…Or so she wants us to believe in her new web series. After losing her Single Ladies gig and facing the blues of the 2012 election, the Clueless alum is starring as a caricature of herself. She is co-creator and writer of the series, which has no formal release date.

Peep the trailer below.

She followed it up with a celebratory status from her official Facebook fan page.

K.Michelle was released from her last contract with RCA Records in October 2011.

At least LHHATL has been beneficial for more than #TwitpicWhatEricaCookedYouForDinner Twitter memes and naked flicks of Joseline Hernandez.

#knowitall

Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

The Ying Yang Twins are two of the definitive forefathers of the Southern Crunk Movement. Their contributions are timeless and can still evoke a twerk or two from the most sophisticated ladies in the club. After more than a decade in the entertainment business, the eclectic duo is still cranking it up with their music, which includes a forthcoming mixtape with DJ scream, album and branding potential.

YNTK had the privilege of chatting with D’Roc of Ying Yang on their legacy, inspirations and current relationship with Lil’ Jon. Crunk is alive.

You’ve been in the business for 12-plus years. What inspires you to keep making music?

“The love for music. We grew up on music, so we always had a love for it. We just love working with each other and recording. Everywhere we go we try to hit a studio, just to record. We carry a studio with us, depending on how long we’re going to be in the area.”

Where are your favorite places to tour?

“Everywhere. Everybody parties differently, but everybody parties the same. Every place is the same, but every place is also different. Everybody gets crunk the same way. No matter what country you go to, even if they don’t speak any English, they know all the words to the songs. They still get crunk.”

The Ying Yang Twins have been very influential in the crunk movement. What can you offer the music scene in 2012?

“One thing about it is people are still getting crunk and are still doing the same thing. Basically, the young generation now loves dancing, so that’s a plus. The thing about us is that we always got crunk. Every video, I was cranking, so we’re still a part of it because the people are still doing the same thing. The music is changing because everybody ain’t dancing. Some people have slowed it down and are singing. Everybody is too cool to move, but if you go to the club, you’re still going to see the same thing – dropping it like it’s hot.”

Dancing is incorporated into the crunk movement. How do you keep an audience interested in that when music isn’t all about having a good time now?

“We really don’t have to do too much. If you go to the club, they’re still dancing in the club. Now I can’t say that’s happening everywhere. In New York, people go to the club and have meetings there. That’s unheard of it in the club. In Atlanta, we left work at work. Before we go to the club, we pregame, but we don’t take work to the club. The only place that does it is New York. They’re in club saying ‘We’re going to sign these contracts.’ But everybody is still dancing.”

What changes have you seen in the entertainment business since you first entered into it? How are you adapting to them?

“Well, with the Internet I see it going back to the way it used to be. Back in the day, the singles game went out. But now it’s back. People don’t have to buy whole albums. It just went back to the way it used to be. It just came back around full-circle.”

Are there artists that you listen to that motivate you to keep making music?

“Music is still in us, so we still go to work. That’s what got us here.”

What is your relationship like with Lil’ Jon and the other forefathers of the crunk movement now?

“Yeah, we’re still close. One thing about it is some of them are still like Ying Yang’s cousins. So we’re going to always be tight and like family.”

Can we expect to hear Lil’ Jon on this forthcoming album?

“Yes m’am.”

Who can we expect to hear on this upcoming album?

“It’s been basically me and Caine. We’ve been doing our thing. The album is in the works. We’re going to have a mixtape first and then we’ll drop the album.”

Tell me more about the mixtape.

“We don’t have a release date for it yet. Caine and I are still working on it, but it’s going to be with DJ Scream. [Mr.] Collipark is producing a lot of tracks on there. We’re doing Ike Dirty and Tech James is on there. It’s still in the works. It’s a pregame for the album and we’re going to get out and do a little promotional run on it. We’re hitting everywhere. We’re going to keep hitting the same markets that know us.”

Looking back, what has been the greatest lesson that you’ve learned?

“Make sure you read your own contracts and hire your own people.”

What do you hope that the future holds for the Ying Yang Twins? What do you want the legacy of the Ying Yang Twins to be?

