Tamar Braxton and her husband Vince Herbert appear on the latest cover of JET Magazine discussing everything from Tamar’s music career, not being a golddigger and Vince’s health isssues.  Read interesting excerpts below:

On Her Music Career:

“I have to do this,” she says. “I wake up in the morning and want to go to the studio, because if I don’t go, ‘her’ is going to be upset,” she says, referencing her unnamed alter ego in the third person. “I don’t want to put it in a category because when you do that you limit yourself,” she says. “It’s just going to be hot music. Great songs that appeal to everybody.”

And Vince Herbert is going to be the head architect of his wife’s music career. “She’s already signed to my label and Interscope,” he says. “You have to take the time to do everything right.”

On Marriage

“My mom and dad are went deceased,” Vince divulges, saying that his mother, a nurse, was killed in a car accident when he was 13. His dad passed away a few years later. “My parents were together for 25 years. I even remember their last anniversary. That’s how much I paid attention. He rented a limousine, made a reservation and they went to this hall in West Orange, NJ. He died of a broken heart. He adored my mom.”

“I love my wife. This girl is so far from being a gold digger. I wouldn’t be with someone like that for nine years,” he says. And Tamar is quick to tag in: “When I met Vince I had my own house. I had my own car. I was independent.”

“We have fun, which is what a relationship is all about,” Vince says. “Tamar is the greatest. Liek, we’d just drive to Disneyland, then go to the movies and fall asleep. Because we are friends and you can’t stress that enough in a relationship,” he says “We have our arguments and disagreements, but that’s life.”

Tamar also says she doesn’t go all diva when it comes to Vince

“He’s my husband, and I don’t talk to him the way I’d talk to a girlfriend,” Tamar shares.

On His Health Issues*:

“It was the first thing we ever had to deal with outside of the normal relationship thing. It went from dinner, to a doctor, to a hospital, to he’s in a coma,” she shares of her experience becoming her husband’s health proxy. “I had to sign a lot of papers. I’m happy that we were friends because when you’re going through ‘what would he do?’ you remember those conversations. At first Doogie Howser was his doctor, and I was like no. I want someone with gray hair.”

“We have a new outlook on life because of what happened,” she says. “Everything before now has been erased.”

Cassie, JoJo, Solange, and V V Brown pop out from the pages of V Magazine‘s annual Music Issue.  The singers were named “fearless females” by the fashion publication, going glam in the colorful close-ups photographed by Mick Rock.  They each spoke out about their upcoming projects.

Cassie on her new sound and image: “In my video we called it ‘giving ’90s supermodel.’ It’s the perfect definition of who I am right now and what I’m going through.  People aren’t going to expect me to come out with what I have.”

JoJo on being a voice for her generation: “I love Britney Spears and Madonna and Lady Gaga. I love pop music, those big pop records, but I still want it to feel like my sound. I hope people feel like, ‘Damn, that’s exactly what I’m going through, that’s what I’m thinking but I wasn’t sure how to put it into words.’  I want to sing what people are thinking and feeling. I want it to be the soundtrack to their lives.”

Solange on her new music: “My references for the record were all Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, not just their typical Janet and Prince stuff, but SOS Band and their b-sides with Chaka Khan. At first the songs were really dark because I had a premonition before the record that I was going to die. I was having panic attacks and wiling out.”

V V Brown on her sophomore album Lollipops and Politics: “My second album has a message: it’s about my generation and things going on in the world.  But I didn’t want it to come across preachy. I love writing upbeat songs with darker undertones.”

T.I.’s baby mama, whose stage name is Ms.Niko, is hoping to be next up on the 15 minutes of fame train. She has just released a music video for her new single, “If This is Luv /Man Eater,” from her mixtape, Luv Khronicles, and is ready to launch her singing career.

Ms. Niko is the mother of T.I.’s 10-year old daughter, Deyjah, and if you watched T.I.’s “Family Hustle,” you caught a glimpse of her Monday night in a scene where she and T.I. discussed their 10-year old’s new boyfriend?

Anywhoo, does Ms. Niko have the goods to be a legitimate singer, or should she just sit back and enjoy those child support checks?  Honestly, though the video is on a recession budget , the song is pretty decent and she has a good voice.  I must say I was impressed!! But  you be the judge:

The Roc is in the building.  Rihanna calls on her Roc Nation boss Jay-Z for “Talk That Talk,” the third single and title track from her sixth album.  RiRi squats down on the gritty black-and-white cover, which she revealed on Twitter.  The Stargate-produced song follows “You Da One” and the Calvin Harris-assisted “We Found Love,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 and returns to the #1 spot this week for a totalling nine weeks.

Some of music’s biggest voices are headed to New Orleans.  Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, and Fantasia have been announced as performers for this year’s ESSENCE Music Festival.

Celebrating “The Power of Our Voice,” the 18th annual event will be held at the Louisiana Superdome during the weekend of July 6-8.  This year’s lineup boasts veterans and newcomers including Aretha Franklin, Charlie Wilson, SWV, Dru Hill, Ledisi, Stephanie Mills, Raheem DeVaughn, Estelle, Goapele, Vivian Green, Kindred the Family Soul, Luke James, Eric Roberson, The Stylistics, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Bridget Kelly, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, The Stooges Brass Band, and Khris Royal & Dark Matter.

The legendary Aretha Franklin, who performed at the Festival in 1995 and 2005, will also be honored with “The Power Award.”

“The theme of this year’s Essence Music Festival celebrates our most powerful voices. Whether it’s Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul commanding respect or Rep. Maxine Waters demanding better conditions for our community, these powerful voices resonate with our audience like no other,” said Michelle Ebanks, president, Essence Communications Inc. “As we all face a new reality in these critical times, we want to inspire our Festival-goers to leave this year’s Festival even more resilient and motivated so that they can be empowered to create change in their own communities.”

Blue Ivy Carter is barely a week old and she’s already following in her famous parents’ footsteps.  Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter makes music history by becoming the youngest person ever to grace the Billboard chart.

The infant can be heard crying on “Glory,” Jay-Z’s dedication to his newborn.  The Neptunes-produced track, which was released less than 48 hours after her birth, enters at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The song becomes the week’s highest debut on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with 1.7 million audience impressions on 54 radio stations.

“The most amazing feeling I feel, words can’t describe what I’m feeling for real/ Baby, I paint the sky blue, my greatest creation was you,” raps Jay on the sentimental song.

Blue Ivy Carter was born on January 7 in New York.  Her parents released a joint statement welcoming their little girl into the world.  “Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful, we are in heaven,” wrote the couple.