The Biggest and Most Talked About Things In 2011

Amber Rose

Model/socialite Amber Rose had quite a year, where she was the topic of discussion throughout. After breaking upwith Kanye West in the summer of 2010, some wondered if she would fade away into obscurity and be forgotten. But, the voluptuous, former stripper from Philly is resilient, and in the past 12 months has become the topic of gossip blogs and tabloids on a regular basis.

After popping up in nude photos, leaked to the Internetearlier in the year, Rose began being spotted with then-rising Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa. Following weeks of rumors, the pair finally announced that they were official, and have been inseparable ever since. And, the controversy continued. Rose/Wiz/Kanye were the topic of blogs for months, specifically for a rumored rivalry between her current and ex-boyfriends. In April, Kanye threw a shot at Rose while performing at the annual Coachella Festival … and Wiz and Amber were reportedly in attendance, sparking rumors of an alleged backstage altercation later dismissed by Wiz.

More recently in early November, Ye hit the stage in Philly and expressed his love for Amber, ultimately offering a public apology for being “an asshole” to her while they were an item. While things like this may have strained a relationship, Rose and Wiz’s union seems to be stronger than ever. In fact, Rose has stated, several times, that she and Wiz plan to marry one day and even have kids. When remains to be seen though.

Aside from the problems with the men in her life, multiple sets of nude photos of Rose leaked  over the past 12 months, which were reportedly stolen from her computer by a former assistant. While the leaks were embarrassing, Rose endured the scrutiny, and parlayed all the controversy into a successful career. In the last quarter of 2011, Rose landed a spot as a judge on BET’s reality series “Master Of The Mix 2”, and even picked up an endorsement deal with Smirnoff Vodka, appearing in their current TV ad campaigns.

No matter how the public perceives her, Rose seems unfazed and will surely have yet another fruitful year in 2012.

Nude Photos/Sex Tapes

Speaking of Amber Rose, she was just one of many celebrities who were at the center of controversy, whether it was leaked photos or even sex tapes. While Rose was themost popular here at BallerStatus.com, others who suffered the same fate were Chris Brown, Diddy and Cassie (together), Rihanna, Tila Tequila and even the late Tupac Shakur.

Back in March, Chris Brown was the center of attention for weeks, after nude self-taken photos of him — in a bathroom mirror — made their way to the net. The photos, alleged leaked by an ex-girlfriend, showed Breezy in a mirror (phone in hand) with his private parts clearly on display. He later laughed off the leak, saying “I’m comfortable with my body, I don’t care about all of that.”

Diddy and Cassie’s nude photo leak wasn’t as bad. Amidst long-running rumors of a romantic relationship between the two, a single photo of the pair appeared online, show a nude Cassie is sitting on the lap of the hip-hop mogul while a towel is loosely draped around this waste, which exposes his genitals. Neither have commented on the photos .. to our knowledge.

Nude Rihanna photos have leaked in the past, and in early 2011, it happened again. This time, it was just a few, self-taken photos taken with her phone in a mirror reportedly used for “sexting.” As far as Tila Tequila, porn giant Vivid Entertainment got their hands on footage of the reality star having a wild all-girl threesome … and it was graphic.

Lastly, Tupac was at the center of controversy over some allegedly footage of him partaking in oral sex at a party, which was all caught on tape. An unnamed party reportedly had the footage, which TMZ leaked a few stills off, and was putting it on the market to the highest bidder. However, the estate of the late rapper announced they planned to sue anybody to tried to release the footage. Since the initial report,  the footage been sold to a private collector.

Charlie Sheen Mania

In early 2011, it was Charlie Sheen mania. After his hit sitcom “Two and a Half Men” went on hiatus, following his third stint in rehab in 12 months, the 46-year-old actor went on a media rampage. While garnered the attention of the nation, he called out the series’ creator and studios,demanding a 50 percent raise to return; and offered some of the most memorable media interviews ever seen.

During those memorable TV interviews/appearances, Sheen became a phenomenon, coining such phrases as “tiger blood” and “winning,” all while detailing his outrageous party binges in a nonchalant, matter-of-fact manner. His behavior had the public concerned over his well-being, but also on the edge of their seats, waiting on what he’d say next.

Sheen parlayed his crazy antics into a multi-million dollar business, launching a nationwide tour, which sold out in 18 minutes, a Ticketmaster record; as well as endorsements deals,  promoting products through his Twitter profile. The Huffington Post reported that Sheen would earn $1 million this year from Twitter endorsements and $7 million from the North American tour.

