Earlier today, Beyonce along with MaMa Knowles attended the unveiling of the “Beyonce Cosmetology Center” at the Phoenix House Career Academy in Brooklyn. Beyonce’s Cosmetology Center will offer a seven month cosmetology training course for men and women. L’Oreal Paris has agreed to provide makeup, skin care, and hair products for the program. Guess it’s only right being that she is the face of L’Oreal. The singer became involved with the Phoenix House while preparing for the role of heroine addict Etta James  in Cadillac Records. Today was definitely a good day for Bey, as Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz officially declared her a Brooklynite!

This was truly a mother and daughter moment!

]]> http://str8nyc.com/2010/03/05/its-official-beyonces-a-brooklyn-chick/feed/ 3 http://str8nyc.com/2010/02/10/papa-knowles-that-aint-my-baby/ http://str8nyc.com/2010/02/10/papa-knowles-that-aint-my-baby/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:30:33 +0000 J'More http://str8nyc.com/?p=33015 PAPA KNOWLES: “THAT AIN’T MY BABY…”

A while back we reported that Beyonce’s dad Mathew Knowles was expecting a baby, but not by his soon-to-be ex-wife Tina Knowles. Apparently, PaPa Knowles couldn’t keep his lil’ friend in his pants and knocked up his jumpoff. Well, his jumpoff gave birth to a baby boy last Thursday and from jump she claimed it was his. According to PaPa Knowles, he is willing to take a paternity test to prove that he is not the father (Maury voice) if he is ordered to do so. He says,

“I know about as much as you do. Last week, they said it was a girl, this week they said it was a boy. We do have a court date but none of that means anything until DNA testing is done. I’ll leave that in the hands of the attorneys.”

The two are set to go before a judge next week in the ongoing paternity case.

Seriously why would shorty go through all of this and it’s not his kid? PaPa Knowles better stop acting frontin’ and accept the fact that he slipped up!

Seems like House of Dereon is still having a hard time getting things right! Beyonce’s clothing line has been hit with a breach of contract lawsuit from Hong Kong clothing manufacturer Vier International who claim that the diva and her mother Tina Knowles conspired to damage their company, costing them over $500,000!

According to WWD.com, earlier this week bosses over at Vier International filed legal documents at the District Court in NYC claiming that execs at clothing company Donna Loren LLC and shipping firm HJM International worked together as “conspirators who induced the shipment of goods to the United States with the intent to convert them or pay less than the agreed upon contract price”. They also claim that Beyonce and MaMa Knowles along with their clothing line, House of Dereon and the singer’s Beyond Productions company also took part in the scheme by purchasing orders and requesting manufacturer specifications. And it doesn’t stop there! Bosses over at Vier International really want Beyonce and MaMa Knowles to know that they’re playing with fire. Not only are they suing to get their money, but they’ve also filed a complaint under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a statute that is set to prosecute organized crime gangs (i.e. the mafia).

So House of Dereon is the mafia? WOW!

Sidebar: Who even wears House of Dereon? Hell, Beyonce doesn’t!

We recently reported that Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles has filed for divorce from the singer’s father Mathew Knowles after 29 years of marriage. It was speculated that MaMa Knowles’ reason for serving PaPa Knowles with divorce papers was because of alleged infidelity. Well, according to a snitch/friend of the Knowles clan that rumor is far from the truth–they just “drifted apart” and “led separate and busy lives”. The snitch tells US magazine,

“It’s a rough time for the family — especially over the holidays. The kids are sad, but it’s been unraveling for some time. They will try to make it cordial. They put their kids first, and will still be around each other.”

Meanwhile, the estranged couple released a statement to the press confirming their divorce among other things.

“The decision to end our marriage is an amicable one. We remain friends, parents, and business partners. If anyone is expecting an ugly messy fight, they will be sadly disappointed. We ask for your respect of our privacy as we handle this matter.” Source

Not only does the hardest working bish in the game want you to hear her and see her, but she also wants you to smell her! Beyonce landed a multi-million dollar deal with fragrance house Coty in September and now she’s ready to launch her debut scent “Heat” which features “notes of red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and blush peach”. She tells WWD,

“I’m so happy with it. I’ve been working on it for a while now. Everything, from the bottle design to the name and the ideas for the commercials, that’s me. When I commit to something, I do it 100 per cent, and I’ve never had (creative control over a fragrance) until this project. I was on tour for a year, and I have meet-and-greets with fans. I’ve never in my life gotten so many compliments. Coty has their own testing, but that was my testing! The fans loved it. They were like, ‘I love that, I’m getting that, why isn’t it out right now? I need it!’” Adding, “A lot of my performances have had fire involved, so we thought ‘Heat’. Also, red is one of my favorite colors, as is gold. So then we thought of making the bottle look like it’s on fire.”

