THIS IS THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: The Daily Buzz for Sept 25

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Soul Train 2012 Nominations Announced

Below are this year’s Soul Train Music Award nominations. Superstars Usher & R.Kelly are both in the lead with 5 Nominations each.

Check out the full list of nominees below and look out the Soul Train Awards to take place in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Casino on Nov 8th.

2012 Soul Train Awards Nominations

Best New Artist

Elle Varner

Emeli Sande

J. Cole

Luke James

Robert Glasper

Centric Award

Daley

Esperanza Spalding

Gary Clark Jr.

Leah Labelle

Santigold

Best Gospel/Inspirational Performance

BeBe Winans- “America America”

Fred Hammond- “I Feel Good”

Marvin Sapp- “My Testimony”

Mary Mary- “Go Get It”

Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks- “Celebrate”

Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year

2 Chainz ft. Drake- “No Lie”

Wale ft. Miguel- “Lotus Flower Bomb”

Nas- “Daughters”

Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz – “Mercy”

Young Jeezy ft. Ne-Yo- “Leave You Alone”

Best R&B/Soul Female Artist

Beyoncé

Estelle

Keyshia Cole

Mary J. Blige

Melanie Fiona

Best R&B/Soul Male Artist

Miguel

Robin Thicke

Trey Songz

Tyrese

Usher

Album of the Year

The One – Eric Benet

Channel Orange -Frank Ocean

Life Is Good -Nas

Write Me Back -R. Kelly

Looking For Myself -Usher

Song of the Year

Estelle- “Thank You”

John Legend ft. Ludacris- “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)”

Trey Songz- “Heart Attack”

Tyrese- “Stay”

Usher- “Climax”

Wale ft. Miguel- “Lotus Flower Bomb”

The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award

“Thank You”-Estelle

(Writers: Arden Altino, Akene “The Champ” Dunkley, Jerry Duplessis, Doug F. Edwards, Thomas D. Richardson, Aliaune Thiam)

“Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” -John Legend ft. Ludacris

(Writers: Allen Arthur, Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges, Keith Justice, Miguel Pimentel “Miguel”, Clayton Reilly, John Stephens)

“Daughters”-Nas

(Writers: Nasir Jones, Ernest D. Wilson, Patrick Adams, Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka)

“Share My Love”-R. Kelly

(Writer: Robert Kelly)

“Climax” -Usher

(Writers: Usher Raymond IV, Sean “Redd Stylez” Fenton, Thomas “Diplo” Pentz, Ariel Rechtshaid)

Best Dance Performance

Beyoncé- “Love On Top”

Chris Brown- “Turn Up The Music”

Nicki Minaj- “Starships”

Rihanna- “Where Have You Been”

Usher- “Scream”

Best Caribbean Performance*

Cover Drive – “Bajan Style”

Damien “Junior Gong” Marley- “SuperHeavy”

Jimmy Cliff- “Rebirth”

Matisyahu – “Spark Seeker”

Sean Paul – “Tomahawk Technique”

Best International Performance*

Amy Winehouse- “Our Day Will Come”

Daley ft. Marsha Ambrosius- “Alone Together”

Emeli Sande- “Next To Me”

Estelle- “Thank You”

Gotye ft. Kimbra- “Somebody (That I Used To Know)”

Rebecca Ferguson- “Nothing’s Real But Love”

Best Traditional Jazz Artist/Group*

Chris Botti- Impressions

Kenny Garrett- Seeds From The Underground

Melody Gardot- The Absence

The Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio

Tony Bennett- Isn’t It Romantic

Best Contemporary Jazz Artist/Group*

Ben Tankard- Full Tank

Brian Culbertson- DREAMS

Cassandra Wilson- Another Country

Esperanza Spalding- Radio Music Society

Peter White- Here We Go

Lifetime Achievement Award

New Edition

T.I. Reveals Album Release Date & Releases New Book

T.I. will be releasing his new album, “Trouble Man,” in time for the holidays. The rapper told audiences at BET’s “106 & Park” that his seventh album will be out on December 18th.

The album has been delayed several times, but now the rapper insists this time he’s “settled on” the release date. Tip also said “Trouble Man” would include appearances from DJ Toomp, Pharrell Williams, Andre 3000 and Cee Lo Green. T.I has high hopes for this album. He told “106 & Park,” “I think I’m gearing up to present a classic.”

TI made his way around NYC and was photoed leaving out of the Sirius XM radio stations showing off a copy of his book “Trouble and Triumph”.

