Tracing your family’s roots may seem like a daunting and maybe even impossible task. Many black families have migrated a lot , have ghost family members and have documented histories that may not be easily accessible. But these hurdles have not stopped several African Americans, such as Morgan Freeman, Vanessa Williams, 50 Cent, Maya Angelou, Chris Rock, and Tina Turner from delving into their family histories and discovering more about their heritage. Even if you don’t have huge amounts of money or time to spend on advanced methods for tracing genealogy, there are four steps that can move you closer toward your family’s roots: Meet Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz Son Egypt Bow Wow Finally Addresses His Daughter Shai! 1. At this summer’s family reunion or cookout, actually take the time to talk to the older members of your family . It would be a good idea to record or write down a list of aunts and uncles, cousins, great aunts and uncles, great grandparents, etc. and to ask questions about your family’s history. For tips, visit: FamilySearch.org 2. Take advantage of online services that help you build your family tree. All you have to do is input information like birth and death dates, residences, spouses, etc. These sites contain census records, directories, documents, and fellow users that can help you connect with potential family members. FamilySearch.org (free service) Ancestry.com (subscription service) HeritageQuestOnline (subscription service) 3. DNA testing is good for more than finding out who the father is. Testing kits can use your DNA to determine maternal and paternal lineages, possibly tracing your roots back to specific African tribes, European countries, and beyond! AfricanAncestry.com DNAAncestryProject.com 4. If you visit Genealogical Societies, State Archives, or their websites to learn more about your family lineage, be prepared to search through tons documents like wills, deeds, slave records, and such that can lead you closer to your roots. List of Genealogical Societies List of State Archives
Since releasing her video for “Man Down,” Rihanna has been at the center of a firestorm. Conservative groups are up in arms because of the visuals plot featuring rape and murder. Rihanna gets raped in the Anthony Mandler directed video and winds up killing her attacker. What’s crazy about all of this is most of these conservatives-whether they realize or not-are defending rapists. Nevertheless, Rihanna isn’t the first pop star to cause controversy with her music video. The Urban Daily is counting down the ten most controversial music videos by women. 10. Ashanti – The Way That I Love You For her comeback single, Ashanti made fellas think twice about cheating. In the clip, she realizes she’s not the only one and has visions of killing her beau. Many believed art was imitating life because rumors swirled about her real life boyfriend, Nelly , constantly stepping out on her. If those allegations are true, he got the hint and appeared in her next video as the loving and trust worthy partner. 9. Christina Aguilera ft. Redman – Dirrty Christina Aguilera debuted as the pop princess with a huge voice and wholesome image. Not happy with being the good girl, Christina threw on some as**less chaps and a bikini shocked the world with this video. The public’s main gripe was the message she was sending to young girls. They felt Aguilera was entirely too talented to reduce herself to booty popping and salacious lyrics. Christina responded by saying, “This is me. No glass and no pretense.” Whatever you say, Christina. 