There is definitely something about Mary, I mean Mary J. Blige. She’s sings from the heart and wears her feelings on her sleeve and because of all that raw honesty she has developed an unparalleled fan base, that is almost cult-like, especially in New York. At her sold out performance at Radio City Music Hall last night, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul didn’t even have to sing a few songs at all because it seemed like the entire audience knew all the words by heart. This is the closest thing I’ve seen to a call and response exchange in a secular venue. That’s why Mary’s shows are not for the casual fan, if you don’t know Mary and her music you’ll probably feel out of place. And plan on standing, as we did, for at least 80% of the show.But there is something different about Mary these days too. She’s grown into a singer who doesn’t need to muddy the waters with lots of backup dancers. And her backup band included both a strings and horn section in addition to the traditional guitar, bass, keyboard and percussions. And her staging has gotten both sophisticated (superb use of video elements) and more dramatic (with smoke and pyrotechnics) to correspond with her confident and content place in life. She proves without a doubt that there is no reason to miss the Old Mary because you can see that she’s still there, only better.

In fact, the singer has been inspired to reach back to help other sisters. She has partnered with Steve Stoute to create FFAWN (www.ffawn.org) with is the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now. Yes, she wants everyone to reach their full potential and will be funding scholarships, grants and programs that foster self-esteem, career development and personal growth. 

But it is in performance that you can really see that she is in a great place. That’s why Mary can aptly weave in and out of her repertoire from all stages of her career and have fun while doing it. She included joints from What’s the 411?, My Life, Share My World, as well as more recent work from The Breakthrough and Growing Pains. But since she can’t sing every single song you’re still left wanting more. (But you may be hoarse because you’ve been singing all night too.)

Because her music strikes a chord, Mary has a way of bring a disparate group of sisters (and brothers) together for one common interest. And for those 90 minutes, you forget about what you do and what you have or don’t have and can enjoy being a black woman. (Although now all kinds of folks are passionate about her too). I guess even the celebrities feel the same way too because Keyshia Cole, LL Cool and even Jeff Redd (who is responsible for getting her to Uptown Records) were there too. But nobody was sweating who was in the audience, all eyes were on the stage because Mary J Blige was, without a doubt, the woman of the hour.

Here, check out some vintage Mary:

And something more current:

Janet Jackson’s Discipline Tour is not going so well. Her brief (and mysterious) hospitalization earlier this week caused her to cancel at least two shows. Other bloggers speculated that she was either pregnant or simply old. At 42, she may have a couple of decades on Rihanna, but she is not the oldest chick in the game. And these days, old certainly doesn’t mean incapable. 

While Janet is recovering, it is Tina Turner who is getting all the shine these day. She came out of retirement last night for the first show in her comeback tour which will run for 36 dates in North America. Although she retired in 2000, Tina decided to return to the spotlight while she still could. There is no doubt she’s still in shape and she thought there was no time like the present.

And don’t expect any huge modifications in Tina’s stage show because of her age (expect for perhaps an intermission). She’s got a DJ to get the crowd in a partying mood, four dancers, lavish scenery and spectacular costumes created by legendary designer Bob Mackie. (He also just finished dressing Cher for her Las Vegas run.) Anyway, expect Ms. Tina to rock on in outfits that will showcase those noteworthy legs. (Wouldn’t we all want to look as she does when we get to 68!)

Her tour neatly coincides with the release of a compilation of her work “Tina!” which includes awesome cuts like Proud Mary, What’s Love Got To Do With It and Private Dancer which will all be part of the concert according to USA Today.

But Tina’s back to remind us with her skills on the stage which resulted in the highest grossing tour ($110 million) until Madonna eclipsed her spot. Who knows, this comeback tour might literally put her back on top. I don’t think Ms. Tina is one to quibble about her place in history. She’s been through the fire and has been living a fierce life ever since.

Check out Tina (both past and recent performances) to see why folks will be coming out to see this legend.

Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney may be the sister running for the Presidency under the Green Party banner but all eyes are on Gwen Ifill this week. Ifill, is the moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week”, a news and public affairs program on PBS, and senior correspondent for “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer”. She will moderate Thursday’s debate between Vice Presidential nominees Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden. And I suspect more people may tune in to watch this debate than last week’s match-up between Presidential nominees Obama and McCain.

