiday special for HGTV's sister network Fine Living Channel this December.

Fresh off of his appearance on Bravo's reality series 'Shear Genius,' Hollywood hair guru Dr. Boogie has launched his own line of hair for weaving and extensions. "Lace front wigs are only for theater," the hair handyman told me and AOL Black Voices' Karu F. Daniels during an encounter in New Orleans. Dr. Boogie says that if you want a more natural look; cop some of his fine hair at www.boogiesecrets.com.

R&B singer and my childhood idol, Al B. Sure will now host mid-days on Hot 92.3 FM in Los Angeles. Sure, who previously hosted a syndicated evening slow jams show called 'The Secret Garden,' will be on-air from 9 a.m. to noon. "I am not just another artist who wants to be on the radio. I am a professional with great respect for the radio business," the 'Nite and Day' singer said in a statement.

Blue-eyed soul singer Marc Broussard is earning quite a following with his new release, 'S.O.S.: Save Our Soul,' on Vanguard Records. The set features a remakes of classic R&B tunes like Al Green's 'Love and Happiness,' The Staple Singers' 'Respect Yourself' and Otis Redding's 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' and 'Yes, We Can, Can.' As a part of the rollout for the record, Broussard performed on CBS's 'Saturday Early Show' this past weekend and will be featured on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' on July 30.

Rapper/actor Nick Cannon will debut his new original series, 'Nick Cannon's Star Camp' on July 22 on TurboNick, Nickelodeon's new broadband video player. The series is executive produced by Cannon, Quincy Jones and Quincy "QD3" Jones III and showcases eight members of a new youth super-group hand-picked by Cannon as they go through star boot camp. The series of five 15-minute episodes will stream on TurboNick (www.turbonick.com) every Sunday, and the finale performance will air in Nickelodeon's TEENick block on Sunday, August 26.

Grammy-winning R&B diva Regina Belle has inked a new deal with Canvas Records. The song stylist is slated to unveil a new album for the label in early 2008. Belle will record a gospel record for Canvas Records, her first professional foray into the genre. The singer recently became a first lady-her husband, former Atlanta Hawks player John Battle recently began pastoring a church in Atlanta. Belle's last CD, 'Lazy Afternoon,' was a jazz standards collection released on Peak Records.

BV Scene

Rapper Young Jezzy dropped into the Solstice Sunglasses boutique at the Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, MI and dropped more than $600 on various Gucci shades. The hip-hop star was pleasant to both fans and employees in the store, signing autographs and taking photos while he shopped… Stevie Wonder, fitness guru A.J. Johnson, actress LisaRaye McCoy and singer Teena Marie all stopped passed B.B. King's in Universal City, Calif. to check out Howard Hewett in concert. (To see video of Hewett performing "Say Amen" at Chris Webber's Bada Bling! Weekend in Las Vegas click here... Comedian Damon Williams hosted NBA star DeWayne Wade's older sister Tragil Wade on a Chicago dinner cruise. The Miami Heats star surprised his sister with a fully loaded Range Rover and offered her a new position at his company, Wade Enterprises, and gave her a huge bonus check as a signing bonus. Kelly Rowland sent a video greeting for the birthday girl and Tyrese Gibson phoned in to serenade her.

Can't Say Names…

You better refrain from using flash photography while attending this singer's concert. The alternative soul siren apparently suffers from epilepsy and the flashes make her dizzy. Source say during a recent concert performance in Atlanta, when fans began taking photos the singer blacked out and when she came to, she thoroughly cursed the crowd out!