BEYOND THA BASICS

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Its been a long time....

Sorry for those who have missed me, I have been working tirelessly on some other ventures. Please stayed tuned I will be back soon!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Hip Hop Money Makers 2009 Edition

Here is the list of Forbes.com Hip Hop Cash Kings 2009.
Jay-Z - 35 Million

Diddy - 30 Million

Kanye West - 25 Million

50 Cent - 20 Million

Akon - 20 Million

Lil’ Wayne - 18 Million

Timbaland - 17 Million

Pharrell - 16 Million

T-Pain - 15 Million

Eminem - 14 Million

Dr.Dre - 13 Million

Snoop Dogg - 11 Million

Ludacris - 10 Million

Common - 8 Million

Will.I.Am - 8 Million

T.I. - 8 Million

Swizz Beatz - 8 Million

Andre 3000 - 7 Million

Big Boi- 7 Million

Flo-Rida - 6 Million

Rick Ross - 6 Million

The Game - 6 Million

Young Jeezy - 6 Million

Monday, July 6, 2009

Diddy's Annual White Affair

Garcelle Beauvias with one of her adorable twins

Chris Brown & Teyana Taylor are hanging really close these days..Hmm

Ashton Kutcher just hanging out..Literally!

Lil' Kim impersonating Michael Jackson..I'm just saying..

Tyrese or Black Ty (I can never figure out which one shows up to events) & Chris Breezy

The host Diddy

Mr & Mrs Mariah Carey

I sooooo wanted this to be a rumor but Laura London showed off her baby bump at the shindig

It wouldn't be a party if the newest non celebrity Amber Rose wasn't there..

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Fall Fashion Preview..

Emanuel UngaroPolka dot chiffon blouse$1,570

Stella McCartneyDraped asymmetric jersey dress $535

Burberry ProrsumGoat coat$4,195

Tory BurchSilk-blend jeweled cardigan$495

DKNY Merino wool cardigan $195

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

People.com Reports: "The close, lifelong ties between Michael Jackson's and his friend Diana Ross are made dramatically clear in his 2002 will – he chose her to raise his three children if his mother is unable to do so." .....OK, you have 8 siblings and you choose Diana Ross, hey she is not a spring chicken either..

Reality TV in the ATL

Khandi, Tiny and Toya were out celebrating their Reality TV shows in the ATL. Its seems like reality tv has become the resurrection of the D-listed celebrity or in Toya's case ex-wife/baby momma of an celebrity....WTF!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

People.com reports statements from some celebs:

""We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music," Justin Timberlake, who was clearly influenced by Jackson, wrote on his Web site. "He has been an inspiration to multiple generations, and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones." "I can't stop crying over the sad news," Madonna says. "I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."

Former Wife 'Heartbroken'Lisa Marie Presley, who was married to Jackson from 1994 to 1996, says, "I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." In a long, heartfelt statement, Usher said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss and paid tribute to Jackson's legacy. "May God cover you Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family particularly Michael's mother, children and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer, and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for him and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer, who in so many ways, transcended the culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled. Michael Jackson will never be forgotten."

"He was magic," said Beyoncé Knowles. He was what we all strive to be. He will always be the King of Pop!" On Friday, Chace Crawford said on Britain's GMTV that he heard the news while at a party hosted by Elton John at the musician's home just outside of London. When word got out, "It was … like an instant viral just spread," said Crawford. "It just instantly changed the energy of the party." In a statement Thursday afternoon Britney Spears said, "I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!"

Whitney Houston, who has battled her own demons and is on the verge of a comeback (just as Jackson was), released a statement saying simply, "I am full of grief," while Paul McCartney, who collaborated with Jackson at the height of his success, writes on his Web site: "I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones."
Elizabeth Taylor 'Devastated'Elizabeth Taylor, one of Jackson's closest and longstanding friends, was "too devastated" to issue a statement, her rep says, while Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson's biggest hits, says, "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words." Cher, calling in to Larry King Live on CNN, shared many memories of Jackson, including dancing together on the Queen Mary and seeing the musical Dreamgirls together. "I am having a million reactions," said Cher. "When I think of him, I think of this young boy, this teenager I first met … He was a great teenager, optimistic and adorable." "My heart is overcome with sadness for the devastating loss of my true friend Michael," adds Brooke Shields, who raised eyebrows when she briefly dated Jackson. "He was an extraordinary friend, artist and contributor to the world. I join his family and his fans in celebrating his incredible life and mourning his untimely passing."

