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Barrino & Keys, What’s So Different?

We recently learned that former American Idol winner, Fantasia Barrino, attempted to take her own life. This news came in connection with a relationship Barrino is having with Antwaun Cook, a married man. Since this relationship has been made public, Barrino has been called every name in the book from a home-wrecker to a whore. What Fantasia chooses to do and who she chooses to do it with is her business so I will not speak on that. I don’t know her or Cook personally and can only speculate. One thing I did find interesting was that her “relationship-with-a-married-man” situation is quite similar to another stellar musical artist’s recent situation. Alicia Keys was also involved in a relationship with a married man, Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean.

In both situations, it is reported that the marriages were estranged.However, Fantasia appears to be receiving the brunt of media’s back talk. Keys was not looked down upon in the same manner Barrino is. Why is this? Well, there isn’t one answer to this. And again, I can only speculate. Could it be the two women’s backgrounds? Keys comes from a strong, single-parent family, she’s intelligent, talented and highly revered on an international scale. Barrino dropped out of high school, became a teen parent, made a name for herself on a reality television show, and plays out the trials of her life on her television show Fantasia For Real. I would have to argue that this is a major factor in the way the two stories are being portrayed in the media. I believe that people have developed ideas of these two women based on their backgrounds and it isn’t right.

Are they home-wreckers? According to the men in their lives, they are not. This is what should matter. Unfortunately, it is the beliefs of a few, the media, that influence the thoughts of many, the public. It is with poor taste that the members of the media tell these stories. Because of it, women like Barrino are looked down upon while others in her situation are not. In my opinion, the media should stick to reporting the NEWS and not the personal lives of others.

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FEAR of A White Dress! (Women and Marriage) UPDATE!!

So I was watching the BET awards over the weekend and I noticed an alarming trend. All these beautiful, strong, talented, gifted, and smart…single moms, unmarried women having children. My mother-in-law said that in this day and age, there is no such thing as an accidental pregnancy. How is it that we (and our young girls), respect and look up to the likes of Alicia Keys? If you saw the headline, Pop Star Sleeps With Newly Divorced Man And Gets Pregnant! What would your response be to that? Where are the women that liked getting swept off their feet and invest in marriage before they have babies!? Now, I’m not judging Alicia Keys’ actions; she is an adult and a human being, which makes her not perfect by any means, but this is just how I view the situation. And it sparks the question: Are Black Women more fearful of marriage and commitment than Black men?

UPDATE!! UPDATE!! UPDATE!!

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats announced late Tuesday evening that they’re engaged, and that the Grammy-winning singer is expecting the couple’s first child together.

The news might have been a surprise to some: Keys is an R&B/pop superstar who has performed at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, while Swizz (real name: Kasseem Dean) is a Ruff Ryders alumnus and a veteran hip-hop producer who’s laced Jay-Z and DMX with some of their grittiest tracks.

But the musical couple have been dating for a couple of years, at least since 2008, when rumors of their union began to swirl — and recently whispers about the two ratcheted up when photos of Keys with what appeared to be a baby bump appeared online.

Here’s a timeline of the couple’s relationship:

» In 2008, music-industry insiders began buzzing about a pairing between Swizz — then married to R&B chanteuse Mashonda — and Keys, but the speculation turned public when gossip blog TheYBF.com published a post detailing their union, citing a source close to the singer.

» Later in 2008, Alicia Keys threw a surprise birthday party for the art-collecting producer (who by then was separated from his wife) at New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Although they wouldn’t appear in public together until the following year, the shindig solidified that the two were an item.

» In 2009, Swizz Beatz all but confirmed his relationship with Keys through a remix verse he added to Drake’s hit, “Best I Ever Had,” rapping, “She gave me a party at the Guggenheim … What’s next? The ring? The baby? She really loves me.”

» Throughout the year, Keys and Swizz (engaged in a messy divorce from Mashonda, including public spat on Twitter) were spotted together at a bevy of events, including his pre-Grammy Awards event, game three of World Series (where she performed alongside Jay-Z), and a swank Whitney Houston album preview event; the musical pair worked together to produce the Houston single “Million Dollar Bill.”

» This year, the duo have been frequently photographed together, both domestically and abroad; pics of Keys performing across the Atlantic caused a stir online as the singer’s loose-fitting clothing led many to believe she was hiding a baby bump.

» On Thursday, a spokesperson for the couple confirmed that they were engaged and are expecting their first child together. The baby will be her first and his third: The producer has two other children from previous relationships.

What do you think about Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys’ relationship? Let us know in the comments!