Rihanna is baring it all for her new fragrance.  The Bajan babe stripped down for the provocative shoot, covering her breasts with her arms as she teased the camera with seductive stares.  After rocking dreads earlier in the week for her “American Idol” performance, she returned to blonde.  But it’s only temporary.  “Blonde was just for the shoot! I’m still black,” she told one fan.

The “Where Have You Been” singer plans to release the follow-up to her hot-selling fragrance Reb’l Fleur this fall.  She is also working on a unisex scent, due in early 2013.

During the shoot, she celebrated the birthday of her stylist Mariel Haenn by throwing some cake in her face.  “Put the cake in ya face!!!! Happy birthday @marielhaenn love u always, thx for working today,” she tweeted.

Plans have been announced for a public viewing and memorial service for Chuck Brown, the Godfather of go-go, who died earlier this month.

The viewing will take place Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Howard Theatre. The public memorial service will take place May 31 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The financial woes for TLC member T-Boz are getting worse as the year goes on. T-Boz is the target of Honda in a repossession case.

T-Boz aka Tionne Watkins is facing a lawsuit brought on by Honda Car Company for defaulting on payments for her 2005 Honda Odyssey. The automobile maker filed the suit in a Georgia court and is asking the court to allow them to take the mini-van away from Watkins. However, the exact amount T-Boz owes remains unknown.

T-Boz filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011. She didn’t complete the paperwork involved with bankruptcy protection. What that means is there is no way for T-Boz or any of her attorneys to stop Honda from repossessing her car if they came to to get it at this very moment.

T-Boz nor anyone from her camp has made any comments.

Actress Meagan Good and her fiance Pastor DeVon Franklin both intend to remain celibate until their wedding night.  Meagan tells Life & Style magazine that she and the Sony film exec have NEVER done the dirty deed.

“Our wedding night will be the first time we’re actually together,” she says.

And Meagan knew DeVon was the one because,

“…he was willing to be celibate with me for a year. He loves God, more than I love God, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong [with him].”

The D’Angelo buzz is building up.  He is back and ready to serve up some dope music and bring back some of that soul that R&B music has been missing.  Amy Wallace, who penned the GQ interview, described parts of D’Angelo’s upcoming album saying, “It is dark, dense and mysterious and makes the most of D’s newfound prowess on the guitar.”

And as for why he left:

“He was confused, he says, by his sudden notoriety, even as he, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and others were credited with launching the ‘neo-soul’ movement (a label he hates). ‘It counteracts the very fucking idea of what it was in the first place,’ he says. ‘It’s black music thinking — it’s black music manifested outside of the box. And when you label it neo soul, you’re putting it right back in the box. How about you just call me soul music?’”

D’Angelo on battling his substance abuse during his hiatus: “I didn’t really think I had a problem like that,” he says, taking a hit off a Newport. “I felt like, you know, all I got to do is clean up and I’ll be fine. Just get in the studio and I’ll be fucking fine.”

…on his arrest for soliciting sex from an undercover officer: “It was just me making a stupid decision, a wrong turn, on the wrong night. I’m not the role-model motherfucker. Look at all the shit that I’ve been in.”

…on Madonna:
When Madonna turned 39, she asked him to sing “Happy Birthday” at her party. One press report had her sitting on his lap and French-kissing him. In fact, two sources say that ultimately D rebuffed her advances at another gathering not long after. At that event, the sources say, Madonna walked over and told a woman sitting next to D, “I think you’re in my seat.” The woman got up. Madonna sat down and told him, “I’d like to know what you’re thinking.” To which D replied, “I’m thinking you’re rude.”

Chris Rock on black celebrities: “Black stardom is rough, dude,” Chris Rock tells me when I reach him to talk about D. “I always say Tom Hanks is an amazing actor and Denzel Washington is a god to his people. If you’re a black ballerina, you represent the race, and you have responsibilities that go beyond your art. How dare you just be excellent?”

Questlove, D’Angelo’s former bandleader, on calling him after Amy Winehouse’s death: “’D’s the first person I called,’ Questlove recalls. And I was just honest, like, ‘Look, man, I’m sorry. I know you’re thinking I’m avoiding you like the plague.’ I just said plain and simple, ‘Man, there was a period in which it seemed like you were hell-bent on following the footsteps of our idols, and the one thing you have yet to follow them in was death.’”

VIBE titled their upcoming issue cover story “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Inside the controversial reality tv stars Evelyn Lozada, Chrissy Lampkin, Tamar Braxton and Kandi Burruss talk about what’s like being paid for their bad and good behavior.  Peep some excerpts below:

VIBE: Star Jones started a petition, lashing out against women and violence on reality TV. What’s your reaction?

Evelyn: [Bursts into laughter] I think she’s going to have to get a whole lot of names. Actually, I like the petition and I like the controversy because I’ve learned controversy is good. But I think she’s irrelevant. And she’s using our coattails to get relevant again. Nobody gives a fawk about her.

Chrissy: Whatever Star Jones is feeling is a little deeper than what she sees. I think she has her own issues.

Kandi: She may not be violent, but I’m sure she goes off on people in her day-to-day. I just don’t think it’s fair to block somebody from getting money.

What was the pivotal factor in your decisions to live in front of a camera?

Chrissy: They offered Jimmy [her fiancé, rapper Jim Jones] a show years ago and he wasn’t really interested. It was something that sparked my interest. It felt like something fun. There was another opportunity brought to me for a show with some other girls and it didn’t pan out. I came home upset and disappointed and Jimmy’s response was, “If you really wanna do this reality TV thing, since they offered it to me, I’ll put a call in and see if they’re still interested.”

