@maryjblige, @ludacris, and @_maxwell_ the Latest to Join @VH1's Second Annual Mother's Day Special "Dear Mama: An Event to Honor Moms"....

It was recently announced that Mary J. Blige, Ludacris, and Maxwell were the latest artists to be added to VH1's list of stars to honor their mothers in “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” whichpremieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT.  Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author La La Anthony.  “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” honors mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success.  

Yesterday, VH1 will also premiered a new documentary from Blige titled STRENGTH OF A WOMAN: AN ALBUM DOCUMENTARY.  The film gave fans a close and intimate look at the making of the just released album, with studio footage and exclusive interviews with Blige, as well as the inspiration behind the writing and direction.

Mary J. Blige is an iconic singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist.  She has sold over 50 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide, garnered nine GRAMMY® Awards (plus a staggering 32 nominations), a Gold Globe nomination and five American Music Awards.  She holds the distinction of being the only artist to have won GRAMMYs® in the R&B, hip-hop, pop, and gospel categories. She is amongst a handful of entertainers to release eight or more multiplatinum albums, with Billboard naming her “the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years”.

The career of the multitalented CHRIS “LUDACRIS” BRIDGES can best be described as remarkable. As a recording artist, he has sold more than 15 million albums domestically, thanks to the blockbuster success of such singles as “Stand Up,” “Get Back,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Number One Spot,” “Money Maker” and “My Chick Bad.” All of these records were accompanied by ingenious videos that demonstrated Bridges’ far-reaching imagination, and his willingness to stretch the boundaries of what rap videos should look and feel like.

Most recently, Bridges starred in the highly anticipated The Fate of the Furious, which broke records at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film opening worldwide.

Bridge’s philanthropic efforts rival his entertainment accomplishments. He started The Ludacris Foundation in 2001 which focuses on helping the youth in his hometown of Atlanta. In addition, he has recently partnered with No Kid Hungry and Feeding America.

Currently, Bridges is in Los Angeles shooting MTV’s revived Fear Factor, which will premiere on May 30, 2017. He is both a host and executive producer on the show. This is the first project from the new overall deal between Bridges and MTV.

Maxwell has artfully managed to transfix music lovers for more than two decades, releasing four studio albums, all in his own time – all duly anointed as classics.  Maxwell has had a busy past 12 months. In July, he released his much-anticipated ‘blackSUMMERS’night,’ the second installment of his musical trilogy encompassing his 20+ year career. The album garnered praise from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Complex, NPR and more, and the album earned him his third-Grammy (Best R&B Song for “Lake By The Ocean”), an NAACP Image Award (Outstanding Male Artist), and a Soul Train Award (Best R&B/Soul Male Artist).

Blige, Ludacris, & Kelly Rowland will appear alongside previously announced artists Robin Thicke, Maxwell and DJ Khaled.

“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” will take place at the famed Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California.

Official sponsors of “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” include America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses®, DOVE®  I Chocolate, Honey Bunches of Oats®, Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders, Tide PODS®, T.J.Maxx, and Unilever.

“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” is being produced by Flavor Unit and Jesse Collins Entertainment.  Shakim Compere, Queen Latifah, Jesse Collins, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are Executive Producers.  For VH1, Amy Doyle, Ryan Kroft, and Elena Diaz are Executive Producers, Paige Miller is Coordinating Producer, and Joe Buoye is Executive in Charge of Production.

For more updates go to DearMama.vh1.com and follow @VH1 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #DearMamaVH1 to join the conversation.

Black Ink Chicago's @Bishopdon_9 in the Upcoming Issue of Urban Grandstand Digital

We're thrilled to announce that Bishop Don of 9Mag & Black Ink Crew: Chicago will be hitting the upcoming issue of Urban Grandstand Digital Magazine. We're happy to have connected with Don, as he not only talks about Season 3 of the hit reality series [which returned to VH1 May 24, 2017], but also the impact he continues to make within the urban communities of Chicago, how the untimely death of his sister has altered the way he handles family problems, and the growth of his amazing brand, which now includes the launch of his new line of cigars. 

We're only a few weeks away from the release of the new issue of Urban Grandstand Digital Magazine, so definitely be on the lookout for that! 

