NELSON MANDELA'S 90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

TONS of Afro/Naija events went down since I last updated. So what happened??! Well I suggest that you continue reading to find out. Former South African president Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration had the who's who in Hollywood in attendance. Naomi Campbell partnerned up with Ozwald Boateng and Nduka Obaigbena for this year's ThisDay music/fashion festival in Nigeria.

Photos: WIREIMAGE

Celebrity guests at Mandela's birthday included Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Naomi Campbell, Leona Lewis, Forest Whitaker, Keisha Whitaker, Lewis Hamilton, Nicole Scherzinger, and Bill Clinton.

Best dressed couple has to be Will & Jada in Monique Lhuiller. (Denzel's wife wore a Prada skirt .) Lady O look divine and regal...but when does she not?!?

Of course Nelson's wife was right by his side during the photo sessions at London's Hype Park.

Aww...
Photos: WIREIMAGE

Nduka Obaigbena alongside Naomi Campbell (in a YSL jacket and Chloe shades) and fashion designer Ozwald Boateng had a photocall at Royal Albert Hall in London.

Nduka happens to be the media guru behind the highly successful ThisDay music festival in Nigeria. Our great friend Bella Naija has a fabulous must-see video from the photocall session. The event supported Nelson Mandela's 46664 charity organization/annual concert event.

Ozwald is best known for dressing up Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, and many others to name a few. I love that green suit of his.

Photos: WIREIMAGE

Speaking of Naomi, Stereohyped reported that there's unsettling conflict between her and Nelson. In the past, Naomi has gone on record to call Nelson her "honorary godfather". After all she has been a firm supporter of Nelson.

Thanks Black Gives Black for photos!

Nelson Mandela might be turning 90, but he still keeps up with the news. That’s why he has personally banned his (ex?) friend Naomi Campbell from making an appearance at his birthday bash. He didn’t much like how she threw a temper tantrum at the airport, and he really didn’t like that she was wearing a 46664 cap, representing Mandela’s prison number and charity, when she did it. [read more]

Hopefully if this report is true Nelson and Naomi can be put aside their differences. Maybe this ban tough love is something Naomi needs at the moment. (-shrugs shoulders-)

Barack Obama can be seen on the current cover edition of "Rolling Stone" magazine and Will Smith wants to portray him in a biopic.

(Thanks Concrete Loop!)

Will as Barack is believable right down to the ears. Don't you agree?

Check out Genevieve Nnaji and Ramsey Noah in Naija film, "Honey" over at this hot YouTube fan-made page. American black films has Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut and we have Nnaji and Noah!

Snag loads of photos of Nnaji and Noah over at ARIYA ENTERTAINMENT! (You can check me out on that site!)

Sophie Okonedo pose for Want to See More of Me portrait.

"Want to see more of me?" is a striking new series of portraits of talented and successful black British film actors by photographer Donald MacLellan, funded by the UK Film Council. [MIMI]

Read up about Sophie's portrait gig over at "MIMI" magazine.

Thandie Newton has a new film role in Guy Ritchie's "RockNRoll" and you can check out the trailer below:

Idris Elba also appears in the film according to IMDB.COM. Read up on Thandie's latest film project over at THANDIE BLOG.

Wale my new Afro male crush has a new video out for "The Artistic Integrity":

Did you know that Wale is Gbenga Akinnagbe's cousin? Gbenga is best known for his role on the HBO series, "The Wire."(Read up on Wale over at EW.COM)

UPDATE: I forgot to add these interesting photos of Idris Elba smooching Beyonce on the L.A film set of "Obsessed".

Thanks BEYONCEWORLD!

If you're keeping track, Idris has been the leading man alongside Gabrielle Union and now Beyonce Knowles. Impressive, huh?

Photos: IMDB/BEYONCEWORLD

In celebration of June being Black Music Month, check out this throwback video of Erykah Badu's hit, "Next Lifetime". I chose this video because of the location and clothing depicted by Erykah - very Afrocentric. I also enjoy the love message Erykah is singing about. Read on on the video treatment over at SOULBOUNCE.

Rants/thoughts:
So how do you like these new graphics I created in this blog post? I had to make this long update somewhat interesting to look at.
I have to say congrats to my good blogger friend Ladybrille on showcasing the many talents presented at the 2008 Nigerian Entertainment Awards.
Nigerian Bloggers I say to you keep up the great job! I see you Boutique Mix Fashion!

