CELEBRITY NEWS: RIHANNA PERFORMS FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE THE ASSAULT

Rihanna Performs For The First Time Since Assault. GOOOD NEWS FOR HER, & FANS ALIKE. I’M GLAD TO SEE HER BACK TO DOING WHAT SHE LOVES. KEEP IT PUSHING RIHANNA, & KEEP LOOKING, WELL, LIKE YOU DO. LOL

Rihanna has performed for the first time since she was allegedly assaulted by her on/off boyfriend Chris Brown. The "Rehab" singer - who was dressed in a black Dolce and Gabbana power suit - joined Kanye West on stage at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in New York on Monday.

The pair performed a duet of Kanye's song "Say You Will" before Rihanna belted out an emotional rendition of her hit "Live Your Life."

A source said: "Kanye asked her to do it. It was his idea, but Vogue editor Anna Wintour obviously had to approve it. Anna was at the run-through during the day and was so into it."

The audience applauded wildly when the 21-year-old star walked on stage, with many shouting messages of support.

Rihanna did not respond to questions about Chris, but smiled and waved at the crowd.

After her performance, the star was seen chatting to Madonna, Victoria Beckham, and fashion designers Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney.

She was later seen talking to "Gossip Girl" star Blake Lively at Jacob's after-party at trendy restaurant Monkey Bar and spotted dancing with friends at nightclub Bungalow 8.

Chris, 20, pleaded not guilty to assault and making criminal threats in a Los Angeles court last month

SOURCE: EXPOSAY

CELEBRITY NEWS

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? ARE YOU DEVASTATED BY IT? HAS IT CRUSHED YOUR VERY SOUL? DO YOU CARE? LOL. WHATEVER YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT IT, NAS & KELIS JONES ARE NO MORE. IT IS OFFICIAL. CHECK OUT THE DIVORCE PAPERS, COURTESY OF MY ACES AT VIBE MAGAZINE. AND BY THE WAY, FOR ALL OF THOSE IN THE DARK, KELIS IS PREGNANT WITH NAS’ BABY, AT LEAST WE ALL BELIEVE IT’S HIS.

The hip hop couple call it quits UPDATE: A look at the divorce papers

One of hip hop’s most talked about married couples have split. VIBE has confirmed that Nas and Kelis are headed for a divorce. “I can confirm that she has filed for divorce,” a spokesperson for Kelis told VIBE. “We request the media to respect her privacy during this very difficult time.” At around 3:45pm PST, high-powered attorney Laura Wasser (who has also represented Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, and Stevie Wonder) filed a divorce petition today on behalf of Kelis, citing irreconciable differences. The bombshell comes amid recent reports that the acclaimed rhymer and influential R&B vixen were expecting their first child together—a son. Kelis is currently seven months pregnant.

It was only last February when Nas spoke excitedly to MTV about the prospect of having a baby with Kelis. “Yeah, man, I find out what it's gonna be next week, so I'm happy," said the multiplatinum rapper, who also has a 15-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Nas and Kelis first met in 2002 at a MTV Video Music Awards afterparty thrown by hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. “I wasn’t going to go, but I’m glad I did,” Nas told VIBE in June 2003. “Then at the afterparty, I met my girl.” Kelis remembered the meeting with her future husband vividly: “Everyone moves out of the way, and Nas stands up, and I put my hand out, and I’m like, Hey, I’m Kelis. And he goes, ‘Who?’… So I’m crawling into a fucking hole, and he’s like, ‘Wait-huh? What’s your name? And I’m like, Kelis, and he’s like, ‘Oh, well that’s great, because I’ve been waiting to make you my wife all these years.’” When Nas told her of his bold marital plans, she replied in typical Kelis form. “That’s great, because that’s all I wanna be.”

After dating for two years, the pair married in a small ceremony in Atlanta on July 28, 2003. Their relationship even sparked artistic collaborations, with Nas appearing on Kelis’ sensual single "In Public," featured on her 2003 release Tasty (Star Trak/Arista). Kelis returned the favor on the Queensbridge, N.Y., MC’s controversial 2006 work Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam) on “Not Going Back.” Yet, since March of 2008, rumors of the couple separating have been circulating on the Web. Nas’ spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

SOURCE: VIBE MAGAZINE

CELEBRITY NEWS

Check out this article on the latest venture from my ace, Common. I’m a fan of the music, definitely in his corner with the new sag card action, & now he’s doing bigger & even better. Big ups to my ace on all of that & more. Check out the article

Rapper-turned-actor Common has gone back to "the people" with the announcement of The Corner, the first national online book club for teens in the United States.

Aimed at kids from middle to high school, Common's new venture will inspire members to read and voice their thoughts.

Each month, The Corner educational team chooses a book-of-the-month that conveys messages of tolerance, compassion and non-violent expressions of achieving social justice. Through lively discussions about the world of books through "Let's Talk," The Corner book club blog, members are encouraged to discuss, debate, critique, and comment on the selected material. A monthly spotlight of celebrity interviews focus on artists' favorite books, why reading is important to them and issues that teens face today. (Yahoo News)

The Chi-town emcee's motivation stems from strong family ties.

"My mom was a teacher, and growing up she always stressed the importance of education. So when I look back it's not a surprise for me to use words as a tool to make change, and to inspire children for the future." (Hip Hop Press)

The program was created in part with a grant by Best Buy's @15 which also recently worked with Ludacris on an outreach program.

Luda has joined forces with Best Buy's teenage-based social networking site @15 for a special TSA ("Teen Service Announcement"). He participated in the TSA as an early supporter of @15, a new teen-led social change platform underwritten by Best Buy to give teens a voice and give them opportunities to direct the company's philanthropy through the newly-created @15 Fund. (MSN News)

Aside from charity events and movies, Common previously told SOHH he hoped to continue making music far beyond a rapper's expected "retirement" ages.

"God willing, you'll get albums nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen," Common laughingly promised. "I feel like a jazz musician in many ways and I wanna keep creating music. I feel like I want to be doing shows when I'm sixty something." (SOHH)