I know that American Idol has finally confirmed that rocker Steven Tyler and singer Jennifer Lopez have are coming to the 10th season. So, that leaves Randy Jackson as the only original judge. Boy, that must feel lonely. The whole dynamic of the show will change cuz all his “dogs” are gone. I can’t help thinking that Randy will be gone soon, too-rather he leaves or his contract is not renewed. I give him roughly two more years. Whatever happens, love ya, Ran.

How long do you think Randy Jackson will remain on American Idol?

Singer Lyfe Jennings will be paying the piper to the tune of 3 ½ years in prison for a domestic incident with his babies’ mama back in 2008. Before his fame, he served 10 years in prison for arson.

The last time I talked to Lyfe he talked about the things that he wanted to do. It’s unfortunate that his actions will push him back a few years but we almost suffer the consequences for our actions. Hopefully, he will emerge from this situation making better decisions.

What do you think of the verdict?

Another story that was heating up this week was the Ashton Kutcher cheating scandal. Apparently, a 21 year-old woman named Brittany Jones claims that she had an affair with the actor. Kutcher has been married to actress Demi Moore for 5 years. Kutcher is 15 years Demi’s junior and is stepfather to her 3 daughters.

These cheating stories surface all the time. Sometimes it’s about an actor. Sometimes it’s about a rapper or singer. Just take your pick. Since celebrities live in a world of privilege and an obscene amount of money, there’s a lot available to them. So, if this little rumor had a little bit of truth to it, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised. Ashton took his self off the market (got married) kinda young, in my humble opinion. So, who knows?

Do you believe that Ashton Kutcher cheated on Demi Moore?

It seems like everybody is talking about Bishop Eddie Long right now. In case you haven’t heard, the popular Atlanta minister has four young men suing him stating that he took them on trips and gave them gifts in exchange for sexual favors. They also claim that he used the bible to support what he was doing with them. One of them released photos that Long had sent him on his cell phone.

I don’t like to jump to conclusions when it comes to these types of stories but, as more time passes, it appears that there may have been some impropriety going on. I don’t know if Bishop Long molested those young boys but the photos that he sent them clearly shows that he had become too comfortable with them. Unfortunately, I think this happens a lot with ministers. They are supposed to lead their flock and provide spiritual guidance. The best way to lead is to get to know your flock (by name, occupation, situation). In the process, I think the lines or boundaries get blurry and many ministers forget their real role.

Do you think Bishop Eddie Long is guilty of the accusations against him?

I’m watching the Fantasia For Real Show on VH1. It’s a trip to see all the effort singer Fantasia was putting into getting back into the spotlight. It was also a trip to see her aunt Bunny and her mother confront her about the homewrecker rumors. Obviously, she will be addressing this during the season, along with the suicide attempt.

Will you watch the show?

I happened to be on Youtube yesterday and saw this clip of singer Usher on Ellen after last week's VMAs. He talked a little about his performance but he also talked about his latest scent, VIP. He demonstrated its power. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Recently, rapper Ja Rule told a radio station that he has some television shows in the works. He’s already shooting a sitcom and he’s planning to have a reality show with his family.

Here we go. Another reality show. I wonder what I have to do to get a reality show. Those things are everywhere.

Do you plan to watch Ja Rule’s shows?

Singer Mariah Carey should be happy right now. She’s about to have a brand new bundle of joy. Her happiness may be interrupted by her alleged ex-boyfriend, hip-hop producer Damion “Da Mizza” Young. He is releasing Guilty By Association, a book about all the underhanded deals that go on in the music industry. He also plans to spill the beans on his relationship with Carey, whom he says he lived with during the course of their affair. The book is due out October 10th.

As a media person, books like this are always fascinating. You wonder what the person’s gonna say. Is he lying? What type of reception is this dude gonna get for snitichin on people? But the human side of me cannot help but be a little disappointed. No one wants to be in a relationship with someone and have them tell all your business after the relationship is over. On that front, I empathize with Carey. Maybe she didn’t want the world to know that she was with him. Not because she was ashamed of him or anything but just because her first marriage was kinda public and she wanted to go through that one alone. Ah, well. I’m sure everything will blow over.