Afro/Naija News:

• Get suck into the undeniable fashion, glitz and glamour at the 2008 Nigerian Entertainment Awards. [LadyBrille]
  
  
• Boutique Mix Fashion takes over Côté Minou's Fashion Extravaganza. [Boutique Mix Fashion]
  
  
• Drool over African male eye candy, Poet [Cose We African Woman Are Doin & Doing It Well]
  
  
• See how you can bring back bohemian in your style selection. [I Like Her Style]
  
  
• Read up on the adventures of a good Naija girl. [Adventures of A Good Girl]
  
  
• Get ready for Blogville Idol 08[BlogVille Idol 08]
  
  
• Learn about the definition of a Nigerian. [...ishe Oluwa o le baje]
  
  
• Juliet Jones becomes Queen Nigeria [Abuja Walkabout]
  
  
• Discussion: Would you divorce your African Wife if she can't cook? [yankeenaijachick]
  
  
• Enter the mind of Ngo [19 Years of Ngo's Thoughts]
  
  
• Find out why this site is my latest guilty pleasure! [Ariztos Magazine]

IDRIS ON THE SET OF "OBSESSED"

Yesterday in Los Angeles, Idris Elba filmed scenes with Beyonce Knowles for their upcoming thriller/drama film, "Obsessed".

In the film, Idris and Beyonce portray a married couple by the name of -wait for it- Beth and Derek Charles. (Thanks YBF!) The movie doesn't open until February 2009.

Unfortunately all you can make out of the photos was Idris' backside but that's him alright! Did you also know that Beyonce not only stars in "Obsessed" but serves as the film's producer?

Talk about being Dangerously In Love. Beyonce Knowles will act in and produce Obsessed, a new stalker thriller in the vein of Fatal Attraction, according to Variety. The publication states that the film, which stars Idris Elba and Ali Larter, will start production this summer; "Elba will play an asset manager who has a knockout wife (Knowles) and thriving career until a temp office worker (Larter) begins stalking him." [MONSTERFEST]

The premise sounds promising!

Photo credit: PACIFIC COAST NEWS ONLINE/GOSSIP GIRLS

Michelle Obama has become a cultural icon officially through the black and white Donna Ricco dress she wore for her recent appearance on "The View".

Photo credit: AP Photo/ABC

The dress can be purchased at your local White House/Black Market boutique for $148.

The dress retails for $99.00 on the designer's official online boutique and it's currently sold out. Check out the following clip of Michelle on "The View" and the designer's interview on the "Today" show...

source: MSNBC

Rants/thoughts:
Naijas born here in America versus the ones born in Nigeria. Why the beef? Aren't we all from the same place technically speaking? Sometimes I feel as though the ones born outside of Nigeria wear their pride more than ones born in Nigeria. Sometimes it's the other way around. This hot button topic almost always arises whenever a female Naija decides to wed. Then there's talk of sending her to Naija so she'll know where she's from! Things that make me go hmm...

Case in point:
Fast-forward to 6:41 to get what I mean...

Don't you love how you can easily spot a Naija in any crowd? Whether you'll be out waiting for your train or on line for your morning coffee, you can easily spot a Naija.
Disclaimer: just my cents and it's all in good humor!


In celebration of June being Black Music Month, enjoy this clip of a Soukous-styled song called, "Sina Makossa":

Afro/Naija News:

• Liya Kebede as Nefertiti [Coca Lounge]
  
• Entertainment for Reel Sistas [Reel Sistas]
  
• Be inspired by this funky barbershop artwork. [Fly Girls]
  
• Get into the groove of Vh1 soul music. [Black Girls Like Us]
  
• Check out the 2008 Miss Universe African Queens. [Bella Naija]
  
• Have a chat with Miss Oluchi. [LadyBrille]
  
• Barack Obama inspires Versace's Milan Menswear show [Clutch Magazine]
  
• Ekei blogs about Dubai [Chic Simplicity]
  
• Michelle Obama's "View" trendy dress. [The Fashion Bomb]
  
• Read up on this hair trend. [I Like Her Style!]
  
• Ethnic Handbags are in! [In A Word...Fab]

SPOTTED: OSI AND WALE

While browsing the latest galleries from INDMIX.COM, I stumbled across photos of Osi Umenyiora, Juelz Santana, Sanaa Lathan, and Wale Ogunleye at Amobi Okoye's 21st birthday party. (Shout-out to Collins Metu!)

Amobi threw a huge birthday celebration over the June 13th weekend which had Sanaa Lathan as the host and Juelz Santana as the musical guest at the Westin Galleria in Houston, Texas. Amobi Okoye plays for the Houston Texans.

No signs of Osi's girlfriend Selita Ebanks at the event, though. These photos prove that Wale and Sanaa are still going strong.

Photos: Collins Metu/INDMIX
(Do contact me before taking legal action about the photos! I'll remove photos as requested if there is a problem!)

All about Amobi Okoye:

photo credit: AP

• Official website: AMOBIOKOYE.COM
  
• Amobi is the youngest player EVER to be drafted into the NFL! (He got into the football industry at age 19.)
  
• Amobi is from Anambra Nigeria!
  