Kandi: I wasn’t even thinking about reality television. I didn’t think they would really want me on [Real Housewives] because I’m not married, but they decided they wanted me to be a part of it.

Evelyn: I was a little skeptical in the beginning, but Shaunie and I have been friends for a few years. She called me up and pitched the show. I didn’t sign on to be famous or anything. I was opening up a shoe store [Dulce in Miami] and I thought this would be great for business.

Tamar: We just felt it was necessary to show us as sisters living different lifestyles. We felt it was important to have an honest show that women can relate to and learn from. I can only speak for our show, though. We’re a family show; it’s not like we’re girlfriends.

Did any of you foresee your show being as big as it is today?

Chrissy: I knew when they put that punch and kick in the trailer that would catch people’s eye. People watch reality TV for train wrecks. People wanna excuse their own bullisht and tune into yours.

Kandi: I liked the show before I got on it, but I didn’t think I’d be interesting on TV. But being on Bravo, we cross so many age and racial boundaries. Before in the community, people may recognize me, like, “That’s the girl from Xscape,” and then I would go somewhere else and not be recognized. But now it can be a 70-year-old white grandmother who will be like, “Kandi! I love you!” Or some 40-year-old Asian like, “Kandi Burruss?” And I’m like, “Wow, you know my first and last name.”

Tamar: There aren’t a lot of female African-American shows, better yet about sisters [on television], which I think is very important, not just for the Braxtons but…

Kandi: There’s a lot of things about your show that I like. I like the fact that you guys are an entertainment family. I think people love the whole music side of things, being able to see the behind-the-scenes of your careers. I thought that’s what I brought to Housewives—Atlanta is a beautiful town and you get to see that, but you get to see that people who are quote, unquote “celebrities” have normal real life issues.

Tamar: Kandi, this is the honest to God truth: to this day, I don’t see my family as an entertainment family. We’ve been doing this since I was a baby. So until our show aired, I thought we was like every other family!

Kandi: You are! Which is why people like the show. A lot of people don’t get to see your momma tell you, “I’ll slap you down.” [Laughs]

Beyoncé and Kanye West lead the nominations for the BET Awards ’12, it was announced today at a press conference in New York.

 The pop superstar scores six nominations overall at the 12th annual show. Her videos for “Countdown” and “Love on Top” will compete against Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Ni**as in Paris” and “Otis,” as well as Usher’s “Climax” in the coveted Video of the Year category.

West leads with seven nominations, most of them for his Watch the Throne collaborations with Jay-Z, who picks up five nods.

YMCMB’s Drake and Lil Wayne each earn four nominations including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, while last year’s top nominee Chris Brown takes three.

Hip-hop freshmen A$AP Rocky, Big Sean, Diggy Simmons, Future, and Meek Mill will vie for Best New Artist. A$AP, Sean, and Diggy were on hand for the live announcement.

Brown and Best Female Hip-Hop Artist nominee Nicki Minaj will perform at the show, while the Cadillac Lifetime Achievement will be presented to Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, who will also take the stage.

Samuel L. Jackson will host the BET Awards ’12, which will air live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 1.

BET AWARDS ’12 NOMINATIONS

Best Female R&B Artist
Marsha Ambrosius
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige
Melanie Fiona
Rihanna

Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Trey Songz
Usher

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
Big Sean
Drake
J. Cole
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross
Young Jeezy

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Nicki Minaj
Diamond
Trina
Brianna Perry

Best Group
Bad Meets Evil
Diddy-Dirty Money
Maybach Music Group
Mindless Behavior
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)

Best New Artist
A$AP Rocky
Big Sean
Diggy
Future
Meek Mill

Best Collaboration
Beyoncé f/ J. Cole – “Party”
Big Sean f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash – “Marvin & Chardonnay”
DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne – “I’m on One”
Drake f/ Lil Wayne and Tyga – “The Motto”
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding – “Otis”
Wale f/ Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”

Video of the Year
Beyoncé – “Countdown”
Beyoncé – “Love on Top”
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) – “Ni**as in Paris”
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) – “Otis”
Usher – “Climax”

Video Director of the Year
Beyoncé and Alan Ferguson
Benny Boom
Chris Brown and Godfrey Tabarez
Kanye West
Hype Williams

Best Gospel
Yolanda Adams
Kim Burrell
James Fortune & FIYA
Fred Hammond
Trin-I-Tee 5:7

YoungStars Award
Astro
Diggy
Jacob Latimore
Keke Palmer
Willow Smith

Viewers’ Choice Award
Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga – “The Motto”
Beyoncé – “Love on Top”
Chris Brown – “Turn Up the Music”
Mindless Behavior – “Hello”
The Throne f/ Otis Redding – “Otis”
Wale f/ Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”

Centric Award
Common
Estelle
Robert Glasper
Robin Thicke
Tyrese

Best International Act: U.K.
Estelle
Labrinth
Emeli Sande
Sway
Wretch 32

Best International Act: Africa
Camp Mulla (Kenya)
Ice Prince (Nigeria)
Lira (South Africa)
Mokobe (Mali)
Sarkodie (Ghana)
Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Viola Davis
Taraji P. Henson
Regina King
Zoe Saldana

Best Actor
Don Cheadle
Common
Idris Elba
Kevin Hart
Denzel Washington

Best Movie
Good Deeds
Jumping the Broom
Laugh at My Pain
Red Tails
The Help

Sportswoman of the Year
Skylar Diggins
Candace Parker
Brittney Griner
Serena Williams
Venus Williams

Sportsman of the Year
Carmelo Anthony
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Victor Cruz
Kevin Durant