Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve reached the end of another week, and we deserve to do whatever for the weekend. But the week did have its moments with Danica Patrick becoming the first female to win the Indy Japan 300, people celebrating Earth Day and Indiana and North Carolina being the states to watch as Hillary Clinton kept her presidential dreams alive by beating Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania primary.

Congratulations go out to actress Tia Mowry, who married her boyfriend Cory Hardrict on Sunday. Shout out to the sounding boards for impressing no one but themselves as they do their own thing.

So now we have...the Last Word for the week ending April 25, 2008.

1. R. Kelly Touches Mariah; Gears Up for Fourth Quarter Return

R.Kelly continues to make good use of his time while waiting for his child porn case to go to trial by releasing a new album 12 Play: Fourth Quarter. The Grammy winner can be heard tipping fans off about the release on a remix to Mariah Carey’s "Touch My Body."

According to Kelly’s label, Jive, 12 Play: Fourth Quarter is scheduled to come out this summer. The album’s first single, "Hair Braider," has an accompanying video that is set to arrive at a music channel near you. To coincide with the video’s release, Kells is sporting a blond hairstyle for the clip that has turned up in recent pictures of the singer.
 
Look for the hitmaker to hit the road with Sisqo as the singers reunite with their former groups, Public Announcement and Dru Hill, for their much-anticipated Triple B (Bold, Blond and Buckwild) Tour.
 
2. Jill Scott Bares All to Celebrate the Female Body

Looks like Sade and Amy Winehouse aren’t the only ones showing off their birthday suits. Jill Scott has come aboard to pose nude for an Allure magazine pictorial.

The spread, which will be featured in Allure’s May issue, is being done to celebrate various shapes of the females’ bodies. In addition to Scott, the pictorial will feature actresses Gabrielle Union, Angie Harmon, Zoe McLellan and Ana Ortiz.

"Here I am, naked in a magazine at size 16...We are all beautiful, each and every one of us," Scott, told People magazine.

Gotta love it, no matter what size. Here’s to universal beauty in all its forms.

3. Bobby Valentino Will Not Disturb Tha Peace Anymore

A couple of hit songs and a loyal fan base may have given him a solid position on Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace/Def Jam record label, but Bobby Valentino is moving on to greener pastures.

But if you’re a fan of the singer, don’t worry. Valentino is going the independent route by releasing a six-track EP that will precede a full-length album. The digital only EP, titled Come With Me, will be available on Tuesday (April 29).

Although some may feel the exit was under less than favorable circumstances, Bobby insists that it was amicable as he considered DTP/Def Jam a stepping-stone that prepared him to step out on his own.

As for the full-length album, that project will feature Raphael Saadiq on production as well as longtime Valentino collaborators Tim & Bob. The album’s first single, the Lil’ Wayne-featured "When I See You Smile," has already hit radio outlets. Look for the full-length to hit stores in the late summer.
 
4. Organized Sex Works for Erykah Badu

She may be known for her neo-soul style and her life changing effect on rappers, but Erykah Badu admits that an intimate encounter with her is not as free-spirited as you would think.

"I'm such an organized person that it takes all the fun out of spontaneous sex.," the songstress revealed to Blender magazine. "It has to be organized the way I want: the clothes have to be folded up neatly, my own music has to be playing.

It just adds to the whole show – it's all about me, it's my show." Maybe that’s how she put her past loves under her spell.

Despite her thing for pre-planned episodes, Badu was a bit more liberal when picking Batman as the fantasy guy she’d most like to spend quality time with while he lets her drive "that fast car."

"We'd go to Whole Foods and hold hands and take a shot of wheatgrass together. We'd go up to the counter, and he'd pay." Erykah said as she added that she and Bruce Wayne would let Robin take care of the Batmobile as they take off in her invisible jet and kiss in midair. "We wouldn't care who sees us"
 
I hear ya, Miss Badu. Let’s hope Catwoman is just as forgiving before she breaks out the whip and claws for a no hold’s barred fight for Mr. Wayne’s attention. I’d have to put my money on Wonder Woman, though.

