Bishop T.D. Jakes youngest daughter, Sarah Dionne Jakes, recently got married. Essence Magazine was there to witness the beautiful wedding. Sarah, 19, married her college sweetheart, Robert Henson, 22, in an extravagent ceremony held at the Potter’s House in Dalls on June 21.

“A lot of people have told us that we’re too young and asked Robert and me ‘Why don’t you wait?’” said Sarah, who accepted Robert’s proposal on Mother’s Day in 2007. “But when you feel like it’s right, love one another, and you’re ready, why wait?”

Robert agrees: “Everyone likes to say you have your whole life ahead of you, but tomorrow is not promised. I know I love her and we were ready.” (more…)

2008 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRITY LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST!

In celebration of the 2008 ESSENCE Music Festival (”EMF”), Essence and MissXpose.com have collaborated for an Essence Music Festival Concert Ticket Giveaway!

The Giveaway is called the “EMF Celebrity Look-a-Like” Contest! To enter, anyone who believes that they look like a celebrity who will be performing in this years Essence Music Festival Concert Series can send their photo with the name of the celebrity in which they look like to EssenceContest@missxpose.com. All pictures should have clear clarity and be in .jpeg format.

One Grand Prize Winner will win one (1) pair of tickets to ALL three (3) night performances (FRIDAY, JULY 4  SATURDAY, JULY 5  SUNDAY, JULY 6)

We will then choose three (3) “2nd Place” Winners who will win one (1) pair of tickets for one (1) of the three (3) night performances. (Either FRIDAY, JULY 4,  SATURDAY, JULY 5, or  SUNDAY, JULY 6). (more…)

2008 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRITY LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST!

In celebration of the 2008 ESSENCE Music Festival (”EMF”), Essence and MissXpose.com have collaborated for a Essence Music Festival Concert Ticket Giveaway!

The Giveaway is called the “EMF Celebrity Look-a-Like” Contest! To enter, anyone who believes that they look like a celebrity who will be performing in this years Essence Music Festival Concert Series can send their photo with the name of the celebrity in which they look like to EssenceContest@missxpose.com. All pictures should have clear clarity and be in .jpeg format.

One Grand Prize Winner will win one (1) pair of tickets to ALL three (3) night performances (FRIDAY, JULY 4  SATURDAY, JULY 5  SUNDAY, JULY 6)

We will then choose three (3) “2nd Place” Winners who will win one (1) pair of tickets for one (1) of the three (3) night performances. (Either FRIDAY, JULY 4,  SATURDAY, JULY 5, or  SUNDAY, JULY 6). (more…)

2008 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRITY LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST!

In celebration of the 2008 ESSENCE Music Festival (”EMF”), Essence and MissXpose.com have collaborated for a Essence Music Festival Concert Ticket Giveaway!

The Giveaway is called the “EMF Celebrity Look-a-Like” Contest! To enter, anyone who believes that they look like a celebrity who will be performing in this years Essence Music Festival Concert Series can send their photo with the name of the celebrity in which they look like to EssenceContest@missxpose.com. All pictures should have clear clarity and be in .jpeg format.

One Grand Prize Winner will win one (1) pair of tickets to ALL three (3) night performances (FRIDAY, JULY 4  SATURDAY, JULY 5  SUNDAY, JULY 6)

We will then choose three (3) “2nd Place” Winners who will win one (1) pair of tickets for one (1) of the three (3) night performances. (Either FRIDAY, JULY 4,  SATURDAY, JULY 5, or  SUNDAY, JULY 6). (more…)

Neosha King, a member of the female R&B group Cherish got married earlier this month. Essence Magazine was in attendance to cover the intimate ceremony. Check out Essence’s recap:

Neosha, 23 and Jason, 24, became husband and wife during a small, intimate beach ceremony in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Flanked by six bridesmaids, Neosha was a vision to behold in a white, plunge-neckline halter embroidered with her grandmother’s gold-tone, antique jewelry while Jason was equally handsome in a white three-piece suit, supported by his six groomsmen.””When I saw her walk down the aisle it hit me that we were getting married,” says Jason, a design engineer. (more…)

Essence’s annual “Black Music Month” June issue features a special triple-cover tribute to the Queens of R&B–Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott and Alicia Keys. The article entitled “Ladies First” will talk about how these queens are still holding it down and dominating the charts.  This month’s issue also features the Essence Summer Music Hot List, a guide to summer releases, gadgets and concerts, including the 2008 Essence Music Festival. (more…)

Usher is upset at rumors that he was trying to sell pictures of his infant son, Usher Raymond V. He was eager to defend his wife, Tameka, and wanted to set the record straight. “In no way would I ever pimp out my child for money,” Usher told Page Six. “I am livid that people talk about my child,” Usher told us. In fact, he has posed – free of charge – with his son for an “incredible” Father’s Day cover for Essence Magazine he says. “What makes you a man more than being a father to your child? I recognize I gave anonymity away when I became an artist, but to have people try to paint a horrible picture of what’s so beautiful – it’s obvious someone is trying to stop something so beautiful.” (more…)

Time Inc.’s Essence magazine and Warner Bros. TV Group have partnered up to create new programming for television and the Internet. The collaboration which will involve both WB TV and Essence.com, the home bas for the content, will relaunch late this summer. You can look out for the first projects which will be “Extra on Essence”, a series of entertainment news, and “Fab in a Flash”, a style and fashion series. (more…)

Erykah Badu covers Essence magazine’s new April issue. Badu discusses demanding respect, being a single mom, and her ex-boyfriends Andre 3000 and Common in the cover story.  “I didn’t even see the purpose of marriage. Now I see the goodness in having a partner. But I don’t belong to anybody; I belong to the world right now,” she says in the issue. (more…)

Essence Music Festival organizers have announced some of the acts that will take part in the 2008 festival in July. Kanye West, Chris Rock, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Morris Day and The Time, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly are the acts announced in a news release Thursday. Essence is billed as “the nation’s largest annual African-American event celebrating Black music and culture.” (more…)