What do you think of Guilty By Association?

I’m all for people pushing for what they want but there may be times when other measures should be considered. Legendary singer Aretha Franklin is planning a biopic about her life. She has a list of actors that she would like to portray the important people in her life. For instance, she would like Oscar winner Denzel Washington to play her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin. Not a bad choice. She would also like actor Terrence Howard to portray Smokey Robinson. Again, not a bad choice. He may be able to pull it off.

It gets a little sticky when she drops the name of who she wants to play a young version of herself. Oscar winner Halle Berry. *crickets chirping* Apparently, she’s wanted Berry to sign on for the role for a while but the actress has not done so. I think that’s a good move. Listen. I’m not sure how Franklin came up with Berry for the part but I don’t think Berry is the best choice. Not only is there little to no resemblance between the two but Berry doesn’t have the voice or emotional/spiritual power to portray Franklin. The Queen of Soul has a rich connection to the Baptist church due to her upbringing and it is engraved in her performances and vocals. That is a part of her own personal “power.” Those are components that I don’t believe Berry can translate well on film and, if Berry is evading this role, I think she knows that this role is beyond her.

Do you think Halle Berry would do a good job portraying Aretha Franklin in her biopic?

All week the entertainment shows have been talking about Oprah’s farewell season. The media mogul’s final season starts Monday September 13th and she says she has several surprises in store. Some think she will talk to actress Lindsay Lohan; others believe she will have a sit down with actor John Travolta. But the Queen of Talk isn’t letting the cat out of the bag just yet.

Although I don’t (can’t) always watch Oprah’s show, I can say that watching Oprah end her show will be very sad. For a little while, TV will seem strange without her, even though she’s not going far.

Are you looking forward to Oprah’s season?

I don’t believe this is the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last time that we hear that rapper/mogul Jay-Z is cheating on wife/singer Beyonce but the rumor is out again. According to various sources, someone snapped a picture of Jay-Z at Tao in Las Vegas with a woman named Cathy “Koreana” White. Supposedly, he’s been creeping with her for a few years now.

Big long sigh. I’ve said it before and I’ll say again. I try to put nothing past nobody but I saw the Las Vegas picture. I can’t say that it’s very clear that he’s with any woman. It’s a picture of a bunch of people. I don’t like basing proclamations of the truth on innuendos.

Do you believe these rumors?

This week, Willow Smith’s song Whip My Hair hit the Internet with a lot of positive feedback. Willow, the 9 year-old daughter of rapper-turned-movie star Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, is signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation record label. There’s currently no title listed for the upcoming album yet.

After listening to the song, I have to say that I think Willow did a solid job on the song-far more than I would expect from a 9-year-old. But then again, I have to remember that this is no ordinary 9-year-old. I’m sure before she busted one note in that studio mom and dad had a long talk with her about the direction she was going in and rather she was really serious about a career in music. Well, it sounds to me like she does take it seriously and she does have a future in music.

What do you think of Willow Smith’s song?

Since I’d never been to the Family Reunion before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. All in all, I came away with a positive view of the event.

There were a few people that showed up in support of the events, such as comedian Tony Rock and former rap group Kid N Play. If you find out in time about it next year, you might wanna check it out.

Have you ever been to the Tom Joyner Family Reunion?

So, yesterday I came back from a weekend in Orlando, Florida at the Tom Joyner’s Family Reunion. It was my first time attending and it was nice. Saturday night was Ford Presents A Night of R&B and Old School Hip Hop with singers Fantasia and Robin Thicke.

Both artists put on a good show. Fantasia put her all into the performance and repeatedly (albeit indirectly) referenced her recent situation. Her vocals were strong and the audience responded to her energy. Robin kept it sexy as usual. He got the crowd worked up with sexual gestures and self-groping. Don’t worry. It wasn’t as obscene as it sounds. Just enough to get his point across.

Have you ever seen these two live?