Check out the exclusive trailer for Season 3 of Black Ink Crew: Chicago, below!

@KellyRowland, @DJKhaled, and @RobinThicke Join @VH1's Second Annual Mother's Day Special "Dear Mama: An Event to Honor Moms"...

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Photo: Courtesy of VH1

(New York, NY) April 26, 2017 — VH1 today has announced that Kelly Rowland is set to appear at the second annual “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” which premieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT.  Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author La La Anthony.  “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” recognizes mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success. Kelly Rowland will appear alongside the previously announced Robin Thicke and DJ Khaled.

Kelly Rowland is a 4-time Grammy Award winner singer, songwriter, actress and executive producer. A global pop star since the age of 16, Kelly grew up in the spotlight as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling groups of all time. The group’s awe-inspiring list of chart toppers include 4 No. 1 singles in the U.S. and more than 60 million albums sold worldwide. Kelly Rowland has blossomed into a stunning solo artist who has released four successful studio albums, which have topped music charts all over the world. Kelly’s beautiful voice and effervescent personality have not only garnered her critical and commercial success in the music arena, but her movie star good looks, unique style and limitless drive have also generated numerous opportunities in television, film and fashion. Kelly has guest starred on several hit sitcoms including “Girlfriends”, “Empire” & “Being Mary Jane” and became an Executive Producer of her very own docu-series, “Chasing Destiny” which premiered April 2016. Her undeniable on-screen presence led television impresario Simon Cowell to tap her as a judge for the immensely popular shows, The X Factor (UK 2011) and the US version of The X Factor (2013). Most recently, Kelly joined the lineup as a judge on The Voice Australia which she is currently filming down under. Kelly also added a new title to her name as published author with the release of her literary debut “Whoa, Baby!” which chronicles the trials and funny tribulations of being a new mother. Her versatility doesn’t stop with recording music and acting, in 2015 Kelly positioned herself as a national spokesperson for numerous powerhouse brands including Caress, Claritin, Cadillac and many more. Although Kelly Rowland has a long list of accomplishments and accolades she shows no signs of slowing down!

DJ Khaled will honor his fiancé at the second annual “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” which premieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT.   Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author LaLa Anthony.  “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” recognizes mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success. DJ Khaled will appear alongside the previously announced Robin Thicke.

A major force in the music industry, mogul, executive, mega producer, 2017 Grammy nominated recording artist, and NY Times Best Selling Author ‪DJ Khaled, known as the “Anthem King” and commonly referred to as the “‪Quincy Jones of Hip Hop & R&B”, has made dozens of chart topping hit records featuring ‪JAY Z, ‪Kanye West, Drake, ‪Chris Brown, ‪Ludacris, T.I., French Montana, Future, Big Sean, ‪Rick Ross, ‪John Legend, ‪Nicki Minaj and ‪Lil Wayne, among others. In the past twelve months he has captivated millions of fans globally by the use of social media and has been coined the “King of Snapchat.”

In 2006, he launched innovative label deals and started We The Best Music Group. His 2010 hit song “All I Do is Win” went 3x platinum, sold over 3 million singles, and crossed over all music genres to become a mainstream hit, solidifying him as a force to be reckoned with. That same year he also released “I’m On One” feat. Drake, ‪Rick Ross and ‪Lil Wayne. Khaled went on to release the hit single “No New Friends” featuring Drake, ‪Lil Wayne and ‪Rick Ross, which reached gold status and has sold over 500,000 singles worldwide. ‪DJ Khaled has sold over 15 million singles in his career. Khaled is also committed to pro social initiatives and is the first social media ambassador of ‪Bono‘s Project Red and is the national spokesperson for Get Schooled.

Robin Thicke will honor his mother at the second annual “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” which premieres on Monday, May 8th at 10 PM ET/PT. Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Anthony Anderson will return as host along with VH1 fan favorite, actress, and New York Times best-selling author La La Anthony. “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” recognizes mothers with celebrity guests paying tribute to the women who have shaped their success.