ON THE SET: Morris Chestnut FILMING "Kick-Ass 2"

Morris Chestnut was spotted in Toronto where he's filming Kick-Ass 2. The film stars Jim Carrey and Nicholas Cage. The flick is about a costumed high-school hero named Kick-Ass who joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Morris plays Sergeant Marcus Williams in the film and we hope he wears a tight costume.....he still has the body of a superhero.

He recently posted to Facebook that in October he'll bring out a project with producer Jason Tolbert & director Kenn Michael about the wrongfully convicted.

Taraji P. Henson & Common Spotted in New York City

Taraji P. Henson signs autographs for fans, as she arrives at “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in New York City. Henson is currently starring in the CBS crime drama ‘Person of Interest’.

We also spotted Common (real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.) in NYC, who coincidentally use to date Taraji. The casually dressed GOOD Music rapper was casually dressed wearing red sneakers, camouflage pants and a blue button up.

Missy Elliott Talks ‘Nicki Minaj / Lil Kim’ Beef With MTV

Much to fan delight, ‘Work It’ rapstress Missy Elliott is definitely back hard at work promoting her latest gems ’9th Inning’ and ‘Triple Threat’.

Already guesting BET’s ’106 & Park’, the Virginian femcee made her way over to MTV to visit ‘RapFix’ to share the good news of her return.

As ever, despite being plagued with questions on the Drake/Aaliyah debacle, Elliott was also greeted with her thoughts on the ever-hyped beef between fellow femcees Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim. While one who has career-long evaded beef, the ‘Hot Boys’ hitmaker has always been one to speak her mind.

Read her thoughts below:

Via HipHopWired:

“I felt like that situation divided us,” says Elliott speaking on the Minaj/Kim beef.

“Lil Kim is my sister. I’ve known her for years, and I’d never turn my back on her.”

“There’s enough room for everybody,” she added. “I wanna see everybody get it. I love to see women just have their own. You watch the guys do it all the time, they go out on the road with each other. Go on and get that money.”

“You don’t have to like somebody—just respect,” she added. “Once we get that, everybody I think will be great. I wish I could wave some kind of wand and make it happen, but I also am not in that situation to make it happen, to say do this and do that. I haven’t been in that situation to know what that is.”

“I try to support everybody—past, present, and future. I love my peers. Lil’ Kim is my sister, Eve is my sister, Trina, Roxanne Shanté, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Monie Love…Anybody that know me, know that I show love. We just gotta respect each other.”

Elliott’s thoughts come shortly after news that Lil’ Kim is set to feature on her new album.

Your thoughts?

NeNe Leakes Ready to Leave ‘RHOA’? Thinks – ‘May be Time to Move on’

I have to say this is sad yet great news all in one. The homie NeNe Leakes reportedly may be getting too big for reality television.

Eurweb reports Leaks career has skyrocketed from being a co-star of a multi-personality drama filled show, to scoring multiple roles in legitimate, talent-needed shows. Beyond that, she’s working on hosting her own talk show. She also tweeted pics of her granddaughter.

“I can’t continue to be a housewife,” she said in a recent interview with the New York Post. “At some point, I have to back out.”

NeNe is reportedly on top of the world, starring in two scripted comedies, “The New Normal” and “Glee". She recently tweeted pics of her and the cast of The New Normal.

She added that being associated with the bad-rapped reality series genre could be holding her back.

“Just the thought of me being a ‘Housewife,’ [TV execs] would probably say, ‘Hmmm. We may not want to use her.’ Jus the whole persona of being a housewife: the cattiness and the bitchiness and the fighting, people see you as that is who you are,” she reasoned.

She’s not saying good-bye to “RHOA” yet. She plans to keep it going until the right time comes.

28-Year-Old Florida Stripper Sentenced To Year And A Half For Food Stamp Fraud Because She Made 85,000 In Tips!

She made over $85,000 a year in tips from her job as an exotic dancer…but this hot mess still used the aid from ‘Uncle Sam’ for plastic surgery and a custom pink paint job for her whip!

A former exotic dancer and paralegal accused of spending nearly $24,000 worth of federal aid on plastic surgery, a car stereo system and a pink paint job for her car has been jailed for food stamp fraud.

Appearing in Florida courtroom, Brenda Charlestain, 28, testified to being homeless and unemployed when she applied for the aid to help her and her five children. Thanks to her later work dancing, however, she made over $85,000 a year in tips.

Charlestain argued that of the accused total a large portion were gifts from male customers at various adult entertainment clubs in Southern Florida, the Sun Sentinel reports.