8. Britney Spears – Baby One More Time By 1998, pop music was at a standstill. Nothing interesting was happening until a fifteen year old Britney debuted her music video with her dressed as a Catholic school girl dressing and dancing provocatively. Many parents condemned the record company for selling sex with such a blatant disregard for the messages being sent to their young audience. The only issue was the young Spears came up with the concept herself, knowing it would get her the attention needed to become a world class pop star. She was right. So what does that say about us, the people who ate it up? 7. Ciara – Ride The clip from Ciara’s first single from her latest disc stirred up the drama for many reasons. First, the racy lyrics already caused some women to shy away from the song. However, men were drawn in by the overtly sexual depictions of Ciara. Riding a mechanical bull in a wet t-shirt and hot pants and wearing a itty bitty swimsuit and a fur coat had the guys drooling. My mom saw the video and responded, “All she’s missing is a pole!” BET deemed the video so explicit, it was banned from the network and became an internet sensation. 6. Fiona Apple – Criminal In 1997, Fiona Apple slithered onto our radar with her hit, “Criminal.” The then barely legal singer’s video featured the aftermath of a wild party. Apple is seen in various states of undress. The heroin chic look thought up by director, Mark Romanek , was criticized relentlessly. The heat became so much for Fiona, she denounced her own video in an acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs the following year. Criminal, indeed. 5. Lady Gaga and Beyonce – Telephone Illuminati conspiracy theories aside, “Telephone” was one of the most talked about videos in recent history because some didn’t understand it. Others thought it was too sexy for television. The rest of us just enjoyed watching Beyonce . Showcasing lesbian acts, murder, and nudity, Lady Gaga and Beyonce do their take on Thelma & Louise. While many were distraught over the themes, there was a poignant moment. The conversation about trust is absolutely true. 4. Madonna – Justify My Love If controversy was a man, Madonna would be its wife. Never has anyone conjured more scrutiny for images in music videos than The Material Girl. For this 1992 clip, Madonna bucked at conservatives with images of homosexuality, bondage, and voyuerism. Once MTV banned the video for its sexual nature, Madonna capitalized on the media storm by releasing it on VHS in conjunction with her book aptly titled, SEX. Lenny Kravitz , who wrote the song, is still making money off that. Madonna – Justify my Love from OfDreamAndDrama on Vimeo . 3. Erykah Badu – Window Seat Erykah Badu has always been the artist to push boundaries in the R&B genre. Her videos are thought provoking pieces of art. This is especially true for “Window Seat.” A video depicting Badu strolling the same path in downtown Dallas as JFK rode the day he was killed, while stripping her clothes off. The reactions in the clip are real. Erykah was fined for her body baring stunt. In case you didn’t know, the concept is Erykah is taking off the layers of learned behavior until she is free enough to think critically on her own. When she is finally able to do so, she’s killed because society doesn’t want us to think differently than the majority. That backside wasn’t bad to look at either. Erykah Badu “Window Seat” from triggerhappy on Vimeo . 2. Madonna – Like A Prayer Burning crosses, making love to saints, and a Black man playing said saint. Oh my! The Pepsi generation wasn’t ready for Madonna’s ideas. She lost her Pepsi endorsement after the video aired. Back in the 1980s, it was still very taboo for interracial couples to be shown on television. Blacks were never portrayed as biblical icons in that time. As forward thinking as this video is, I’m throwing some shade for the burning crosses. Every time I see a burning cross, I think the KKK is about to do me like Emmett Till. What were you trying to say to the Black community, Madge? Inquiring minds still want to know. 1. M.I.A. – Born Free M.I.A. has been pushing buttons with her artistry since bursting on the scene in the early 2000s. In the clip for “Born Free,” she holds a mirror up to America to show them how stupid we look as we randomly attack people for being Muslims. Only in her video, soldiers were attacking all redheads. Soldiers were seen kicking in random apartment doors just to see if the residents were redheads. If they weren’t they just left. If they were, they would be put in in prison and tortured. It’s a no brainer why American music fans hated this video. Who wants to be shown how much of a jackass they’ve been?
