As we eagerly await the next installment of the Amanda Bynes chronicles, we thought it time to give the troubled — not crazy! — star a bit of a break. That wig she was photographed in last week wasn’t the worst hairpiece we’ve ever seen. Or was it?
Read more…
When we were freshmen in high school ten years ago, Eminem’s portrayal of struggling rapper Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith (A.K.A. himself) in 8 Mile was an inspiration. The monster hit “Lose Yourself” from the soundtrack became our personal pump up jam to run laps during gym class, and gave us the confidence to take that “one shot” and ask Jenna to the prom, try out for the class play, or pass that chem test! Plus it was also notable for changing the way we thought of the phrase “mom’s spaghetti” forever.
However as we got a little older, we realized the one shot ol’ Marshall Matthers was rapping about was much more serious than our day to day high school drama. It was about reconciling hopes and dreams with growing up and responsibility, all against the bleek Detroit backdrop. By no means a quick flick rushed out to capitalize on his skyrocketing fame, Eminem gave an incredible performance, made all the more amazing considering it was his first movie!
But Eminem is by no means the only rapper who tried his hand at acting. In fact, it seemed like every MC has made the jump to films at one time or another. Some totally killed it and became a successful multi-talented crossover artist, while others…made Soul Plane. So in honor of Em’s epic 8 Mile turning 10 years old today, we’ve decided to take a look back at some of our favorite rappers-turned-movie stars over the years. Enjoy!
[Photo: Universal/Warner Brothers/Miramax]
Halloween is almost here, and it’s definitely not just for kids anymore! These days it’s less about the mini candy bars and more about the seriously hot mini outfits. October 31st has become the unofficial the last gasp of bikini season, the final strip-off before winter sets in and everyone turns into Slanket mummies for 6 months. But for now, the goal is to be the most creative with the least amount of clothing. And no one does that better than Hollywood A-listers! These stars have brought us some truly awesome costumes over the years. Who could forget Kim Kardashian as Jasmine, Mariah Carey as a scantily clad bride(?) and Snooki as…the Queen of the Pickles? We think? Okay, we’ll be honest: we don’t know what a lot of these outfits are supposed to be. But that’s the magic of Halloween: We don’t have to! It’s the one night of the year where it’s not skanky, it’s a costume! Tons of stars and starlets have stripped down to celebrate over the years, so we’ve assembled the 75(!) most scarily sexy costumes of all time. Just think of it as a big basket of fun-sized Snickers on a doorstep and a sign that says “Help Yourself.” Dive in!
[Photo: Twitter/Getty Images/Twitter]
Since Madonna first writhed on the floor back in 1984, the MTV Video Music Awards have been the home for expressive musicians to show off their wildest fashion statements for the world. But thanks to the likes of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, we feel like we’re in a golden era of completely wackadoodle VMA costumes — and we’re loving every second of it. As we gear up to witness a whole new round of eye-popping styles at Thursday night’s show, we thought we’d take a look back at the past 28 years of craziness. There are the ones everyone remembers, like Marilyn Manson’s corset, Lil’ Kim’s purple pasty, Christina Aguilera’s showgirl frock and Gaga’s infamous meat dress. Our research also unveiled some forgotten gems, like David Lee Roth’s Hawaiian chic, Big Boi’s Muppet pants, and a particularly horrendous pastel tie-dye thing that we hope Justin Timberlake regrets as much as we do. Flip through the gallery below at your own risk…
[Photos: Getty Images]
Lil’ Kim has long been an artist who likes to make headlines with her looks as much as her lyrics. Ever since she first broke out of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. to begin her solo career in 1996, she’s been dressing up, and down in the skimpiest of outfits, exaggerating her features with all sorts of dramatic makeup, and catching our eyes with a variety of hairstyles and wigs and colored contacts. All the while, she’s also been altering her face under the skin with a number of surgical procedures. So, when she showed up in West Hollywood on Saturday to perform for the L.A. Pride festival and looked more like a latter day Charo impersonator than a Brooklyn rapper, we shouldn’t have been surprised. And yet, we kinda were. Because that face, that leotard, that makeup … it just took our breath away. Anyway, take a look at Kim’s evolving look, from 1996 to today, just to prove to yourself that this was not an overnight transformation:
[Photos: Splash News Online, Getty Images]
As Mary J. Blige gets set to perform on VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul (airing Mon., Dec. 19 at 9PM EST), we’ve been wondering why the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is so universally loved. We’d guess it partially has to do with Mary J. practicing what she preaches in her hit “My Life.” The lyrics, in case you’ve forgotten:
When you’re feelin down
You should never fake it
Say what’s on your mind
And you’ll find in time
That all the negative energy
It would all cease
Mary has always been unafraid to speak her mind, both in her music and to the press. She’s open about her personal struggles and pain, and this feels refreshing in an age when many celebs seem muzzled as part of image campaigns. In other words, Mary J. is always Mary J. She’s moved from a rough life in a Yonkers housing project to A-list mega-star who hangs out at Vanity Fair Oscar parties — all the while retaining impeccable street cred. We usually arrange our Top Hottest Looks photos from least to most hot. But with this feature we’ve arranged them in chronological order. You’ll notice that Mary J. has had a dramatic style metamorphosis over the years. As her fame has grown, it seems her style savvy and number of stylists has too.