Robin Thicke has established himself as one of the most respected singer songwriters in soul and R&B music today. Born in Los Angeles, Robin Thicke taught himself to play piano at the age of 12 and by 16 was writing and producing songs for top R&B artists. At the age of 21, he had written and produced songs on over 20 gold and platinum albums including Michael Jackson, Marc Anthony, Pink, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and others. One year later he signed with Jimmy Iovine and Interscope records. The musician and composer released his critically acclaimed debut album, A Beautiful World, in 2003 under the name Thicke. The collection was followed by a succession of five critically acclaimed gold and platinum selling album releases. Robin’s sixth studio album, Blurred Lines, was released in July on 2013. The album garnered three GRAMMY nominations. The collection debuted at #1 on Billboard Top 200 while, “Blurred Lines,” the single, continued its 12 week reign on the Billboard Hot 100 chart making Robin the first artist to take the top spot on both lists since December 2012 and only the 17th act to earn the distinction in the past ten years. “Blurred Lines” scored the highest audience ever recorded and broke records by climbing to #1 on 5 radio charts simultaneously (Top 40, Rhythm, Urban, Hot AC & Urban AC) – the first time this has ever been done by an artist. Robin’s recent singles include the undeniably danceable pop record “Back Together” featuring Nicki Minaj, emotionally charged track “Deep” featuring Nas, and a R&B classic “Morning Sun”.

Official sponsors of “Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” include America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses®, DOVE® Chocolate, Honey Bunches of Oats®, Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders, Tide PODS®, and Unilever.

“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” will take place at the famed Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California.

“Dear Mama: An Event To Honor Moms” is being produced by Flavor Unit and Jesse Collins Entertainment.  Shakim Compere, Queen Latifah, Jesse Collins, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are Executive Producers.  For VH1, Amy Doyle, Ryan Kroft, and Elena Diaz are Executive Producers, Paige Miller is Coordinating Producer, and Joe Buoye is Executive in Charge of Production.

For more updates go to DearMama.vh1.com and follow @VH1 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #DearMamaVH1 to join the conversation

[REALITY][ON THE SCREEN] Margeaux: Spreading Her Wings

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We all got to know Margeaux Simms through her role on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. As we all learned throughout the past season, there’s much more to Margeaux than the typical drama and ruckus often displayed on the show. Margeaux is a budding talent in music, and she had the opportunity this past season of display her new single, “Start a War”, via the show. Since showcasing that single to the world, Margeaux has since put together a steady stream of music, and is now plotting the release of her new EP. We took a few moments to talk with Margeaux about her music career, which actually has span nearly a decade now, and her new EP, her time on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, and all the things she has happening throughout the next year. Through this piece, you'll see just how Margeaux is spreading her wings in her career, and how she's soaring because of it. 

UG Digital Mag: I have to thank you so much for your time today. It’s people like you who are allowing me to follow my dream of journalism. 

Margeaux Simms: Awesome. Thank you for having me. 

UG Digital Mag: This year has proven to be amazing for you. Congrats on the success of everything you have going on. 

Margeaux Simms: Thank you so much. 

UG Digital Mag: What has it been like for you to truly be pursuing your music? People really neglected the fact that you were doing music?

Margeaux Simms: I’ve always been an artist, even prior to the show. I never talked about it on the show because it didn’t seem like the show promoted music so much. I felt like if it happened naturally, or if people googled me, people would find out. I had stuff out, and different projects, so it worked out. I’m glad the people who watched saw it and I was able to be introduced to them. I just happened to be on the show. I never wanted it to be like I was a reality star who suddenly started doing music. I think we see a lot of that. I did not want to cram it down anyone’s throats. 

UG Digital Mag: I think it’s good though. Thinking of the premise of the show, I’ve always felt as though that avenue should be there to pursue music. You’re one of the only ones I’ve seen capitalize off the situation in the right way. 

Margeaux Simms: Well thank you. I thought it was supposed to be about that, but that’s moreso just the title, and you get more of the love and drama. A lot of people like that, but when you have a small fanbase and you get on a bigger platform, you want it to happen organically. 

UG Digital Mag: Of course, everyone who has heard “Start a War” is looking for new music. It was clear that you were in acomfort zone and it was something you loved. People got that sense, and I know you have the new single, “Girl on the Left”. Can you talk a little about that?

Margeaux Simms: Yes. I waited on releasing it because with “Start a War”, people loved the song. I just kinda put it out. It was one out of many, and then I decided to do it on the show. I decided to put out singles because I had all these ideas for videos for each song. I’m excited for people to finally see it. 