Since releasing her video for “Man Down,” Rihanna has been at the center of a firestorm. Conservative groups are up in arms because of the visuals plot featuring rape and murder. Rihanna gets raped in the Anthony Mandler directed video and winds up killing her attacker. What’s crazy about all of this is most of these conservatives-whether they realize or not-are defending rapists. Nevertheless, Rihanna isn’t the first pop star to cause controversy with her music video. The Urban Daily is counting down the ten most controversial music videos by women. 10. Ashanti – The Way That I Love You For her comeback single, Ashanti made fellas think twice about cheating. In the clip, she realizes she’s not the only one and has visions of killing her beau. Many believed art was imitating life because rumors swirled about her real life boyfriend, Nelly , constantly stepping out on her. If those allegations are true, he got the hint and appeared in her next video as the loving and trust worthy partner. 9. Christina Aguilera ft. Redman – Dirrty Christina Aguilera debuted as the pop princess with a huge voice and wholesome image. Not happy with being the good girl, Christina threw on some as**less chaps and a bikini shocked the world with this video. The public’s main gripe was the message she was sending to young girls. They felt Aguilera was entirely too talented to reduce herself to booty popping and salacious lyrics. Christina responded by saying, “This is me. No glass and no pretense.” Whatever you say, Christina. 8. Britney Spears – Baby One More Time By 1998, pop music was at a standstill. Nothing interesting was happening until a fifteen year old Britney debuted her music video with her dressed as a Catholic school girl dressing and dancing provocatively. Many parents condemned the record company for selling sex with such a blatant disregard for the messages being sent to their young audience. The only issue was the young Spears came up with the concept herself, knowing it would get her the attention needed to become a world class pop star. She was right. So what does that say about us, the people who ate it up? 7. Ciara – Ride The clip from Ciara’s first single from her latest disc stirred up the drama for many reasons. First, the racy lyrics already caused some women to shy away from the song. However, men were drawn in by the overtly sexual depictions of Ciara. Riding a mechanical bull in a wet t-shirt and hot pants and wearing a itty bitty swimsuit and a fur coat had the guys drooling. My mom saw the video and responded, “All she’s missing is a pole!” BET deemed the video so explicit, it was banned from the network and became an internet sensation. 6. Fiona Apple – Criminal In 1997, Fiona Apple slithered onto our radar with her hit, “Criminal.” The then barely legal singer’s video featured the aftermath of a wild party. Apple is seen in various states of undress. The heroin chic look thought up by director, Mark Romanek , was criticized relentlessly. The heat became so much for Fiona, she denounced her own video in an acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs the following year. Criminal, indeed. 5. Lady Gaga and Beyonce – Telephone Illuminati conspiracy theories aside, “Telephone” was one of the most talked about videos in recent history because some didn’t understand it. Others thought it was too sexy for television. The rest of us just enjoyed watching Beyonce . Showcasing lesbian acts, murder, and nudity, Lady Gaga and Beyonce do their take on Thelma & Louise. While many were distraught over the themes, there was a poignant moment. The conversation about trust is absolutely true. 4. Madonna – Justify My Love If controversy was a man, Madonna would be its wife. Never has anyone conjured more scrutiny for images in music videos than The Material Girl. For this 1992 clip, Madonna bucked at conservatives with images of homosexuality, bondage, and voyuerism. Once MTV banned the video for its sexual nature, Madonna capitalized on the media storm by releasing it on VHS in conjunction with her book aptly titled, SEX. Lenny Kravitz , who wrote the song, is still making money off that. Madonna – Justify my Love from OfDreamAndDrama on Vimeo . 3. Erykah Badu – Window Seat Erykah Badu has always been the artist to push boundaries in the R&B genre. Her videos are thought provoking pieces of art. This is especially true for “Window Seat.” A video depicting Badu strolling the same path in downtown Dallas as JFK rode the day he was killed, while stripping her clothes off. The reactions in the clip are real. Erykah was fined for her body baring stunt. In case you didn’t know, the concept is Erykah is taking off the layers of learned behavior until she is free enough to think critically on her own. When she is finally able to do so, she’s killed because society doesn’t want us to think differently than the majority. That backside wasn’t bad to look at either. Erykah Badu “Window Seat” from triggerhappy on Vimeo . 2. Madonna – Like A Prayer Burning crosses, making love to saints, and a Black man playing said saint. Oh my! The Pepsi generation wasn’t ready for Madonna’s ideas. She lost her Pepsi endorsement after the video aired. Back in the 1980s, it was still very taboo for interracial couples to be shown on television. Blacks were never portrayed as biblical icons in that time. As forward thinking as this video is, I’m throwing some shade for the burning crosses. Every time I see a burning cross, I think the KKK is about to do me like Emmett Till. What were you trying to say to the Black community, Madge? Inquiring minds still want to know. 1. M.I.A. – Born Free M.I.A. has been pushing buttons with her artistry since bursting on the scene in the early 2000s. In the clip for “Born Free,” she holds a mirror up to America to show them how stupid we look as we randomly attack people for being Muslims. Only in her video, soldiers were attacking all redheads. Soldiers were seen kicking in random apartment doors just to see if the residents were redheads. If they weren’t they just left. If they were, they would be put in in prison and tortured. It’s a no brainer why American music fans hated this video. Who wants to be shown how much of a jackass they’ve been?
