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50 cent and Jasmine

It's been a busy a month as ever in London for lovers of black music!This week alone I caught up with Mims (of This Is Why I'm Hot) fame, then I flew to Paris to catch Lemar's tour with Beyoncé (more on that next time in Jasmine's Juice!).

PS last week my column read "Beyoncé whoring herself around Europe this month" which should have read "working herself around Europe". I missed out the 'k' in working and it was substituted with an 'h'.

Finally, my mum dragged me to Wembley to see Diana Ross who I was informed would "show me what real feel- good music was like". It was a night of enlightenment! I confess that when I thought of Diana Ross I had the notion of an old singer with not that great a voice who had her day. How wrong was I! This was a great show!

Ms. Ross came out at the age of 63 looking like a 30-year-old with her slim, fit looking body complete with still juicy high booty covered in floor length gowns and feather boas which she changed four times during the show. Beginning with a red sequinned number, then yellow, then white and finishing with the nickname her one-time lover Berry Gordy calls her - 'Black'. The reason I know this? I'm currently reading her biography and it's amazing! Just like her show. From the moment she began with the much sampled I'm Coming Out, the hits kept coming, and I thought I didn't know many Diana Ross songs! Chain Reaction, Baby Baby , Baby Love, Upside Down, Can't Hurry Love, Do You Know, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and Endless Love (her duet with Lionel Richie) but the best fun was Stop In The Name Of Love complete with hand gestures!

The MTV crew were laughing at me cos when I wasn't singing I was transfixed listening to Diana who I had previously heard had a ropey voice. I wonder how that rumour spread? Her voice was really honeyed and melodious. When she began Ease On Down The Road (from The Wizard of Oz), I confess I lost it slightly cos me, Mariah and Mariah's folks love that movie and sing that song loud every time!

One song had an interesting old school lyric which showed why her generation of women weren't my generation: "I know you're cheating but don't explain - it's OK" -what! Uh uh Diana! Uh uh!

In the middle of her songs, as well as accepting petrol station bouquets of flowers and more flamboyant arrangements from men of all ages who timidly approached the stage, Diana also took it upon herself to help the security staff by encouraging the crowd to "keeps the aisles clear".

For the finale Ms. Ross spoke to us, thanked us, told us she loved us and her kids and her life, and sang "I love u" to us. It was special! I'm switching radio stations from ChoiceFM to Magic and HeartFM in future.

Then it was a journey from feel good to feel hood with Curtis Jackson aka Fiddy. It's been a while since we all caught up with G Unit's director general 50 Cent but this month he was in town this month hyping up his new album and causing his usual pandemonium just by walking down the street. His tracks are catchy but I'm not a fan of 50's lyrics. I respect his business savvy but as an example to young people, I feel he upholds a very negative example. My godchildren started making gun shapes with their hands yelling "pop pop" because of 50 and I'm not too comfortable with that. Furthermore this week, I heard radio interviews where he was cussing Kanye West's dress sense implying it was unmanly and I thought "uh oh-here he goes again, doing an Eminem drama moment to hype his new music!" MTV were "lucky enough" to be invited to catch up with 50 on his whistle stop trip where he told us his third album Curtis was going to blow our minds like the other two did. I feel like the record falls somewhere between Get Rich Or Die Tryin and The Massacre. I'm excited about it, I left no stones unturned. I went in the studio with pretty much everybody who I thought would provide a new creative direction for me, I worked with (the man he dissed) Kanye West, Pharrell, Swizz Beats, Will.I.Am. Interestingly, 50 was originally going to name the album Before I Self Destruct which is interesting. If he's not careful with his constant violent imagery and lyrics that's exactly what will happen. 50 told us "some hip hop music sales are down because of the lack of quality that has been released, so folks are saying 50 you gotta fix it. Let's go!!'". I know he sells nuff but he's also a modest guy. Isn't that sweet.

On 50's new album he's worked with a lot of Rn B acts, Akon (recently in trouble for his Trinidad antics), the queen of hip-hop soul Mary J, new hot buzzer on the streets Robin Thicke, pop prince Justin Timberlake (who he wrote new stuff on a tour bus studio in Florida with) hot again Timbaland, and hottie Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls.

MTV VJ Tim Kash mentioned that he compared 50 and Eminem to Venus and Serena Williams, cos they play together, practice together and always perform together. 50 responded that, Eminem has interests in producing records, when I don't have any at all. I fear receiving the 'producer's ear', they can only hear their music they are into. The other beat they are into is cool but not crazy to them. For me I feel it's valuable to know a hit record when it comes on than to always make one. He gets those incentives from Dr Dre. Dre is to Eminem what Eminem is to 50 Cent ... I will sit in the studio with him all day. I have never had any problem with Eminem on any level. We don't have any business conversations, period. It's always creative. I can take constructive criticism from him. I know he is 100 per cent in my corner. If I had to pick people that I know wants me to be happy, I would pick my grandmother, then Eminem and then we start finding other people."

Readers, if I had to pick something that has always meant a lot to me, dancing would make the top 10 list. I trained as a ballet dancer years ago, then taught street jazz at Pineapple studios and was a part of the Jiving Lindy Hoppers, so this past weekend I had to be a part of the Dance Off Awards which comedian Richard Blackwood and former Mis-Teeq member Su-Elise hosted. Did I show off my once legendary crazy legs moves to the crowd? Did I throw a few fouettes into the mix to impress folks? Or did I fluff up my basic two line award presenting moment? To see what went down, you really had to be there. Either that or pick up The Voice next week!

Published: 21 May 2007
Issue: 1270

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