“We’ll be well-branded by that point and we’ll have our brand expanded by then.”

Their current single, Fist Pump Jump Jump, is available on iTunes. Be sure to follow the Ying Yang Twins on Twitter and Facebook.

#knowitall

Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

There are few comforts as consoling to a woman reeling from heartbreak as a pint of delicious ice cream, romantic comedies and soul albums about heartbreak, depression and eventual triumph. Keyshia Cole’s 2005 debut, The Way It Is, channeled all three of those phases into a tracklist of 12 soulful ballads. Even the songs (“I Changed My Mind,” “I (Just Want It To Be) Over,” etc.) backed by upbeat production from Kanye West and other super-producers were riddled with heartfelt lyrics that touched women – and healed them.

Millennial women born in the 1980s and raised in the 1990s, belted Keyshia’s words and quickly crowned her as the future of hip-hop soul. The Oakland, California native’s sophomore effort, Just Like You continued her reign, when it became a staple in many ladies’ catalogue. But after years of pursuing a fleeting happiness, Cole added Gibson to her surname, had a gorgeous son … and seemed lose the core characteristics that made her relatable in the eager beginnings of her career. Like the queen, Mary J. Blige, Cole no longer felt obligated to the heartbreak of her audience. Once she found love and the cheerfulness that had eluded her for so long, she threw her baggage into the atmosphere and proclaimed it from the peak of the music mountain. Her sales suffered as a result and now, Cole is poised to return to the deepest depths of her pain – at least in her music.

In her latest video, “Trust and Believe,” from her forthcoming album, Woman to Woman, Cole analyzes the pain caused by double-betrayal from her best friend and lover. In it, we see remnants of 2005’s passionate Keyshia. “Trust and Believe” will persuade her ephemeral fans to lower the volume on K.Michelle’s Zero F***s Given and at least allot her new music space in their iPods.

Check out the video for “Trust and Believe” below.

Do you think Keyshia Cole’s music can rebound?

#knowitall

Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

It’s been three years since Alicia Keys graced the world with “The Element of Freedom.” But since 2009, the “Girl on Fire” crooner has positioned herself to increase her influence and brand. Since her last album, Keys has inked deals with Reebox and Disney; launched a storytelling app for children; and explored the movie, television and theater worlds with Broadway plays, short films, and made-for-TV movies. She’s also added Beatz to her last name and birthed the personification of an African country.

Now at 31, AK is preparing to release her fifth album, Girl on Fire, on November 27. It is an effort that displays a newer, freer, chopped bob Alicia with a fresh perspective on life. In the November/December issue of Billboard, she spills the tea on her creative process, what lights her fire and the importance of family in shaping the future of her career.

On what she’s learned in her time off: “The most newest, the most difficult, the most loving, the most dream-filled, the most breaking free . . . an entire crazy dynamic of lessons and emotions to grow into and claim. This whirlwind has definitely forced me to be who I am, to be free enough and brave enough to just not accept anything else-nor try to be anything else.”

On the importance of Girl on Fire: “This is me stepping into my complete woman- hood, my journey to becoming fearless.”

On working with new producers and writers: “It was fun to experiment with people I hadn’t worked with before. With all the new things I’ve been experiencing, it felt right to push myself and see where it took me.”

On the importance of Swizz Beatz and Egypt on her creative process: “It was a very eased-in process that helped me realize one thing. I just wanted to craft great songs and create emotion with incredible songwriting talents. That was the mandate.”

Check out the full interview in the latest issue of Billboard, which hits stands November 10.

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Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

Yes that headline is accurate. Yes we’re thrilled. Yes, “The Best Man” sequel, which is still untitled, is happening! Hail excellent cinema that depicts the complexities of black love.

IndieWire is reporting that the Malcolm D. Lee-directed follow-up will be released by Universal Pictures on November 15, 2013.

The casting details have not been revealed, but we have an inkling that most of the original actors and starlets will reprise their roles, especially after Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau and a few others reunited recently. Hopefully Terrance Howard, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun  and the other cast members will sign on for the sequel as well. It won’t be as nostalgic without all of the initial storylines continuing in the second film.