Since Palin entered the race, she has been the center of attention (for good or for bad). From her rousing speech at the Republican National Convention to her countless gaffes, the hockey mom and Governor of Alaska has been part of everyone’s daily conversation. People like me are frightened that her Vice Presidency is even a possibility while others admire her for reasons beyond my comprehension.

Anyway, moderating the Vice Presidential debate is usually a thankless job. Most people don’t consider it must-see TV. Ifill had this gig back in 2004 without much fanfare. When it was announced that she would moderate this debate again many, including myself,  saw it as a way to give a nod to two minorities at once without giving up one of the three coveted Presidential debate spots (reserved for white men). But Ifill may have the last laugh. This debate matters more than it ever has in the past and people are talking about it. 

I don’t think that Jim Lehrer wasn’t much of a force in last week’s debate. To me it looked like the candidates became runaway trains at times. But I expect Ifill to have more control of the situation (even with her recently broken ankle). While Biden has to concern himself with being labeled a sexist if he comes on too strong, Ifill should have no such restrictions. Sure the candidates received questions ahead of time (so Palin could be better prepared), but it is Ifill who will decide which questions will be put to the candidates and in what order. I am also sure that Ifill will be prepared for either Palin, whether she’s a “pit-bull” or “clueless”.

Plus, I love that she answered questions and took topic suggestions last week on washingtonpost.com. And I have to say, although she is a ’serious’ journalist she does have a sense of humor. With Ifill running the discussion I doubt that this debate will have any runaway train moments. Why? She says that her favorite type of debate is one when she’s in charge. So do your thing Ms. Ifill, we’ll be watching.

It seems like we’ve been waiting for this day forever. Jennifer Hudson is finally releasing her first CD! And unlike some other stars, we don’t have any doubts that she can really sing. But can you believe that it has been just about four years since we first heard her powerhouse vocals (along with Simon’s snide comments that included telling her that cruise ship singing was probably all she could do)?

And since her premature departure from that reality show her trajectory has continued to soar beyond her (and our) wildest dreams. Once she proved that she was more than a singer, and actually had formidable acting chops, fans of that voice have waited patiently while she did her Hollywood thing. But once she made it clear that she had more than one-trick up her sleeve, Jennifer’s  debut CD seemed to become part of some vague future plan. 

Along the way we got a tease of what she could do last year on “Leaving Tonight,” her duet with Ne-Yo.  And again we waited as patiently as we could while this infamous project came together. She started with “Spotlight” and then her duet with Fantasia was leaked. Now we’ll get to sit down and groove to the completed project which includes the requisite collaborations including  the critically lauded song with Ludacris. 

But with all that she’s accomplished over the past few years Jennifer has developed genuine cross-over appeal. Apparently the powers-that-be behind this project aren’t taking any chances with her music either. The Houston Chronicle thinks that Jennifer’s “shake the rafters” vocals have been toned down to make her more appealing to the masses. I really hope not, we want to hear those notes that sound like they are coming up from her toes. But thankfully, even the reviewer thought it  impossible to pigeon-hole such an awesome talent.

Attention spans, however, are limited these days. And fans are also fickle. Has Jennifer kept us waiting too long? I don’t think so, some things are worth the wait. So if you’re like me and are frustrated by the artists who have nothing but studio wizardry and a cadre of dancers backing them up, you’ll be downloading or buying Jennifer’s new joint today. We want this sister to show the world what she’s working with through her vocal talent and phenomenal sales.

There was a time when an award show wasn’t complete without a hot female hip-hop artist being called up to the podium. If we were to judge by the lineup of VH1 Hip-Hop Honors or the nominations for BET Hip-Hop Awards, there are no sisters worthy of this honor.  Just the usual suspects Kanye, Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z. Margeaux Watson provided the scoop in this week’s Entertainment Weekly.

But what is even more interesting is that someone like Estelle doesn’t stand much of a chance of blowing up like Missy or Eve a few years back because folks in the industry believe it costs too much to launch a female rapper’s career. (They point to stuff like hair & makeup and wardrobe which can be 10x more than a male.) Plus, it is even harder to win a Grammy when the Recording Academy eliminated one of the categories  for women in 2005. MC Lyte is on the case with the campaign to get the category reinstated. But it is going to be hard because most today’s female hip-hop artist aren’t racking up platinum sales.

