NICKI MINAJ, who already has deals with MAC cosmetics, OPI nail polish, and even her very own Mattel Barbie now has her eyes on the fashion biz as the next phase in her NICKI MINAJ takeover.

 According to her Manager, CORTEZ BRYANT, the 1st lady of Young Money is set on building her brand which wouldn’t be complete without fashion.

Bryant recently told the  New York Times that he’s trying “to negotiate a deal with a fashion house so Ms. Minaj can sell her own line of clothes.”

On one hand, we can appreciate that MINAJ  walks to the beat of her own drum when it comes to couture and “originality,” but on the other hand we don’t know if the mass consumer market is ready  for NICKI line. Over the top color, tutus, rhinestones, stuffed animals and wigs, oh my!

We’re not too sure of how to feel about it but we can’t knock her hustle.

Ladies love LL COOL J, and apparently so does the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation, to appoint  LL COOL J as host of the 54th Grammy Awards.

It was announced this week that the rapper-turned-actor will make the first official host in seven years to grace the Grammy stage.

LL COOL J has been hosting the recording academy’s “Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night” special, in which glam-category noms are revealed, since its inception in late 2008, but the actual Grammy broadcast has been hostless since 2005, when QUEEN LATIFAH did the honors.

After the announcement the rapper excitedly stated, “I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true. Great performances and great music — it’s gonna be a great night!”

We shall see. The show airs on CBS Feb 12th.

Last year, KIM KARDASHIAN became the face of the Skecher sneaker brand, and was featured in a sexy ad for Skechers during the Super Bowl.

Skechers is now featuring a dog in its Super Bowl spot this year instead of KIM.

Skechers executive, Leonard Armato, said that the switch is less to do with Kim’s bad publicity recently and more with the company’s decision to promote a high-tech shoe.

“Kim got us more attention than we ever dreamed,” he said. “We have to establish Skechers as more than a lifestyle company.”

Then their is also the impending conflict of interest, considering  Kim’s line of shoes, ShoeDazzle, has grown much larger over the past year.

The company has issued a statement regarding Kardashian being removed from their television ads for this year’s Super Bowl:

“Kim Kardashian has had a tremendously positive effect on the Skechers brand…While Kim’s contract with Skechers simply came to an end at the end of last year, we continue to have a great relationship with her… To say that she was “dropped” or “replaced” is misleading and untrue. Skechers has enjoyed and continues to enjoy the relationship with Kim, and in fact we continue to discuss ways that we may work together in the future.”

Hmph, we’ll shall see.

Guess CASSIE is tired of being just DIDDY‘s girl, and has been in the studio getting ready to release her sophomore album – finally.

In a interview with V Magazine the “Me and U” singer reveals that she’s been on her grind.

“I have hundreds of songs recorded for this album. I’ve been working on it for a long time. Finally I had to decide my direction. I felt kind of exposed when I stopped working in the studio. My friends would call me to hang out and I would say, ‘nope going in the studio,’ and they’d say, ‘you’ve been in the studio for four years!,” CASSIE admitted.

Not only is she on her grind, but says everyone is going to surprised by the work she put in.

“At the time I made the record I went out to Ibiza and I really started to feel these jungle beats. But at the same time I wanted to keep my ‘Me and U’ tone, really simple and clean…People aren’t going to expect me to come out with what I have.”

2 snaps

Over the weekend celebrities came out to Athenaeum in Pasadena, California to help celebrate the stars of NBC, at the NBC Universal TCA Press Tour Party.

Juicy celebs TIA and TAMARA MOWERY, CHRISTINIA MILIAN, CEE LO GREEN, and ARSENIO HALL all attended and enjoyed the night.

Click “More Photos,” for additional pics.

Following her success with Danity Kane and Dirty Money, New Orleans native DAWN RICHARD is setting out on her own with a new LP entitled GoldenHeart.

Last night, RICHARDS  made an appearance on BET’s 106 & Park where she dropped off the video for her single, “S.M.F.U (Save Me From You).”

“I was going through something really, really bad and instead of me trying to keep things private, I like to give my vulnerability, make it strong, and put it out there,” RICHARD says.

Watch above.

In a recent interview with Billboard,  CHRIS BROWN‘s manager TINA DAVIS discusses the direction of BREEZY career in 2012.

After the domestic incident involving in RIHANNA and CHRIS BROWN in 2009, DAVIS believes BREEZY has had a rough time bouncing back into the limelight, because the public focuses on the wrong things.

“His business life and personal life are totally two different things. And his love for music and his talent still shone throughout all of the good and bad times.”

This may be true, but for many BROWN did the unthinkable, and feel his actions have every right to affect the success of his brand.

“The hardest part was trying to get people to understand that it wasn’t as easy as saying, “I’m sorry,” or having the right answers in an interview,” DAVIS says.

Regardless, The BROWN camp plans to take a different approach in 2012, to avoid the RIHANNA drama to keep lingering – no interviews at all in 2012.

“[Chris will] concentrate on performing and recording. It was something we set a while back. We’re not trying to be rude, selfish or disrespectful to anyone in any way. If people are going to judge anything, judge him for his talent. He signed up to sing and entertain. Not to talk about his personal life.”

Two snaps.

ESTER DEAN, R&B singer and songwriter known for her CHRIS BROWN collabo hit  “Drop It Low,” in 2009 has announced that she has signed up to JAY-Z‘s Roc Nation management team.

DEAN did the honor of breaking the news first on her Twitter timeline, ” “I’m so Grateful 4 my Team Past and Present! Bringing in the New Year with my new Team @RocNation 2012 #JayBrown #Tata #Omar.”

DEAN has had a very slow start, but this new deal is promising for the young singer who has contributed to the lyrics of RIHANNA‘s ‘Rude Boy’ and NICKI MINAJ‘s ‘Super Bass.’

Congrats!

Rapper LUDACRIS announced yesterday via Twitter his plans to open up his first restaurant.

The rapper who hasn’t been rapping to much these days, is working on opening up a second restaurant in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

“Im taking my restaurateur footprint into the busiest airport in the WORLD! Hartsfield-Jackson ATL International! Chicken & Beer coming soon!,” LUDA tweeted.

Naming the restaurant Chicken and Beer after his third studio album that dropped in 2003, seems to limit his menu choices, but the rapper remains excited.

“WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUSIEST AIRPORT ON THE PLANET!! THIS IS HISTORY!! #chickenandbeer,” he continued to tweet.

The restaurant will make his biggest business venture since the release of his liquor brand Conjure, and the opening of his first restaurant The Straits in Atlanta.