Catch VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul Monday, Dec. 19 at 9PM EST. The lineup includes Mary J. Blige, plus Jennifer Hudson, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Florence + The Machine, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J and many others.
Bonus!
Ok, now we’re starting to worry that Lil’ Kim really needs some anger management. Her mixtape, Black Friday, was released on February 14th and along with the title diss track aimed at Nicki Minaj, the cover art features Kim and a beheaded Minaj in a pool of blood. Tell us how you really feel, Kim, seriously.
The “feud” between the two musicians has gone on since November, stemming from Minaj calling Kim a “has-been.” She has since praised Kim, to no avail, since Kim has used every opportunity since then to put Minaj down. Hell hath no fury like a rapper scorned, we guess. The outrageous cover must have worked in her favor though because the mixtape apparently sold 113,000 copies and made over $1 million on Monday. This proves one of two things: either Lil’ Kim is NOT a has-been, or Nicki Minaj is a great marketing tool.
[Photo: The BoomBox]
Last November, Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj were engaged in a little war of words. Maybe you’ll recall that Lil’ Kim’s song “Black Friday,” released the day after Thanksgiving, basically tore Minaj a new one, with lyrics calling Minaj a “Lil’ Kim Clone” among other things, and mocked her album “Pink Friday.” Kim’s diss track was a response to Minaj calling Kim a “has been” on the song “Roman’s Revenge” earlier in the year.
It seemed like in 2011, everything was copacetic and the beef had blown over, but Lil’ Kim has struck back yet again with a mixtape also called Black Friday, which will release on February 14. Kim tweeted yesterday “Black Friday the mixtape – 2/14/11- WHO THE F— WANT WAR? #ItsBlackFridayHoe LEGOOOO!!!!!” Not so subtle, that one. Minaj has yet to respond to the Tweet but she maintains that she’s got nothing but love for Kim. Love, not war, ladies! The album comes out on Valentine’s Day, can’t we all just share some UR SWEET and BE MINE candy hearts and get along?
[Photos: /Splash News Online]
It’s Lil’ Kim! Or is it really? We can’t tell. If the photo’s we saw had not been captioned we would’ve never been able to guess it was the rapper. Kim was performing live for Rockit at Club QUO in New York City late last week and poured herself into a plunging gold sequin top and tight purple pants for the occasion.
But it’s her face that we can’t quite figure out. The light hair is fine, but doesn’t her face look … oddly stretched? There’s nary a line in sight even though she’s got her mouth stretched open. And she’d got those weird unnaturally beige lips that Snooki tends to rock. Hair face, contact lenses… what’s going on here? Tell us what you think about Li’l Kim’s new look?
Nicki Minaj, one of the performers at the 2010 VH1 Divas Salute The Troops show tonight, hasn’t been around long, but already she has a beef with fellow rapper Lil’ Kim, whose song “Black Friday” is about as scathing as it gets. On the track, Kim calls Minaj a “Lil’ Kim clone clown” and says “It’ll be a murder scene, I’m turning Pink Friday into Friday the 13th,” (and those are some of the more polite lyrics we can print). So, who better to weigh in on the beef than MC Lyte, who has been around for decades and showed up herself at the Divas show?
When she was asked what she thought about who would beat who in a battle royale between the two rappers, MC Lyte actually shocked us when she replied “There’s room for everyone, but those who really need to be worried about Nicki’s record is Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado…Nicki is coming out to win…and she’s more able to handle what it takes right now to be an international star.” Didn’t see that coming, but we have to say, she has a point. As for why Kim would dis Nicki, Lyte says “It’s what an MC thrives on…it’s that competitive nature that hip hop brings to the community.” And it’s also what makes a you a VH1 Diva. Check out the full video of our interview with MC Lyte at the 2010 VH1 Divas Salute To The Troops, which aired tonight.
