CiCi was spotted at the Double Up Tour in the ATL last night:  Hot boots...but was she trying the au natural look with the makeup?  Can't say I'm loving it.

So Nelly talked to the folks over at SOHH.com about why Essence will never put him on the cover.  He says there's a double standard of hip hop acts v. TV acts:

You look at Essence magazine, and they wouldn't put a rapper on the cover...They wouldn't put Nelly on the cover of Essence. Why? I don't know. Would I like to do it? Of course I would. Why not? You wouldn't put me on the cover because of the 'Tip Drill' video ... that's probably your main focus," he added. "But yet still, you put Halle Berry on the cover. She's had a 15-minute sex scene with some white guy in front of a couch ... I mean you can't tell me that 'Tip Drill' was worse than watching that sex scene between Billy Bob (Thornton) and Halle Berry. You can't tell me that. That was longer than four or five minutes. You feel what I'm sayin'?

Boy stop.

So Andre J., who rocked the cover of Vogue Paris last month and had all our asses baffled, hit the Fashion Forums at Runway in NY yesterday:  Dude used to frighten me...but now I've been hypnotized by the bedazzled hat and dammit I just like the constant foolishness that is this dude.  I mean...seriously.  How can you not?

Brandy stepped out with her new wig yesterday: And I can't say I'm loving it.  Reminds me of her Thea days and I can't feel that.  But it's good to see her out and about and healthy.

Sources from J. Lo's label Epic Records/Sony are saying they're wanting to drop Jenny but may only keep her to push out a greatest hits album:

She costs too much money and doesn’t sell enough,” says the source, who is familiar with the issue. “Her last album cover alone cost $60,000 in hair and makeup, lighting, photographers, re-touching, etc.

So CiCi's next birthday party stop last night was her hometown of Atlanta. And her new reality show friends were in full effect: Ne-Yo was there too...probably also wondering why Buckeey is out and about everyhere like her name is even on the D-List. Cute look CiCi.

So much for the rumors of Luda kickin it with Gabby Union these days...even when sources reported that Gabby was actually dating Luda's bodyguard and not him: YBF snitches have sent over photos of Ludacris kickin' it with his new girlfriend last night in Ethiopia. He was there to open the show for Beyonce and they decided to pre-party at the Sheraton Addis hotel before hitting the town after. They were extra cozy and security was extra tight around him and his girl so it seems like Luda's trying to keep this ish under wraps.