Beyonce covers the UK’s latest edition of the Sunday Times where inside she talks about being the first woman to headline the Glastonbury music festival and being born a star. On headlining Glastonbury festival: “I am very, very nervous. But it feels so good to know I still can feel so out of my element. Yes, I saw Jay conquer Glastonbury and I was also a bit nervous because of the controversy. And he just completely took over. I saw the advice. I don’t have to ask. The best way is to see it for yourself. I’ve spoken with Bono and Edge, who’ve given me tips. And of course Chris Martin has given me tips and Gwyn’s given me tips, so we’ll see. I’ve been there behind the scenes and I had the time of my life. I hope it rains. I want it muddy. I want to ditch the heels and put on my wellies. I just want to make sure that I deliver. I’m sure it’ll be one of those memories I’ll take with me to my grave.” On her growth: “It happened gradually. I didn’t wake up one day and, one album, two albums later, say, ‘Now I’m a star.’ I had to grind it out, probably more than any artist I know. Destiny’s Child traveled in coach. We were sharing rooms and fighting over phones, even with multiple No. 1 singles. We worked so hard. Sixteen-hour days. Everything that I’ve done, I’ve worked so hard for, until my toes are bleeding. And no complaints. I think the more you have to work for something, the more you cherish it. Every time I think about doing something silly or something that’s going to be detrimental to my career, I think about everything I built and all that time I sacrificed. On fame: “I think maybe a star is born. I was born to do what I do. It’s just too natural. There are certain things I do that nobody taught me. Nobody can teach you. It’s just, you are. I feel like we all are stars.” Beyonce Makes History At UK Glastonbury Festival [VIDEOS & PHOTOS] Beyonce’s Target Commercial Gives Sneak Peek Into Her Hiatus [VIDEO]
Two weeks ago, a Blake Lively nude photo scandal hit the web, as hackers released an array of nude shots allegedly of the Gossip Girl actress. Lively’s rep, while denying the photos are of the star, threatened legal action against websites that published them. But can she even do that? She sure can – irrespective of whether the pics are her or not, in fact – for invasion of privacy, negligent infliction of emotional distress, etc. Whether she will is a different matter entirely. Lively’s reps were quick to cry foul, claiming the pictures were not her, and publicly threatening legal action against any outlet who published them. But so far, only one site (Perez Hilton) says it has been approached by Lively’s legal team, and the snapshots remain published on numerous sites. Perez indicated that he removed the first set of photos per an attorney’s request, but a second set of photos released by the hacker remain online. Gawker, Mr. Skin, Egotastic and Barstool Sports, among other websites, have posted both sets of images and proudly display them to this day. So is she serious about suing or not? “If she doesn’t sue at all, the photos will stay put on the various websites, unless, that is, the owners of those sites develop a conscience and agree to requests to remove them,” a defense attorney told Fox News . “Believe it or not that can work, though Blake shouldn’t hold her breath.” Despite the controversy, the 23-year-old – who has also made headlines recently with her new romance with Oscar-nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio – hasn’t shied away from plugging her upcoming superhero flick, Green Lantern . And getting a lot more publicity because of the rumors. Just saying. What do you think? Are the photos actually of Blake?