Beyonce’s “Heat” will hit stores February 2010.

In related news, the diva’s family is falling apart. According to TMZ, Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles is kicking her husband of 29 years, Mathew Knowles to the curb!  Apparently, MaMa Knowles filed for divorce against PaPa Knowles last month in Texas. Hm…could it be because PaPa Knowles was planting his seeds all over town?! Back in October, PaPa Knowles was slapped with a paternity suit from a woman who claimed he knocked her up. No word on whether the baby mama drama is the reason MaMa Knowles decided to send his cheating ass packing. And word is they’re not the only one’s having trouble in their marriage either!

]]> http://str8nyc.com/2009/12/19/beyonce-drops-heat-mama-knowles-files-for-divorce/feed/ 2 http://str8nyc.com/2009/07/14/check-out-beyonces-cheerleader/ http://str8nyc.com/2009/07/14/check-out-beyonces-cheerleader/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:57:08 +0000 LexAve http://str8nyc.com/?p=20892 CHECK OUT BEYONCE’S CHEERLEADER…

Who would’ve guessed that growing up Kelly Rowland had issues with her skin complexion?! Then again she hung out with a long haired high yellow chick, so I can see why. According to Kelly, as a child she wanted to be a “little fairer” in other words she wanted to be Beyonce’s complexion. She says,

“Growing up, I had an identity crisis. I went to a school that was predominantly white and I was the only black girl there. I remember thinking I don’t want to be as dark as I am, I want to be a little fairer. I didn’t want to be me, and that was a problem.

POP THE HOOD FOR MORE ON KELLY AND HER BROWN SKIN ISSUES

Kelly credits Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles for helping her learn how to love her beautiful brown skin. She adds,

“When I got older, I embraced who I am as a woman. The one person that helped me get out of my identity crisis was Tina Knowles. I remember that she sat me in the mirror and she was like, ‘Girl, look at how pretty you are!’ She would really make me feel comfortable in my skin. She was so great at putting together my hair, my style, because I didn’t know what to do with myself. She had this fly hair salon, and she had the coolest people in her salon and I remember just thinking, ‘Oh my god, I love this woman! I love her style, as a woman she’s so cool!’ “

This is another reason why lil’ black girls need to see more chicks who look like them on television,  magazines and in films!

Beyonce was spotted taking a much need a break on a beach in Monaco earlier today before heading to the airport. She was joined by MaMa Knowles and the paparazzi. In other related Bey news, apparently Beyonce has a sh*tload of clothes, shoes, and accessories that she keeps them at her old apartment. She says,

“Put it this way, I’ve turned my old apartment into a closet. I probably get about 15 bags sent to me a month. Armani gave me this croc bag, which was huge- I could only imagine how much that thing cost. It would be so expensive that I wouldn’t buy it”.

A plethora of celebrities including the stars of “Obsessed”, Beyonce and Idris Elba attended the screening at  the School of Visual Arts in NYC yesterday. Of course MaMa Knowles was there to support her baby. Other celebs who came through to show some love were fashion designer, Rachel Roy, Kim Kardashian, Uncle Russ and his boo, and Naturi Naughton.

 D. Woods and Mya who’s been M.I.A for a minute, finally came out of hiding and attended “Operation Smiles 2009 Jr. Smile Collection” in NYC yesterday. Top Model, Jaslene Gonzales and R&B newcomer Shontelle were also in attendance. WTF is Jaslene wearing?! Shorty needs a new stylist ’cause she looks horrible!

As for her relationship with MaMa Knowles, Beyone gushes

“(She) is truly my best friend. We work together on our clothing line. She handles my movies: She reads all the scripts and tells me the good ones, and then I read them”.

Read what Bey had to say about PaPa Knowles after the cut…
More images of Bey shopping HERE!

While on the other hand PaPa Knowles who she refers to as a “tough bargainer”, “does all of the business deals and negotiations”. She explains,

“The best thing is having someone I trust. I know he is up until 4:00 a.m. fighting and working and doing things that no one else would do. But he really knows what he’s doing, and he’s a workaholic. And for a while I was starting to become that way. I realized that just because my parents are workaholics — because my mother is, too — it doesn’t mean I have to be one. So I have slowed down a lot — even though my slowing down is two movies and a tour in one year!”