She said $9,187 was gifted to her for cosmetic enhancements and $1,100 for a sound system for her 2008 Dodge Charger – made a bright pink with government money according to prosecutors.

Between March of 2010 and June of 2012, court records show she was provided $900 to $1,100 in government aid every month.

She said out of her aid and tips she paid $1,200 a month in rent and $326 in monthly car payments.

Having pleaded guilty to the federal fraud charges earlier this year, as well as in providing a firearm to a convicted felon, her husband, on Thursday she was sentenced to 1 1/2 years in a federal prison.

Begging for leniency from the judge, Charlestain asked for a downgraded sentence to house arrest while stressing various obstacles she has overcome in life, starting with her father’s death when she was 10 and becoming pregnant at the age of 14.

Kanye West Throwing Million-Dollar Birthday Party for Kim Kardashian

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Kanye West is smitten with his new love, Kim Kardashian. The man has written about their love in song as well as called her his “perfect b–ch,” taken her around the globe with him and he’s even given her wardrobe a Yeezy- approved makeover. Clearly, ‘Ye will do a lot for Kardashian. And apparently, that includes paying out a million bucks for her upcoming birthday bash.

According to Perez Hilton, West is planning a lavish 32nd birthday bash for Kardashian in Pine Cay, a private island in the Turks and Caicos.

“Kim has been really down about turning 32 and having two failed marriages behind her and no children, so he wants to make this extra-special. Plus, it’s her first birthday since they’ve been together as a couple. Kanye has never been shy of splashing out on the women he loves, but this time he’s pulling out all the stops with presents,” said the source.

And that’s not all. West has apparently gotten a five-star hotel chef to be the cook, a slew of new designer threads, a very special Prada bag to be lined with a KK print and a pink diamond bracelet and a couture Chanel dress for Kardashian.

If that doesn’t turn gray skies blue, we don’t know what will. And she’s not alone, check out some other major celebrity birthday gifts below. –

Love & Hip Hop ‘Yandy Smith’ Shows Off Her Blue-Eyed Baby Boy

Yandy Smith of “Love & Hip Hop”, just gave birth to a baby boy a few months ago. Well Yandy took to her instagram page this week to share new photos of her baby, Omere. Calling him her “blue-eyed bandit,”. Isn’t he just adorable?, and they say black people can’t have blue eyes.

Yandy is on the left, and her son on the right.

Manny Halley Managing Nicki Minaj?

Last year Keyshia Cole and her former manager Manny Halley went through a messy little break-up Since then Manny has been spotted lurking in the background of countless paparazzi photos of Nicki Minaj, leading to speculation that Manny was now managing Hip Pop's current It Girl.

Well, maybe he is and maybe he isn't...

According to someone, who told someone,

who told Diary of a Hollywood Street King,

“Manny is in NYC, cause Nicki Minaj is out here taping American Idol. Manny is fronting like he’s Nicki’s manager, but he’s really [Nicki's manager] Cortez Bryant’s beating stick."

Scrappy Creeping on Erica with a Reality Star?

On the season finale of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta Lil Scrappy famously proposed to his long suffering baby mama Erica [click here if you missed that], but is Scrap Dog already creeping on Erica with a Basketball Wife..?

An insider tells Baller Alert,

"That chic named Adiz Bambi who is on BasketBall Wives LA. I guess her and Scrappy are messing around from the looks of Instagram. Cant wait to see what other scandalous things she is going to be doing after we already saw her on the super trailer kissing Draya."

Jennifer Williams Celebrates Her Birthday

Jennifer Williams Turns Mystery Age

After making headlines last week for feuding online with her estranged husband, “Basketball Wives” star Jennifer Williams retreated to New York for a fun-filled birthday celebration. Williams, the soon-to-be ex-wife of Eric Williams, took to NYC’s Millesime seafood brasserie alongside some of her closest friends this week to celebrate her birthday. Attendees included Star Jones’ ex-husband, Al Reynolds, actor Isaiah Washington and radio host Angela Yee. After dining on delicacies that included pan-roasted chicken and tuna steak, a massive birthday cake was brought out for the bright-eyed reality star. If you’re wondering how old the “Basketball Wives” is, so are we! Williams has yet to announce just how many candles she blew out for her special day. She did, however, tweet out this message about the festivities:

Check out pictures of Williams celebrating in style below. –

What ever the age…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Take A Look Into Russell Simmon’s 11 Million$ NYC Penthouse!

Russell, is putting his bachelor pad on the market…again, and this time it’s listed for $11M. The posh New York City penthouse is fully equipped with 3 terraces, 2 kitchens, and like 40 windows.

Check it out