Thursday, June 25, 2009

R.I.P. Michael Jackson..The best that ever did it!

TMZ.com reports: "Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back". I know that he wasn't with our controversy but Michael Jackson will forever be the one artist that all of the newbies will try to be....

Monday, June 22, 2009

Somebody finally beat the sh@t out of Perez Hilton..

Bossip.com reports: "Supposedly, there is a Twitter war and accusations raging on between Perez Hilton and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. All we know is Perez accused Will.I.Am of beating his @ss at the Much Music Awards in Canada and Will.I.Am’s sayin’ he doesn’t have a clue of what’s going on.
Via Perez Hilton’s Twitter:
• PerezHilton: I’m in shock. I need the police ASAP. Please come to the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel now. Please.• PerezHilton: I was assaulted by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and his security guards. I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No joke.
• PerezHilton: Still waiting for the police. The bleeding has stopped. I need to document this. Please, can the police come to the SoHo Met Hotel.
We love how he’s shouting out the police on Twitter as if the Toronto police monitor Twitter for celeb assaults.
Will.I.Am just responded on his blog to Perez Hilton’s allegation that he beat the blogger outside the MuchMusic Awards last night in Toronto.
Will.I.Am: Click to watchMr. I.Am says it was all news to him when Perez began twittering, accusing the Black Eyed Pea of the beatdown."

Click on header to see the video!

Beyonce performed @ Madison Square Garden over the weekend

Jay-Z was a surprised guest (oh yeah like no one saw this coming) at the kick of of the U.S. leg of the " I am Sasha Fierce" tour...

Finance Tips by G. Hogan

Don’t Lose Your Home; It’s one of the MOST Important Assets you can OWN
1. Do NOT Ignore the PROBLEM: Contact your lender IMMEDIATELY
2. PRIORITIZE your Debts:
Is your LUXUXRY CAR more important than your home?
Down Grade your CAR! Instead of having a $700 car note, TRADE and get something with a $350 car note! You can always get that STATUS QUO car back LATER!
3. Have you thought about taking a SECOND JOB?
Let the PRIDE GO! A few extra dollars a month can help you save your HOME!
IT”S ALL ABOUT SACRAFICE! This will all blow over soon!

Speak with a HUD Approved Counselor
HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies
Call – 1-800-569-4287 or click link below to search for counselors in your state:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm.

Credit: When was the last time you checked your credit? Did you know you can do it for FREE?
Most States allow you a free report from all 3 major credit agencies;
Equifax, Experian and Trans Union
Click on link below for Annual Credit Report. You will have to put in personal information, it will also ask for a credit or debit card, YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED if you are in a state that allows free annual reports. You will be asked several security questions related to past employment, past addresses, past or current debts.
AnnualCreditReport.com - https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

You are also entitled to a free credit report if you are denied credit from someone. So if you apply for a credit card, car or loan and you are declined, you are entitled to a free credit report.

DON’T be surprised about your credit, know what is on there. You should check your credit at least once per year (for free), if not every six months.
You can also request a report by mail:
Equifax
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374

Experien
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
P.O.Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834

If you are a victim of FRAUD, you can place a fraud alert on your credit file:
Lenders will be required to contact you to verify if you have applied for a loan before the loan or account is opened.
Equifax: 1-877-576-5734; http://www.equifax.com/
Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com/fraud
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; http://www.transunion.com/

Your credit will allow to get almost anything you want! Buy a home, start a business

Career Advice by G. Hogan

JOB SEEKERS
Times are TOUGH, people are losing their jobs left and right.
There are many online job sites like MONSTER, CAREER BUILBER, etc. these sites have resume filters that looks for certain key words contained in your resume. Another GOOD source for Job Seekers is your State Department of Labor.
I just did a search for my state and found PLENTY of available jobs ranging from minimum wage to $50.00 per hour!
Jobs requiring little to no experience – professional jobs requiring College Degrees.
Keep an open mind, when you don’t have a job almost anything beats a BLANK. Sometime you have to START OVER and WORK your way UP AGAIN. Get your foot in the DOOR. Times and jobs are too hard to come by now in the CRAZY, UNCERYTAIN ECONOMY!