UG Digital Mag: I think it’s a good strategy, putting out singles, but I think you’ll be that difference with people wanting to purchase a full album. I think people will love your music because of how different it is. 

Margeaux Simms: Thank you. I hope it does well. I hope people can take away from it whatever they want, and not over think it. I want them to be inspired to do their own thing. Everything you want to know about me, I put in my music. I rarely hold back anything. 

UG Digital Mag: When are you looking to release it?

Margeaux Simms: We’re looking at April for “Girl on the Left”. We keep pushing it back because I’ll do more singles, then want to do more videos. I don’t want to rush it. Putting out an EP for me is like getting a tattoo. It has to be perfect. Once it’s there, you can’t take it back. I want to feel good about it in my soul. 

UG Digital Mag: Do you feel like Love & Hip Hop was helpful in you getting your music out?

Margeaux Simms: It was a little helpful. I’ve met other cool music bloggers as a result, and they come up and talk about the music more than the drama. I can’t leave my house in New York without people approaching me, and it’s all about the music, which is good. In the marketplace, it’s more about being able to push what you do and get away from the story you weren’t able to tell. It’s reality TV, and there’s a part that’s not reality, yet, it’s trying to hold you to the character you are on the show. No on understands the psychology of it unless they do a show. When you think about it, it’s really deep psychology. I feel like reality TV is made up of genius producers who put this together the way they can market and manipulate the craft. I’ve learned a lot in business about how you can use that for yourself. 

UG Digital Mag: So let’s talk House of Margeaux (HOFM)!

Margeaux Simms: I studied design when I was in school, and I’ve always wanted to blend with fashion. Design is such an art form, and something has to give. I wanted to do that, and with music, doing my songs, and video treatments, I wanted all these amazing clothes in the videos that sometimes I couldn’t afford. I said I’ll just make what I see in my head. That’s how it came about. Then I decided to make a cool merchandise line for the music. I wanted people to know it’s really coming from me. I’m not just an artist on a big machine and now I have merchandise being sold to you. I wanted it to be organized, and I wanted people to know when they get into my music, they are also getting merchandise from me that I spent time to create and put together. HOFM is the merchandise. I showed at fashion week last year, but I just showed the merch line. I wanted it to be merchandise that people really wanted and can really get into. One day I’ll do a full collection out of it. I had more ideas I started to make while I was on the show, and then people started to ask for certain pieces. From there, I put them on the site and it took a life of it’s own. 

UG Digital Mag: I believe it makes your brand that much better because you’re so hands on and involved. It will do so well for you because of that. 

Margeaux Simms: You have to be involved, and be inspired. I have to be hands on. 

UG Digital Mag: What are your plans over the next year?

Margeaux Simms: For me, the next few singles will be released. I’ll drop the EP. I’ll be performing in Toronto and New York. I’ll also be going to Paris in August. I’ll be in New York working, and also put some things together for Fashion Week. That’s pretty much it. 

UG Digital Mag: I think it’s great that you’re involved in so much. Even with your involvement in SXSW. 

Margeaux Simms: Yes, it’s a huge platform. I’ve always wanted to be part of that. Meeting the other musicians and artists, and connecting with them is a great thing. The showcase I’m a part of is The Color Agent. It’s a great thing to see. 

UG Digital Mag: I’m glad you also mention being from Toronto. We’re seeing so many more people from there. 

Margeaux Simms: Growing up, I’d always hear people say there were black people in Canada, and we’d always laugh. We’d forget there are black people all over the world. We all come from the same places. There’s a lot of culture there. I can’t wait to perform there. 

UG Digital Mag: What are you most proud of about the way things have gone?

Margeaux Simms: I’m most proud of being able to show who I am, and for people to see that I’m an artist. I’ll always be an artist. I’m proud of fighting for my integrity. I can sleep at night. There’s nothing I did that I am ashamed of.

UG Digital Mag: Any final comments at all?

Margeaux Simms: I would say to read more. Seek the people you like and why you like them. Don’t believe everything you see on television. Be smarter, and don’t accept what’s given to you. Be your own leader and don’t take things for face value. Be your own individual.