Beyonce's Family Gets A New Addition

By: Randall Keith

The Knowles family continues to show the world the RIGHT WAY to be celebrities. In the age of famous people selling every moment of their lives to "Keep Up", the Knowles family stands out by proving that less is definitely more. This past weekend we heard rumors that Tina Knowles, the beautiful mother of Beyoncé, planned to marry her longtime boyfriend, Richard Lawson. This morning, pictures hit the internet of the couple posing for the camera on a yacht in all white, letting us all know that the rumors were indeed true. From what we see, it's safe to say that the ceremony was elegant and intimate. We at Brunch Culture offer a huge congratulations to the family! 

It's always good to see black love, and celebrities that arent beating us over the head with their business! 

Looks like Blue-Ivy has another Granddad to spoil her! 

Check out this beautiful photo of the couple. 

Credit: Cliff Watts/Beyonce.com

What do you think of Ms. Tina remarrying? 

Also, check out the latest episode of Brunch Culture "Successful & Discouraged" below:

3 Ways Your Valentine Can Love You Like Kanye Loves Kanye

BY: LISA VICTORIA

I recently saw a meme that said, "I love you like Kanye loves Kanye!" At first glance, I was beyond tickled. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Kanye West loves himself. His obsession with himself shows in everything he does. Considering we are in the season of love, I think we could all learn from Mr. West's fervor for himself.  How would it look for your Valentine to love you like Kanye loves Kanye? 

I took the time to outline 3 ways your Valentine can love you like Mr. West loves himself:

1. They speak well of you in your presence and absence. Kanye has been quoted comparing himself to the likes of Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, and even Jesus. Its obvious that he thinks very highly of himself and you need a Valentine that is devoted to thinking highly of you too! 
2. You're their main focus. Nobody wants to be the side-piece on Valentine's Day, in fact, some have dubbed Valentine's Day, Side-Piece Awareness Day. While Kanye loves Kim K, Baby North and Beyoncé, Kanye focuses on Kanye, the brand!
3. They defend you. How could we ever forget Kanye's rant on "Sway in the Morning", with the infamous line, "You ain't got the answers Sway!" Kanye defends Kanye! It would be nice if you had a "ride or die" Valentine to defend you and stick by you, no matter what. 

It's always good to have someone in your life that will speak well of you, prioritize you and defend you. Isn't that what love is about? 

Would you add anything to this list? Let us know...

Don't forget to check out episode 36 of Brunch Culture...

3 Good Reasons We Should Be Happy Beyoncé Performed Instead Of Ledisi

BY: RANDALL KEITH

(Photo Source: AP/Courtesy)

Music fans are in an uproar after the Queen Bey herself, Beyoncé, performed the classic hymn, “Take my hand, Precious Lord” at the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Before the Grammys aired, media sites reported that Beyoncé had been chosen by the Grammy committee to perform the song, instead of singer Ledisi. Ledisi played the role of Mahalia Jackson in the movie Selma, and sang the song in a moving scene with David Oyelowo who starred as the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some hoped that Beyoncé would invite Ledisi on stage to share the moment if she was indeed summoned by the Grammys to do so, but an interview with John Legend revealed that Beyoncé, asked to sing the song; creating an obvious snub of Ledisi, who attended the Grammy’s and was nominated. 

While we can go on for hours about the validity of Beyoncé’s performance, I took some time to try to find the silver lining in the situation, and to my surprise, it wasn’t too hard. After watching the rehearsal video released by Beyoncé’s team, I realized that great things resulted from Beyoncé taking the stage. Here's a list of three things we can appreciate from Beyonce's performance.

1. The first and most obvious result is that millions of people were introduced to a classic hymn that focuses on the need for spiritual guidance. Beyoncé has a fan base and name recognition like no other celebrity of our time. Old people even recognize her as a great. Those fans, or STANS, that eat, sleep and breathe everything Beyoncé, were forced to listen to a song that has moved hearts and minds for years. Of course if Ledisi had performed the song the opportunity would have still been present, but I think we can all agree that people would have walked away from their television knowing that a less popular artist was performing. The simple fact that Beyoncé was performing made people attentive and open. She could have sang the alphabet song and people would tune in because she is, Beyoncé!
2. Beyoncé performed with a choir of all Black Male vocalists. When I first saw a picture from the performance, I questioned why she was on stage with only men. Beyoncé, for most of her time as a solo artist has prided herself on representing for the ladies – having an all-female band and all female dancers in recent years. Watching the rehearsal video revealed that her goal was to depict “the strength and vulnerability of black men”. In the video the black men speak of their experiences with police and being profiled by the general public. Since we have criticized celebrities for failing to stand up publically in support the recent events in Ferguson, MO and New York, I think we have to acknowledge the efforts of those that claim to make a statement. Much like the exposure given to the song, Beyoncé’s platform also gives a voice to the men in this video who share their story and allow those people removed from the black community to hear a different perspective. A sincere, and vulnerable perspective.
3. Millions of people get to see that, to Beyoncé, Black lives matter! Before you write me off and say, “Why does that matter?”, stop and think about the level of influence Beyoncé has. This movement that is still alive and well on the grass roots level, is being subliminally endorsed by the Queen of Pop Culture. This drives home the message in a way that is easier for nay-sayers or just folks that are ignorant, to accept. Sure we can have an impactful movement without Beyonce, but consider what the result of mainstream attention can do.

Since we can’t change the fact that Beyoncé performed the song, we can at least recognize the good that comes out of it and move the conversation in that direction. We never know, there may be a Ledisi/Beyoncé collaboration real soon. 

Check out Ledisi’s graceful response to the controversial performance.

What do you think about the performance?