Here is the link for you to find your state office.
http://www.dol.gov/esa/contacts/state_of.htm
Once your there then you click find a job or search jobs.
Also, many state department of labor agencies have job fairs once a month. You can find that information on your states department of labor site.

Here are some other job searching websites:
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/

http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html - YES, Craigs List has jobs posted on there as well.

Personal Finance by G. Hogan

Another One Bites The Dust – How this affects your 401K Another Bank goes under; MEGA Bank Wachovia acquired by CITI GROUP. Now why is this important, many employees are now BROKE since many have a large portions of their 401K in company stock. This is not a good idea whether you work for a financial institution or not. If you have most of your allocations in the company stock and the company goes under then you lose most of your hard earned retirement money. You shouldn’t have any more than 10% – 15% in your company stock. You should also review your 401k allocations at lest once a year. Most of us don’t even pay it any attention or even know what we are looking at in our 401K. If you work for a financial institution you have a many advisors at your leisure to call and ask them to review it with you. You can also ask someone in your human resources; benefits plan administrator for the company that manages your 401k and they can go over your accounts with you for FREE. If you do not participate in your 401k at all, you are losing money since most companies match a percentage of your contributions dollar for dollar. FREE Money but don’t have it all in one basket!

Credit Advice By G. Hogan

Re-Establishing Credit after a BANKRUPTCY:
No matter what the reason was for filling bankruptcy, you got a PASS and need to START OVER and re-establish your credit.
It seems like before the ink is dry credit card companies and auto dealers start sending you applications and pre-approved notices in the mail. This is NOT a Bad thing. You have to get back into managing your debt and credit responsibly and one of the ways to do it is by getting 2 new credit accounts, typically 2 credit cards or 1 credit card and one car loan. Now, the rates on some of those offers may be EXTREMLY HIGH anywhere from 18% -24%, you may even get some lower. The key is to read the FINE PRINT. These types of offers will also have an annual fee. You will have to pay a little bit more to get back in the CREDIT GAME. You may also get a low limit $200-$500, AGAIN its ok. BABY STEPS! You have to build TRUST again. Review all offers, interest rate vs. annual fees and pick the one with the lowest rate and or annual fee. If you find that you applied for 2 credit cards even though they say pre-approved for bad credit and previous bankruptcy and get DECLINED, you may have to apply for a Secured Credit Card. This is where you send the company a check say for $500, then they issue you a credit card with a $500 limit. They will hold onto your deposit until they feel that you have used and paid back the account in a responsible manner. Most companies will send back your money anywhere from 18 – 24 months.
If you decide to re-establish your credit and you should, you have to make sure you don’t fall into a lot of debt again. You should only charge small amounts, maybe for some gas, dinner, rental car, etc BUT make sure you can pay if off when your statement arrives. You want to only use about 30% of your available credit. So this means if you have a limit of $1000, you should only have a balance of $300. Banks and lenders consider this an acceptable amount of usage. You are penalized for carrying large balances on your credit cards. It HURTS your Credit Score!
As far as the car offers, if you need a car and can get a loan get one BUT make sure the finance company or any company you borrow money from, report monthly to one of, if not all the credit agencies. Stay away from BUY HERE, PAY HERE places. They typically have shotty cars, excessively high interest rates and do not report to any of the 3 major credit agencies.
If you can get 2 credit cards and use them responsibly, this can increase your credit score dramatically over the next 12 months. You will be working your way up to getting back in the GAME and will soon be able to get credit from a traditional source (like your bank) after 2 – 3 years following a bankruptcy. Remember BABY STEPS!