While the novelty of his media blitz has since worn off, Sheen’s crazy run in the public eye will forever go down in history as one of the most bizarre moments ever seen.

Kreayshawn Shoots To Stardom Overnight, Literally

Young Oakland rapper/director Kreayshawn blew up before everyone’s eyes in a matter of days, proving that in this day and age, overnight success is a reality.

While she dropped her first mixtape, Kittys x Choppas and first music video for the single “Bumpin Bumpin” in 2010, it wasn’t until May 2011 that things really took off for the then-21-year-old. In May, Kreayshawn released a music video for her single, “Gucci Gucci,” and it became an instant sensation.

Within days, it had garnered millions of views on Youtube and spread like wildfire. The quick popularity help the rapper garner the attention of major publications … and major record labels. In just over two weeks, Kreayshawn landed a reported $1 million deal with Columbia Records … and went on to earna nomination for Best New Artist at the 2011 Video Music Awards.

Her quick rise to fame wasn’t without controversy though. While gaining notoriety for her anti-label anthem, Kreayshawn also introduced a crew/collective known as the White Girl Mob, which included Oakland peer V-Nasty. Also white, V-Nasty came under fire for her unapologeticuse of the “n” word. Because of it, Kreayshawn regularly received flack and was repeatedly asked about it, although she didn’t utter the word herself.

Also, Kreayshawn made headlines for  an issue that arose between her and Miami hip-hop star Rick Ross, after she threw a shot his way in a radio freestyle. The two had a run-in at the 2011 VMAs, and today, it seems like the beef has died down.

Since the video for “Gucci Gucci” went viral, Kreayshawn has been on the non-stop touring run, performing the song — and other material — across the country and abroad. At press time, when the newcomer’s official debut was due out was unknown. However, in recent tweets, Kreayshawn said she’s been hard at work in the studio.

Nike Drops The Nike MAG (Back To The Future)

In early September, Nike made every sneaker collector’s dreams come true when they announced the upcoming release with the long-sought after “Back To The Future” sneaker, dubbed the Nike Mag.

The news had sneaker heads around the world clamouring for info on how and when they would drop. It was actor Michael J. Fox (who played Marty McFly in the 1989 film) who made the announcement during an appearance on the “Late Show With David Letterman”, revealing that just 1,500 pairs had been produced and would go up for auction on eBay … with proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Well, the auction ran for 10 days with 150 pair being sold off each day; and it was madness!! Each pair sold for well above $5,000, but that didn’t stop collectors. The auctions continued, amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

UK rapper Tinie Tempah made headlines when it was learned that he copped the very first pair for a cool $37,500. He later told us he would never wear them. For Kid Cudi, that’s a different story. He put his bid on four pairs, and won them; and has been spotted wearing them a few times in public.

While the price tag was crazy, especially for a pair of sneakers, these kicks will forever go down in history. Did you get yours?

Gucci Mane’s Ice Cream Cone Face Tattoo

While legal problems and incarceration continued to plague the Atlanta rap star throughout 2011, Gucci Mane made headlines at the beginning of the year for a completely random reason — a new tattoo.

In early January, photos of Gucci Mane surfaced with a freshly added ice cream cone tattoo’d on the side of his face. While his peers were making bold statements with face and head tattoos — Birdman got four huge red starstattoo’d on his head, and Lil Wayne got some glow in the dark ink on his neck and face — Gucci took things to the next level, enlisting a local tattoo artist to adorn his face with a cartoon-ish looking ice cream cone with the phrase “Brrr” across the cone.

The tattoo drew mixed reactions from faces and peers. Some were shocked with WTF-type comments, while others loved it.

In a poll we ran after the photos surfaced (garnering over 25,000 votes), over 85% of those who voted picked “Major fail!” for the reaction to Gucci’s new artist work. Nearly 8% chose “So dope!” and nearly 6.5% chose “Umm, no comment.”

Regardless of the reaction he received, Gucci Mane was the topic of the moment for over a month … that is, until, he ran into more legal trouble and was sent back to jail. The rapper is free now, and currently promoting his joint project with White Girl Mob’s V-Nasty, titled BAYTL, which is out now.

Deaths In 2011 (Rest In Peace)

Like every year, people pass away … and 2011 was no different, seeing the deaths of several musicians, athletes, and other public figures.