You just can’t jack someone’s invisible jet and expect to fly off into the sunset with whomever. But then again, this is Erykah so she may just bring out the hood and walk away with the jet and the bat when it’s all said and done. Sorry, Diana.

5. Joss Stone Gets Royal Engourament to Help Troops

Entertaining the troops overseas can be an honor for any patriotic entertainer. After all, what better way to show your support for those fighting for us and all that we hold dear?

So it was a no brainer for Joss Stone to perform at an overseas concert to aid inured Iraqi war soldiers when Princes William and Harry asked for her services. To hear Joss tell it, it’s "really f***ed up" the way the Government treats Britain’s wounded troops.

"They can go to war, but if they get their leg blown off they come back and are delaying with the NHS (National Health Service)," the songbird expressed to the Evening Standard newspaper.

The show is scheduled to take place in London next month, with proceeds going to the City Salute Appeal.
 
6. Shakira Gets Political for the Kids
 
There are two things you can rely on Shakira for, churning out good music and helping kids. The 31-year-old rumpshaker was in Washington Tuesday (April 22) to lobby Congress to get politicians to cross party lines to help pay for 72 million children around the world who are too poor to go to school.
 
Shakira was crusading on the behalf of the Education for All Act, a bipartisan bill introduced last year by Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) as well as Reps. Nita Lowry (D-N.Y.) and Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.). If Congress gets on board, funding for the Act would increase from $465 million to $3 billion by 2012.
 
Getting the kids educated hits home for Shakira, who admitted to growing up in a country where "unfortunately education is sometimes seen as a luxury, as a privilege, and not as a human right."
 
"In the developing world, people who are born poor will die poor, and that is because of the lack of opportunities, opportunities that come from education," the singer stated, while adding that money for the cause is needed to hire qualified teachers as well as abolish school fees and provide children with school meals, textbooks and uniforms.
 
The effort is the latest in Shakira’s history of helping the world’s poor. The Colombian star is the chairwoman of Education Action Week, an event organized by the Global Campaign for Education.

In Other Words...

* Many Words ago, I mentioned that Terrence Howard was officially entering the music arena with the release of his forthcoming debut album. Now, more details are coming out as the actor’s 11-song project, which features him on guitar, is said to have a live, big band feel with songs that touch on broken relationships, self-reflection and the celebration of love.

All of that is cool, but I’m still keeping a light on for that “Ya Dig” jazzy, quiet storm remix to "It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp." I’m looking for it as a bonus or hidden track on the album.

* It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Blu Cantrell. The Grammy-nominated singer is coming back on the scene by appearing on the new NBC show Celebrity Circus.

Cantrell, who is best known for her hit "Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)" will be among a group of celebs who will attempt to master a variety of circus stunts that include the high wire, flying trapeze and fire dancing.

The show is scheduled to premiere at 9:30 p.m. June 11. Looks like Blu didn’t get the memo Mya sent after her reality show, Secret Talents of the Stars, got canned after one episode. I guess experience is probably the best teacher.

* It was only a matter of time, but Jennifer Lopez has hopped on the reality show express with her new TLC show. J-Lo will serve as co-executive producer, co-creator and star of the "docu-series," which will center around her balancing her career with motherhood. No word on when the show will air as it is currently in production.

* Contrary to popular belief, Ashanti is not going at her rumored boyfriend Nelly in the video for her latest song "The Way That I Love You." But the song’s lyrics do resonate with the singer, who admitted to going through her lover’s stuff to get the dirt she needed. "Of course I've snooped!" the diva told People.

"Before [sidekicks] came out, I was snooping through regular cell phones, Skytel, everything! Whatever he had out, I was all in it!" Note to self: Don’t leave anything out in the open for Ashanti. I would hate to see how she is when she gets a hold of the information she’s looking for. I won’t be that “foolish.”
 
* Mel B is enjoying life as the new face of Ultimo lingerie. Needless to say, I’m enjoying life more after seeing the Spice Girl in her first photo spread for the company’s new line. All I can say is I ain’t gotta say no more. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2008-04/22/content_6635406.htm.