Serena Williams is revealing details about the multiple surgeries she underwent over the past year, one of which was life-saving as it removed a fatal blood clot from her lungs. The blood clot developed while she was recuperating from her second foot surgery, one she needed after cutting her right foot with glass while leaving a restaurant in Munich last July. On her lung surgery: “It has been a totally different road because I’ve had some serious health problems and I was literally on my deathbed at one point. The doctors said that I had several clots bilaterally in both lungs. They said if they had caught it two days later, it could have been a lot more serious, possibly career-ending. A lot of people die from it because you don’t recognize it. I couldn’t breathe. I honestly just thought I was out of shape and needed to get on the treadmill or hit the elliptical. It was my physio who forced me to go to the hospital whereas I was actually on the way to a party. She said, ‘No, you need to go to the hospital.’ I’m glad I didn’t go to that party.” On cutting her foot and the following surgery: “We were leaving the restaurant, I was walking and then I felt something. I just stepped back and said, ‘Oh, that really hurts.’ There was a massive pool of blood. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I ended up fainting because I lost so much blood. I ended up getting stitches in both feet. One was on top and one was on the bottom of my other foot. It sliced right through my ligament. I didn’t know that, I just knew that my toe was hanging low.” “The second surgery on my foot was way tougher than the first, especially mentally. More mentally tough than anything I have been through in my life outside of my sister’s passing. I was in a cast for 20 weeks. I’d rather have been in jail for 20 weeks because I really hated that cast. Having your foot in one position so long, not moving it, not being able to walk or do a lot of things caused a lot of the problems.” On her post-surgery mindset: “After it was all over, there were a few days when I didn’t get out of bed. So much had happened to me and I couldn’t understand why. I was thinking, ‘Just what didn’t I do or what did I do to deserve this?’” However, Serena has finally returned to tennis, playing in a pre-Wimbledon tournament in the UK today: “If tennis has missed [Venus and I] half as much as we’ve missed tennis, we’re in a good place. This is a comeback that’s totally different from any other comeback.” SOURCE Serena Williams’ Sexy Twitter Avatar Stirs Up Controversy Serena Williams’ Stalker Arrested Serena Williams’ Raunchy Video Game Ad Banned From TV Is Beyonce A Liar? [VIDEO] THEN & NOW: 1980s Music Icons FACT OF THE DAY: Rick Ross Attended College On A Football Scholarship
Amidst all the controversy over her “Man Down” video , Rihanna gained some praise this weekend from Gabrielle Union , who applauded the pop singer for getting people to talk about rape. Gabby just returned from D.C. earlier in the week where she attended the National Advistory Committee on Violence Against Women meetings. For those not already aware, Union was raped at gunpoint when she was 19-years-old during the robbery of the California shoe store where she worked. She’s been outspoken about rape since the incident, trying to help other victims and prevent the crime from happening. She shared her thoughts on the “Man Down” video and even explained how she tried shooting her attacker but felt relieved that she missed in retrospect. Read the rest of her tweets when you continue…
Rihanna’s latest music video “Man Down” after only one day of being released has caused more controversy for the red head than bargained for. After the non-profit organization Parents Television Control expressed displeasure with the video, Rihanna took to Twitter saying: “I’m a 23 year old rockstar with NO KIDS! What’s up with everybody wantin me to be a parent? I’m just a girl, I can only be your/our voice! Cuz we all know how difficult/embarrassing it is to communicate touchy subject matters to anyone especially our parents! And this is why! Cuz we turn the other cheek! U can’t hide your kids from society,or they’ll never learn how to adapt!This is the REAL WORLD! The music industry isn’t exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! Its your job to make sure they dont turn out like US” Related Posts: Rihanna’s “Man Down” Video Causing Controversy With PTC Rihanna “Man Down” [NEW VIDEO]
Nudity and spirituality don’t often intersect here in the West, where centuries of Christian tradition have taught that the devout reject the sins of the flesh. This attitude holds true in the movies, where “inspirational” and “adult” represent the two extremes of filmmaking. So when taboo T&A is displayed in films with a religious theme, the combination can be explosive. Join us for a sacrelicious look at some of these films and the controversy surrounding them after the jump!
ATL rapper Rocko is cool with both YC and Future, so he called into Hot 107.9 and spoke with the Durtty Boyz about the controversy caused by the just-released music video for the hit song “Racks.” As we previously reported, Future doesn’t think the video is on par with how big the song is. Rocko said: “[Future’s] image should have been captured better in the video, in my opinion.” Listen to what else Rocko said below! RELATED: Future Speaks On His Disapproval Of “Racks” Video & YC Responds [EXCLUSIVE] RELATED: YC Feat. Future “Racks” [MUSIC VIDEO] RELATED: Future’s Got Next In The Hot Spot Light [EXCLUSIVE] RELATED: Behind The Scenes Footage Of YC’s “Racks” Video Shoot RELATED: YC Signs With Universal! [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]