At the start of the year, singer Bobby Brown took a blow when 69-year-old mother Carole passed away. Details about her death were unknown, but loosing a parent is never easy. More recently, in early December, Brown suffered yet another devastating loss when his father Herbert Brown passed away at the age of 82, following a long battle with cancer. Hopefully, the singer can mourn his parents and remember the good times they had as he celebrates the holidays.

One of the more surprising losses this year was the death of legendary Long Beach singer Nate Dogg. He passed at the age of 41, and it shook up not only his friends and family, but also the entire music community and its fans. Nate had previously suffered a series of strokesover the last several years, and was reportedly recovering, but the public never knew how serious things were. He had been away for the public eye since 2007, and when news of his death suffered, it stunned everybody. Nate Dogg will go down in history as one of the greatest singers in hip-hop, gracing the hooks of countless singles that he made hits.

In May, the U.S. military celebrated a victory in the “War on Terror” when they finally found and killed Enemy Of The State #1, Osama bin Laden. After intelligence agencies discovered he was holed up in a compound in Pakistan, they stormed in and took our their target. Also in May, L-R-G co-founder Jonas Bevacqua was found dead in his Los Angeles home. He was just 33 years old, and a living legend in the streetwear industry for taking the brand from its meagar beginnings to sales of an estimated $150 million at its peak in the mid- to late 2000s. The cause of death was unknown.

Apple founder and technology visionary, Steve Jobs, succumbed to a battle with pancreatic cancer in early October, at the age of 56. His passing made headlines across the world, and he will forever be remembered for helping change the landscape of mobile devices and portable music players with the release of devices like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Legendary rap icon Heavy D passed away in early November as well, at the young age of 44. The rapper reportedly suffered a heart attack, passing away at an L.A. hospital after complaining about trouble breathing early in the day. He reportedly tipped the scales at 344 pounds at the time of death, a fact that made his hip-hop peers open their eyes about their lives and well-being.

Also in 2011, we lost Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, boxing legend Joe Frazier, comedian Patrice O’Neal, former NFL running back Ron Springs, former NBA player Robert “Tractor” Traylor, BET’s DJ Megatron, retired NFL running back Orlando Brown, Brick Squad affiliate Slim Dunkin, Conscious Daughters rapper Special One, and soul singer Howard Tate.

Take a moment of silence and remember those who have passed on. May they rest in peace.

Honorable Mentions

Planking Craze

Back in May and June, a craze that started overseas finally hit the U.S. — it was a little game called “planking,” otherwise called the lying down game. Basically, people would lie face down in an unusual place, take a picture and post it to their social networks. The object was to plank in the most unusual and original place. The fad become so popular, celebrities were planking as much as anyone else. It was RED HOT for a minute, but has since died down.

Webbie Banned From “106 & Park”

Webbie made several headlines a few months ago. First, he popped up in a clip (as part of an interview he conducted at a red carpet event), during which he let it be known (over and over) that he had a “big d***.” Later, the Louisiana rapper made headlines when he allegedly made obscene and raunchy comments to “106 & Park” host Rosci, while making an appearance. Because of his comments, Rosci’s co-host Terrance J took it upon himself to announce (live on the show) that Webbie had been banned from “106 & Park” and appearing on BET altogether. The rapper later threatened to slap Terrance over the issue, but since then, the controversy died down.

NBA Lockout

This year’s NBA Lockout went on for nearly 150 days, leaving fans worrying if they’d even get a 2011-2012 season. Both sides went back and forth on terms, and never seemed to make any progress. Finally, in later November (during Thanksgiving Weekend), sports outlets revealed that players and owners finally came to an agreement, and the NBA decided to start a shortened season. With pre-season games already underway, the NBA season will officially begin on Christmas DAY! When the news was announced, it was definitely a relief for fans.

Chris Paul Traded To Los Angeles Clippers

Not wanting to go through the same fiasco the Denver Nuggets suffered with Carmelo Anthony last season, the New Orleans Hornets were hell-bent on trading off superstar Chris Paul as quickly as possible, so they could focus on rebuilding their team. However, they ran into a problem, the NBA owned the team … and began interfereing the trade negioations. First, a proposed deal to send Paul to the Lakers fell apart after commissioner David Sternblocked the trade. Then, a trade with the Clippers almost suffered the same fate, but the Clips finally made it happen, and brought the young superstar to L.A. So far, he’s made an impact, recording record viewership on NBA TV with his Clippers debut in their first pre-season game. 2012 looks bright for the historically losing franchise.

May everyone have a Happy New Years, and a properous and happy 2012! Cheers!