While the characters new lives are plotted, Lee is flexing his directing chops on the set of “Scary Movie 5.”

#knowitall

Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

After tributes at the Grammy’s, the Billboard Music Awards and the BET Awards, the music world isn’t prepared to stop honoring the icon.

The Associated Press is reporting that the Recording Academy has organized a one-hour TV special for Houston. “We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston” will feature performances from Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Usher. More performers will be revealed as the date approaches.

The special, which will be taped October 11 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, will also include footage of Houston’s “most memorable performances and interviews with various artists” according to the Associated Press.

Tickets for the TV special go on sale Thursday. CBS will air the special tribute on November 16.

This news comes on the heels of an announcement from Clive Davis that a greatest hits compilation is forthcoming. “I Will Always Love You – The Best of Whitney Houston” will feature a new mix of “I Look to You” with R. Kelly. It is scheduled to be released on November 13.

Houston died in February at age 48. Her death was attributed to an accidental drowning, brought on by heart disease and long-term cocaine use.

#knowitall

Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

Chris Brown is the king of remaining relevant. After the lackluster release of his Fortune album, which has only sold 294,000 copies to date, Brown has launched a subliminal media campaign to maintain his presence on entertainment blogs and websites. Last week, he was videotaped embracing and kissing his ex-girlfriend Rihanna at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Though he has denied that they have rekindled their tumultuous romance, Brown has continued to fuel the rumors with his antics. Now, he’s in the spotlight for tattooing an image of a battered woman on his neck. The inked lady bears a striking resemblance to Rihanna, particularly since she has perfectly arched brows and high cheekbones.

TMZ is reporting that Chris Brown is denying that the tattoo is a portrait of Rihanna. It is supposed to depict a random woman. However, after their February 2009 altercation, which left the Barbadian vixen battered and bruised, we’re not drinking that cyanide koolaid.

Even if it wasn’t his intention, Brown has successfully reminded us of that painful incident that launched Rihanna into the domestic violence spotlight. Maybe he considers it an ode to his “love” for Riri after she expressed her fondness for him in an interview with Oprah Winfrey last month.

“I truly love him,” she told the talk queen as she shed tears. “I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help.”

Sigh. We wonder what Karreuche Tran is thinking.

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Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is one determined fella. In one fell swoop [no pun intended], he lost his wife, Evelyn Lozada [of VH1's Basketball Wives], his football contract with the Miami Dolphins, and his reality TV show, all due to allegations of him assaulting Lozada in a recent domestic violence incident. But, his positive spirit is undamaged, and Johnson is determined to regain everything that has been stripped from him.

HIs campaign to regain good standing in his personal and professional life started with tattooing Evelyn’s face on his calf, and balking at a Twitter follower that questioned the reason for the permanent ink portrait. Now, Johnson is even using HBO’s “Hard Knocks” [which aired his termination], to plead his case, and prove how dedicated he is to his marriage and his beloved sport.

Check out the HBO “Hard Knocks” video below, and let us know your thoughts on the situation…

#knowitall

Evette Dionne 

everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on Twitter

We’ve lost hope that Ashanti will resurge as the musical force she was during the Murder, Inc. reign. Yes she’s releasing “Braveheart,” but the likelihood of her putting up “Chapter II” numbers? Slim to none.

But Ashanti hasn’t lost hope that she can survive the tumultuous business; instead of wallowing in her failures, she’s decided to diversify her entertainment portfolio.

Yesterday, the former self-proclaimed Princess of Hip-Hop Soul announced that she is executive producing and hosting Fuse TV’s “Fuse News.” Forget my $100,000 degree. I need to be a singer, comedian, or NFL player to land a broadcast gig. Let me move past that bitterness and digress.

Ashanti will be costarring with Alexa Chung, Elaine Moran and Jack Osbourne to bring the latest pop culture and music deets to the world. “Fuse News” will be run for 30 minutes Monday through Friday and hopefully, we’ll see Jack Osbourne healthy and invigorated!

Do you think Ashanti should trade in her leotards for business suits?

Evette Dionne, everythingYNTK for VIBEVixen.com

@EvetteDionne on twitter

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