• His date of birth is June 10th, 1987.
  
• His team is the Houston Texans.
  
• For his college education, Amobi chose the University of Louisville over Harvard.
  
• Amobi was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month back in September 2007.

editorial source: NFL.COM, wikipedia.org

From one Wale to another...check out this music video featuring Wale, The Roots and Chrisette Michele. The song is called "Rising Up"...

Yes I know I'm really late on reporting this but I'm still getting over seeing Chrisette Michele live! When I did see Chrisette live, I immediately thought about Wale.

Wale has a new single out called, "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E":

All About Wale:

Photo credit: thefader.com

• He's signed onto Mark Ronson's Allido Records record label.
  
• Lindsay Lohan is a hard-core fan of Wale.
  
• He has a new mixtape out called, "The Mixtape About Nothing" which is inspired by "Seinfield".
  
• Official myspace page: MYSPACE.COM/WALE202

editorial source: Soulbounce

In celebration of June being Black Music Month, enjoy this throwback video from Oliver De Coque:

"Biri Ka Mbiri"

And yes I do know I posted up this video up twice. I can't help that I enjoy this tune!

Afro/Naija News:

• Say it ain't so...Oliver De Coque is dead! [Linda Ikeji]
  
• AFRICANEVENTS.COM launches a new blog [Blog.Africa]
  
• Why do we hate on our hair? [Expand Ur Hair-Izon]
  
• Check out this new Hair by Us for Us blog [Bellazra Hair]
  
• Jennifer Hudson has her eyes set on that spotlight. [That Grape Juice]
  
• Rihanna, Meagan Good, and Michelle Williams Take over "TRL" [Fresh & Fab]
  
• Find out why gypsy maxi dresses are in! [Boutique Mix Fashion]
• The African "Sex & The City" has arrived in Congo. [Cos We African Women Are Doin' & Doing It Well]
  
• South African actress Charlize Theron promotes her latest film, "Hancock" in style [SAWF]
  
• This blog has the hottest banner PERIOD! [Beauty in Baltimore]

No rants and thoughts other than I'm adding Wale to my "look but don't touch" list, lol!.

VOGUE ITALIAN JULY 2008 FEATURES LIYA KEBEDE

Liya Kebede, one of our favorties here on "FG2BH", graced the historic July 2008 cover issue of "Vogue Italia". You have to love that Gucci dress Liya has on in the photo below...

Featured alongside Liya are Naomi Campbell, Jourdan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Iman, Alek Wek, Veronica Webb, Tyra Banks, Pat Cleveland, Sessilee Lopez, and Karen Alexander.

This epic issue of Italian Vogue will be on newsstands next Tuesday but in the meantime, check out the preview via On The Runway...

Naomi, Sessilee, and Jourdan all got the cover. Would this issue lead to more black models featured in fashion editorials worldwide? Time will only tell...

Photos: Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue

Barack Obama's wife Michelle and Iman attended a private dinner for fashion designer Calvin Klein in New York City.

Both ladies looked fabulous at the event.

Photos: CL/Splash News Online

If you believe the rumor mill, Djimon Hounsou proposed to long-time girlfriend, Kimora Lee Simmons.

Asked if Honsou had given her an engagement ring, Simmons was equally forthcoming – and evasive. "Well, kind of," she said, "not quite."

Once inside the party, Simmons explained their attendance by saying, "My honey created a bracelet last year, and we're here for [the orphans' charity] SOS Children, and we're really good friends and supporters of Cartier and their charitable initiatives."

Besides, she said, "It seemed like a great time to have fun and see lots of friends." And, with a good cause involved , too boot, "there's nothing better than that."

Check out Djimon and Kimora at the third annual Loveday celebration and Cartier Love Charity Bracelet launch last night. Keep your eyes on that 'ring' Kimora has on.

So maybe that's 'the' engagement ring on Djimon's ring, huh?

Photos: WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES


During these past three days, Estelle was one busy girl in New York City. In support of her current album, "Shine", Estelle was on the party circuit.

She was first seen at Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded" album release party. At this event, Estelle took photos with LeToya Luckett (sort of) and her Homeschool Records boss John Legend. NBA star Emeka Okafor was spotted at the event...

Then she was seen with John Legend again at Alicia Keys' "As I Am" tour wrap party last night. Judging from the photos, the twosome had a great time together...

Estelle wrapped up her promo grind with a quick performance at "SELF" magazine's Rock Bodies bash.

I love those peep-toe Yves Saint Laurent tribute pumps Estelle wore with her Afrocentric dress. Did you know those pumps are a fan favorite with Janet Jackson...

Photos: WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES

Celebrating June being Black Music Month, check out this Naija remix to Rihanna's hit, "Umbrella"...

Not bad, huh?