In fact, the newest artists in the game like Lil Mama and Ms Dynamite among others, are only a few notches above struggling. Kinda cute yes, but not really blowing die-hard hip-hop fans out of the water. So when BET presents The Hip-Hop Awards at the end of next month, they are including a tribute to female rappers. Perhaps because they believe that our greatest female hip-hop artists are in the past. How wrong are they?  

Tonight was the premiere of the third season of Ugly Betty. I don’t know if the reason I enjoy this show is because I worked at a magazine named MODE for four years (and howl at how the ‘glamourous’ magazine world is depicted) or that I delight in the combination of campiness and earnestness. Well after watching today’s show I know it isn’t Betty’s fish-out-of-water story alone that keeps me coming back. Actually, it is Vanessa Williams’ devilishly over-the-top portrayal of Wilhemina Slater.

Williams, once only known as the dethroned Miss America, is the very definition of a comeback story. And she is obviously enjoying this time in her life. On the show, Williams chews up every scene she is in with abandon. I love the facial expressions, grand gestures, the way the character schemes to get what she wants, and the fact that she doesn”t let a setback stop her. (Although some of her behavior is eerily similar to how some folks really act at major fashion magazines). 

Anyway, Williams’ turn as Wilhemina Slater takes me back to another over-the-top portrayal by a black woman. When Miss Diahann Carroll joined the cast of Dynasty in 1984 as Dominique Deveraux, she proclaimed that “she was going to be the first black bitch on television.” And she didn’t disappoint. With the hair, makeup, clothes, jewelry and furs she was the very definition of a diva of the day. Plus she could handle herself in a catfight with the formidable Joan Collins. Although it was a soap it still made us laugh.

it is not often that we get to see a sister play the evil one (in comedies or dramas). As I have said before we are either servants, cops or professionals like doctors or lawyers (and that has only been in the past decade). But these two actresses are are proof positive that stretching out of box and away from those safe roles can be both satisfying for them and a delight for us. I just don’t want to wait another 24 years to see someone else get their chance.

A few weeks ago I heard that Michigan Republicans were going to have officials at polling places to make sure that anyone who is facing (or already experienced) foreclosure didn’t try to use their current (or old) address to vote. According to today’s The New York Times this is not is not an isolated incident. In fact, this is an issue in all the other so-called swing states too like Ohio, Florida and Colorado. But I am sure that it won’t stop there.

Why should this matter to you? Because overwhelmingly it has been our people who have been victimized by this sub-prime mortgage mess. (And sisters who have been breadwinners and head many single parent households are definitely being adversely effected.)  Now as a result of many of us believing the claims of unscrupulous lenders, or not realizing the impact of home equity loans, one in ten African American households may be affected by foreclosure. That means that those folks who are registered at those addresses may experience attempts to block them from voting through harassment or intimidation. 

I hate to be a conspiracy theorist but now that Obama is back on top in the polls, don’t you find it strange that this issue is starting to crop up? Sure, this has happened before. Remember when the government had to deal with all those displaced “refugees” who wanted to vote after they were forced out of New Orleans in the wake and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? At least then there was a concerted effort to offer absentee ballots and satellite voting locations for the one million people effected. Right now, no such plan to help those in foreclosure—or who are now homeless as a result— with this particular issue.

Anyway, Obama’s camp has filed a lawsuit in Michigan to thwart the Republican’s efforts but now that this strategy seems to be spreading to other states we need to be aware of it. Sort of takes me back to stories I heard about our efforts to earn the right to vote in the South when fear and intimidation were the order of the day. Let’s not let someone with a list and clipboard keep our people from casting their vote. Now more than ever we need to make every vote count. 

I don’t know about you but I am sick of hearing about how sisters are last on the list when the discussion involves white men and women as well as black men. But a recent article in The American Prospect caught my eye. Besides the usual stats, what struck me was how sisters don’t seem to be getting ahead. Actually, an  argument actually can be made that we’re actually losing some ground. The truth is that we earn a mere .63 for every dollar earned by a white man. And nearly one million of us earn less than the minimum wage. Depressing huh?

We didn’t exactly slide from our position, it is more like we stood still while white women not only caught up, they surpassed us. We used to have a running start 30 years ago, when there were more black women in the work force than white women (with over half of us working versus 42% of white women).  Now 65% of sisters are in the (legitimate) work force while white women who work has grown to 60%.

But it is not just the sheer numbers that impact us, it is the positions we’re able to secure. Author Cecelia A. Conrad reveals what we’ve long suspected to be the true: it takes a sister with college degree far longer to secure her first job. And the reality is it is difficult for us to make up that time (and lost earning potential) so we spend many years of our careers simply trying to catch up.  All this stress then impacts our bodies—leading to obesity and other health issues.

The sad part of all this is that none of this is not part of the national conversation. So although we support most of the households in our communities, we’re still by and large invisible women. It is time we found our voices and yelled much louder about the absurdity of this situation—yes, even at the risk of being labeled angry black women.

On Sunday evening, when the Living Single Reunion Show was scheduled to air on TV One, I had a house full of people and I was disappointed that I didn’t get to watch it. Later I tuned to that deadly boring telecast on the Emmy’s (grumbling to myself that I should have recorded the Living Single reunion instead.) Well tonight, I abandoned my attempt to support Toni Braxton and watched reruns of the comedy instead until a repeat of the reunion show came on.

Anyway, as I watched most of the cast reminisce (Queen Latifah was absent), it became apparent to me that we haven’t had a show like Living Single since it went off the air a decade ago. This was a show that had four young black women who were finding their way in the world (but didn’t define themselves by whether they had a man or not).  Throughout the five year run, three of the women (and T.C. Carson’s Kyle) had multiple relationships—some were successful, others were not. But most of the audience didn’t tune to see whether the characters were dating (except when it concerned Overton and Synclaire). Instead what kept us coming back was the bond that these four women and two men had with each other. Everyone was distinctly different yet it was their differences that help make an engaging sitcom.

I know that Girlfriends holds the longevity record. But it was different because that show focused on the very things Living Single did not, Tracee Ellis Ross spent almost the entire run of the series trying to get a man and get married. Entertaining, yes. Endearing, not so much. But still important nonetheless.

But when it comes to historic importance, I’d like to put Living Single in the same category as A Different World (isn’t it great that they’re both on BET and TV One now respectively). They were both first in depicting us in our myriad lifestyles, backgrounds (and hairstyles–that too was groundbreaking in my opinion).  Sure Friends lasted twice as long with a similar premise but that world didn’t have anyone who looked like us living in it and it never touched a nerve or made us laugh as hard as Living Single. Khadijah, Max, Regine and Synclaire will always be our girls. I hope their legacy continues to live on.

Tonight, those of you who watch reality tv will be glued to your sets for the three night premiere of Dancing With the Stars. Among the celebrity dancers will be six-time Grammy winner, Toni Braxton. When I watched the promo for the show and I heard that this sister had indeed one that many awards, all I could think was ‘Girl what happened to your career?’

But truth be told Toni hasn’t been a part of the r&b music scene for more than a minute. However, she has been working. But some of her choices seem like pay the bill choices to me. She first did her thing on Broadway in Beauty & The Beast and later Aida. Later she followed Gladys Knight’s successful run at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas with a one-woman show of her own. But that ended abruptly because it was rumored that Toni has a heart condition (that turned out to be  true). Now this sister has been enduring those crazy hours of rehearsals and having to take extra precautions to guard her health so she be a part of this tv show. Frankly, I can’t say it did much for Master P. or Vivica A. Fox (unless getting another reality show qualifies) but Mel B. did okay. Maybe things will turn out better for Toni. 

I certainly hope so. Toni has been through some things. She’s got this heart issue, went through bankruptcy and is raising an autistic child.  I don’t know what she ultimately wants to do with her career but I for one would love to see her teamed with some new producers so we can hear some new music from her. 

The best chance that Toni has for that to happen would be if she dances well and can stick around on the show long enough for the viewers to fall in love with her once again.  I can’t commit to the viewing hours a rality show requires but I do want to tune in at least once to cheer Toni. Go on Girl!

Check out some vintage Toni here to remind yourself just how good she is:

And her first night on DWTS: