Idris Elba preparing new album

Many fans fell in love with half Ghanian -half Sierra-Leonian actor Idris Elba when he appeared on the hit show ‘The Wire’. He went on to star in films like Tyler Perry’s “Daddy’s Little Girls” and the block-buster hit thriller “Obsessed”, and can now be seen on NBC’s “The Office”.

Now that he has conquered the film circuit, the smooth talking star who moved from Britain to the USA a few years ago to broaden his acting career is ready to add the title of singer to his resume.

This decision shouldn’t come as a surprise to die-hard fans who know that Idris already produced an album called “Big Man” that wasn’t commercially released.This new album, tentatively titled “King Amongst Kings” will feature four to six tracks, one of them being a reaggae influenced song called “Please Be True”.
“A lot of people are just getting over the fact that I’m not playing gangsters”, he said (referring to his stint on ‘The Wire’), “And now I’m singing.This is a new side I’m Offering”.

In the interview with Essence magazine, Idris offered no release date, but mentioned that he will star in three new films. He will play a soldier affected by post-traumatic stress in the movie ‘Legacy’, and will star alongside TI in ‘Takers’. He is also working with actress Zoe Saldana in ‘The Losers’

Liya Kebede makes Giant top 50 List

Ethiopian super-model Liya Kebede, who has graced the covers of  Haute Couture magazines like Vogue, and who has walked the runways for Africa Arise and more, has earned spot number 35 on The Giant Top 50 list.

Giant magazine annualy compiles it’s list of the 50 most infleuntial people who are “changing the world we live in and impacting our state of being”. Liya’s nomination is no surprise considering the waves she has made in the fashion industry for the past 10 years.

She was the first black model to represent Estee Lauder and was one of the African  models featured  in the Vogue Italia’s all black issue  in the summer of 2008. Her movie Desert  Flower will be released  soon, and she has signed a deal with US retailer  J.Crew  to have her  children’s clothing line Lem-Lem sold there.

With her work as a global UN goodwill ambassador  for maternal health and other humanitarian works, Liya Kebede is what Giant describes as “the epitome of what a model citizen can be”.

Is Akon expecting a new child and tying the knot again?

Blogsites and gossip websites have been buzzing with the news that Akon is about to be a father for the sixth time. The woman carrying his child is not one of his five wives,  but is Susan Owori, the sister of Ugandan fashion designer, Sylvia Owori. She is said to have met Akon in Uganda some time last year where he performed and the two continued the relationship as he flew her into Miami and took her on vacations to London. Rumor has it that she left her long-time boyfriend Da Twinz who was a member of a UK based Ugandan music duo for the R&B Superstar.

Akon has not released a statement to confirm or deny these rumors and seems focused on his career. He just extended his Konvict empire which consists of a record label and clothing line to include Konvinct cosmetics under which he will debut two new signature scents. He also just wrapped up a concert in the United Arab Emirates and a trip to South Africa where he met South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma. He has been asked to produce the theme song for the 2010 soccer world cup.

Susan Owori on the other hand has been calling herself Mrs Akon since last August. According to an interview she conducted with Ugandan paper, The Monitor, she was quoted as  saying “We have known each other for six to eight years now. We met in London. I think we are now more than friends. I and Akon and his family are tight. Maybe I will be (Mrs Akon)  in future but not yet, may be in a few months time.”

Seal shares a lesson in romance

“Kiss from a Rose” singer Seal and  his Victoria Secret  model wife Heidi Klum just tied the knot for the fifth time in a laid-back ceremony where the bride and mom-to-be wore a white dress and walked the aisle barefooted while Seal dressed up in a Billy Ray Cyrus inspired wig.

When Metro UK asked him the importance of getting married every year, he said “One of the things I love so much about my wife and my relationship to her is that we have a lot of fun. People often ask me, they say ‘oh you two are so romantic’ and ‘what are the keys to romance?’ – we don’t really try and be romantic. But what we do try and do is to keep everything fun, and I think in a funny way therein lies the key to romance; the ability to always laugh and to find different ways of entertaining each other.”

Seal also said to the paper that the renewal of vows make you think about why you got married.”Not that it’s easy to forget with my wife because she’s so delicious,” he joked. The couple, who are expecting their fourth child, chose ‘white trash’ as the novelty theme for the ceremony.

“We had a lot of fun with (it). It’s something we both looked forward to. We were gonna do it in Mexico but for obvious reasons we had to relocate as it were. It was fun. This year we got married by Elvis and that was funny. Instead of saying ‘I do’, he went ’say after me, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, uh huh huh?’ and so it was a bit ridiculous. But that’s what we said instead of ‘I do’.”

Will it be a girl or boy? Djimora and Kimora keep us guessing

As we  previously reported, Djimon Hounsou and Kimora  are expecting a child together. The couple haven’t publicly stated the sex of their child but according to some pictures captured recently, they may let the cat out of the bag. The two were spotted shopping in Beverly Hills and emerged from the store with a baloon that said “Its a Boy” in blue. However, it may be a way to fool the public as some sources are saying that the actor and the “Baby Phat” designer are expecting twins.