Ladies First!

Mrs. Carter was spotted in Manhattan on Wednesday on her way to meet her boo for the Boston vs. Cavs game. It doesn't look like she has a rumored baby bump yet.



R&B Soul singer Chante Moore has a new CD "Love The Woman" due to be released June 17. Chante executive produced this project with her longtime musical mentor, producer George Duke. They collaborated on one of her most personal recordings ever, Minnie Ripperton's "Give Me The Time,". This was the song that was played as she walked down the aisle during her wedding ceremony with husband, Kenny Lattimore, six years ago.

Her highly anticipated new album also includes production by Grammy award winner Raphael Saadiq (Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, The Isley Brothers, and D'Angelo) and Warryn Campbell (Jamie Foxx, Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary, and Mario). Chante wants to continue to inspire and uplift her fans:
"That's really made the difference for me, the people who have made it through because they heard some music I did. They've said, ‘You got me through college.' ‘You got me through a breakup.' It's about taking the experiences that I've had and helping somebody else. I think to be valuable in the world you've gotta open up and be able to share who you are."

She is also currently working on writing a self-help book for women.






Mary J. BLige is featured in the June issue of Essence Magazine. This is her sixth cover of the magazine and she looks great. This issue is Essence's 'Black Music Month' featuring such artists as MJB, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, and many more. The ladies had a chat with Regina R. Robertson of Essence magazine; here's an excerpt:
Essence: One thing you all have in common is that you each had a debut album that was a phenomenal success. How do you feel when you hear those songs now?
Mary J. Blige: It’s been about six months since I’ve listened to What’s the 411? I was in Japan working out, and when I heard it, I could definitely feel my youth, but I could also hear that I’ve always had an old soul. When I think back to that time, I remember that I was singing to escape. I understand that some people are stuck in that place, but I firmly believe that if you don’t evolve and grow, you will die.

Essence: From the outside looking in, it seems that success has been yours since day one, but there probably were, and are, disappointments. How do you cope when a project doesn’t pan out?
Jill Scott: This is life, and if something doesn’t work out, then it wasn’t meant to. I feel that there is a divine plan in all things. All I can do is the best I can do, and if it’s well received, then, yeah. If not, I hope life will give me an opportunity to try again. Do I challenge myself? Absolutely. But beat myself up? I just can’t do it.

Essence: Have you ever regretted folding to pressure from record labels?
Alicia Keys: In the beginning, I didn’t understand the concept of boundaries. I wanted to make sure the music was heard, but there’s a price you pay for that. I did everything and anything to promote my first album, like flying from New York to Los Angeles and back on the same day, which was a bit excessive.
You can get more of the inside scoop by purchasing Essence's June issue onstands now.
Mary will be performing "Stay Down" on the Oprah Winfrey show today, May 16.