Allen Iverson Announces Retirement From NBA

Well, it's the end of an era. After leaving the Memphis Grizzlies and reports surfacing that he was going to retire, Allen Iverson has officially announced that he will be retiring from the NBA.

According to ESPN.com, Allen believes that his retirement will give him more time to spend with his wife and kids. However, he acknowleges, as well as several others working in the NBA, that he is still more than capable than continuing. It was his decision to just move on.

Allen came in the NBA as the number 1 draft pick for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 and had a successful stint with them, even leading the team to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season. After being traded from the Sixers in 2006, Allen went on to play for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and lastly for the Grizzlies.

Wow...never saw this coming. I mean, Allen is 34 so his time to retire was probably coming, but he just seemed like the type of player that would last forever, you know? Like my man Dwyane Wade (LOOOVVVEE HIM!!!!). But I mean, it's better to go out while you still kind of on top, than to be looked at like "Why is your behind still in the game?" (*cough cough Shaq* yeah your time been here just saying LOL). So congrats on your retirement Allen...enjoy the time with the fam.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Alicia Keys Starts Jewelry Collection

According to OMG Yahoo!, singer Alicia Keys has launched her own jewelry line, each piece inscribed with uplifting messages.

Alicia teamed up with Canadian designer Gisele Theriault this jewelry collection called "The Barber's Daughters." It features silver and gemstone pieces with quotes and poetry from well known figures such as Gandhi, Buddha and Shakespeare.

OPRAH TO END HER TALK SHOW!!!!!

Yeah you read that title right! Oprah is ending Oprah! Oprah announced earlier today (Friday) on her hit show that her upcoming season, her 25th in fact, will be her last, with the show's series finale being some time in 2011. According to OMG Yahoo!, Oprah put a lot of thought into ending the show and moving on. "25 years feels right in my bones and my spirit. It's the perfect number, the exact right time," Oprah said.

"Somebody To Love"-Leighton Meester feat. Robin Thicke OFFICIAL VIDEO!

Wow yall....I think I just found my favorite new song!!!! Ok so my favorite Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester, who plays Blair on the show (for all you GG fans out there), has branched out into the music industry! The sexy and sophisticated video was premiered earlier today. It features Robin Thicke (LOOVVVEEE HIM!!!!!!) and was directed by Zoe Cassavetes!

Leighton is signed to Universal Music and will release her debut album sometime in 2010! You can visit her website or connect with her on MySpace or Facebook. You can even send her a Tweet on her Twitter page! Gotta love social networking....lol

WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO BELOW!!! Oh and check that sexy leg movement too! Good work Leighton!!!



Shout out to Nathalie Levey with ThinkTank Marketing in NYC for hooking me up with the info!!! I'm telling yall In The Spotlight is about to blow up!!!!

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Beyoncé and Lady Gaga-Video Phone Remix OFFICIAL VIDEO!

Well guys here it is! One of the hottest collaborations I have ever seen! Queen Beyoncé and Lady Gaga!!! Pure hotness is all I can say! If you want me you can watch on your video phone....ENJOY!



PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Gucci Mane Heads To Jail

Man....we done lost another one. It's been reported by BET.com and other media sites that rapper Gucci Mane has been sent back to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta for probation violation (I heard through the grapevine that he was doing drugs, but my sources could be wrong). He was sentenced to a year in jail, but can get out in six months for good behavior.

It's a shame though. T.I.'s is jail. Wayne's in jail. Now Gucci. That's messed up man. I've heard people say that there is a conspiracy against rappers or whatever and that could be. But I mean, people have to realize that the law is the law. In T.I's case, he was looking out for himself and his people with the gun possessions, but he still violated the law. Wayne got busted for gun charges too, and Gucci supposedly failed his random drug test. As much as I like these guys, nobody is above the law. But hopefully, Gucci comes back with a clear head and more hot music.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

John Allen Muhammad, DC Sniper, Executed Last Night

Ok, so I know that this isn't really celeb news, but bear with me. For those of yall who don't know, I am from Maryland and I felt the need to write about the execution of John Allen Muhammad, one of the DC Snipers that gunned down 10 people and critically injured three in the Washington Metropolitan area.

In October 2002, Muhammad and his then 17-year-old stepson Lee Boyd Malvo began a terror spree in our area, shooting and killing people at random. I cannot begin to tell you how scary it was. I mean, crime can happen anywhere, but it was scary pulling into a gas station or a parking lot at the grocery store during that time. I remember always ducking down in the car at a gas station and telling my mom to hurry up and finish pumping the gas so we could go. Events at my school (and at schools all around my area) got canceled because of the fear that these guys were out there, waiting to strike.

Yesterday, November 10, 2009, John Allen Muhammad was executed by lethal injection at the Greenville Correctional Center in Virginia. He was declared dead at 9:11 p.m. Malvo, his accomplice, is serving a life sentence without parole.

I really don't know how to feel. I watched reports last night and all I could say was wow. I knew the execution was coming, but it happened for real last night, and all I could say was wow. I'm not a fan of the death penalty, not because of "the value of life" that everyone talks about. You know, how one shouldn't be able to take away somebody's life. I just think that the death penalty is an easy way out for criminals. Others may disagree, but I feel that in death, you no longer have to really deal with the crime you committed. In jail, you have no choice but to sit and think about the consequences of your actions. However, what's done is done.

Representatives from the victims' families sat and watched while he was executed. From reports I've read, the family members were happy about the execution, and some even felt that Malvo should've been executed as well. However, since he was a minor when the crimes were committed, Malvo was sentenced to life. I pray for the families at this difficult time.

Listed below are the victims of the Sniper Attacks. Rest in Peace to those who were lost.

Killed:

* James Martin
* James Buchanan
* Premkumar Walekar
* Sarah Ramos
* Lori Ann-Lewis Rivera
* Pascal Charlot
* Dean Harold Meyers
* Kenneth Bridges
* Linda Franklin
* Conrad Johnson

Wounded:

* Caroline Seawell
* Iran Brown
* Jeffrey Hopper

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

This Is It!

This Is It!, the movie that shows the late great Michael Jackson during his final rehearsals for his This Is It Tour in London, premiered this past Wednesday and has since made $101 million worldwide, according to OMG! Yahoo.

I went to go see the movie opening day, and was very impressed. This movie shows just what a musical genius and loving human being that man was. It was sad, though, because you see him dancing and performing like nothing was wrong with him and you see how big this comeback would've been. It's just sad to know that Michael is no longer around to make more music, but his legacy will live on.

Some of his new music is going to be released soon from what I've heard, and This Is It!'s run is going to be extended from the original two weeks! So definitely, if you are an MJ fan, go see the movie! You will definitely be touched and inspired.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté