KANYE WEST AND JAY Z CONFIRM FIRST DATES OF EUROPEAN ‘WATCH THE THRONE’ TOUR

AWARDED GRAMMY FOR ‘BEST RAP PERFORMANCE’ FOR ‘OTIS’

“It’s rare that a show of this magnitude lives up to its hype, but Kanye and JAY Z actually managed to exceed it. From the Tron-inspired laser show to the hydraulic-powered stages at either end of the ACC to the pyrotechnics, it was a visual masterpiece. And then, of course, there was the music.” -National Post

After the phenomenal success of their chart topping album WATCH THE THRONE, a 35 date sold out, critically acclaimed North American tour and hot on the heels of their huge success at the 2012 Grammy Awards, winning the award for ‘Best Rap Performance’ (for their track ‘Otis’), superstars Kanye West and JAY Z’s collaboration ‘The Throne’ have today announced that they will be bringing the WATCH THE THRONE tour to Europe in 2012. The European leg will visit arenas in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Belgium, Germany and Ireland.

JAY Z and Kanye West WATCH THE THRONE tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday 24^th February priced at £60.00/£49.50/£39.50 London and £55.00/£47.50 Regional (subject to booking fee) and will be available from http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-tickets?c=pr_ext_watchthethrone_150212

For this project, music icons and pop culture visionaries JAY Z and Kanye West joined their extraordinary talents to form the group ‘THE THRONE’ and released the most anticipated album event of 2011, WATCH THE THRONE.   On Monday, August 8^th last year, THE THRONE’S extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime, Platinum selling Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam Recordings / Roc Nation album collaboration, WATCH THE THRONE, debuted at number 1 and has garnered several Grammy nominations.

The longtime friends and music innovators inspired each other to new heights with their collaboration on WATCH THE THRONE recorded in person at various locations around the world. Over a year in the making and a truly global affair, the duo recorded in London and Bath in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Paris, and New York City.  The album features production from The RZA, The Neptunes and Kanye’s longtime collaborator Mike Dean. The short list of featured vocals includes Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Curtis Mayfield and Mr. Hudson.  The lead track, “OTIS,” brilliantly weaves Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness.”

The production is classic Kanye West soul, with the two MCs trading couplets over a sample manipulated the way only West can. “Sounds so soulful, don’t you agree?” intones JAY Z, and the two launch into a treatise on swagger, claiming their rightful place at the top. Since the track’s release, the flood of praise for the track has been nothing short of deafening. Entertainment Weekly declares the track “the most well-executed rap song of the year.” “Otis” can be streamed at watchthethrone.com/otis.

Both JAY Z and Kanye West have each appeared as guests on the other’s stage, and now they come together for never-before-seen performances not only from their collaboration, WATCH THE THRONE but also songs from their classic catalogue.

“This show demonstrated how much can be accomplished with a few small decisions: as on the album, JAY Z and Mr. West worked smart, not big.”  ”The collaboration isn’t merely a power-sharing arrangement or a union of equals but an application to be rap’s greatest duo.” – New York Times

“It’s a wonder to behold — and a throne well worth watching.” – LA Times

WATCH THE THRONE EUROPEAN 2012 TOUR

MAY 2012

Sunday            20        O2 Arena London

Thursday          24        Zurich Hellenstadion, Switzerland

Saturday           26        Herning Arena, Denmark

Monday            28        Oslo Telenor Arena, Norway

Tuesday           29        Stockholm The Globe, Sweden

JUNE 2012

Friday               1          Paris Bercy, France

Saturday           2          Paris Bercy, France

Sunday             3          Antwerp Sportpaleis, Belgium

Tuesday           5          Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany

Friday               8          Dublin O2 Arena, Ireland

Monday            11        Manchester Arena

Wednesday      13        Birmingham LG Arena

Additional dates to be added

Mr Midas drops the first part of his video series “The Story” whereby he tells a story involving himself and Monique (Played by Danielle Kay) within a epic love triangle. This is very original and we look forward to part two to see where Mr Midas takes this.

PRODUCED BY Randy Valentine – JOAT

Mr Midas - Ooh Whooa Whoa:
Music video & Digital download out now.

DJ FRESH FEATURING RITA ORA ‘HOT RIGHT NOW’ MINISTRY OF SOUND RECORDINGS

RELEASED 12^TH FEBRUARY

DJ Fresh’s ‘Hot Right Now’ is the eagerly awaited follow-up to, ‘Louder’, his second hit, one of 2011’s biggest selling No.1 singles (500,000+ sales and counting) and the track that changed the game for bass music in the UK. On the Radio 1 A-list for several weeks, ‘Louder’ stayed in the station’s Top 40 ‘most played’ for 20 weeks via continued support from Zane Lowe, Chris Moyles, Annie Mac, Greg James, Fearne Cotton and many more. Elsewhere, the track was A-list at Kiss, Capital, MTV, Viva and 1Xtra along with full additions to The Box, 4 Music and Smash Hits.

Now a household name and armed with the first dubstep/drum & bass track to top the national singles chart, DJ Fresh aka Dan Stein has since raised the bar once again via a sold-out UK live tour featuring a full band, including a headline performance at Alexandra Palace in front of 6000 people. The tour itself followed festival shows at Glastonbury, L.E.D, Parklife, Isle of Wight, Wakestock, NASS festival, Pukkelpop and Bestival.

With a discography that includes ‘Louder’ and ‘Gold Dust’ (accumulative Youtube views now over 40 million) and ‘Lassitude’, Fresh’s single sales are set to exceed 1 million in 2012. His new album is already one of the most anticipated albums of 2012.

‘Hot Right Now’ features vocals from Rita Ora. The Kosovan born, West London raised 20-year-old singer-songwriter is being hailed as the jewel in the Roc Nation crown and was signed by Jay Z after one phone call. Rita’s vocals give ‘Hot Right Now’ a distinctive twist and the track bristles with the kind of energy and signature beats that Fresh has become known for.

DJ Fresh’s recent highlights include his Future Jungle EP and remixes for Katy B, Hervé and Jessie J. DJ Fresh recently performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the Spirit of London Awards, and notably comprised a special acoustic version of his recent Number 1 ‘Louder’ with famed string quartet Escala. DJ Fresh also won ‘Best Dance Act’ at this year’s Urban Music Awards. His career to date includes being a principal member of d&b legends, Bad Company, label boss for the Breakbeat Kaos imprint (which helped break Pendulum) along with working with artists ranging from the Pet Shop Boys to DJ Shadow.

Remixes for ‘Hot Right Now’ come from Loadstar, Zed Bias, Dillon Francis, Zomboy and Kamuki.

Check out our exclusive interview with DJ Fresh:

NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Batman: Arkham City and L.A. Noire lead with eight BAFTA nominations

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and LittleBigPlanet 2 each garner six nominations

Portal 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim follow with five and

Deus Ex: Human Revolution with four

London, 16 February 2012: The Academy today announced the nominations for the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards. 48 different games have been recognised and together they represent some of the most popular, innovative and cutting-edge creativity in today’s gaming industry.

Batman: Arkham City and L.A. Noire are both nominated for Artistic Achievement, Best Game, Design, Original Music, Performer and Story.  In addition, Batman: Arkham City is nominated for Action and Audio Achievement.  L.A. Noire also got the nod for Debut Game and Game Innovation.  Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and LittleBigPlanet2 both received nominations for Artistic Achievement and Performer.  Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was also nominated for Action, Audio Achievement, Original Music, and Story.  LittleBigPlanet 2 received additional nods for Design, Family, Game Innovation, and Online-Multiplayer.

Portal 2 is nominated for Action and Performer.  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim received nominations for Artistic Achievement and Original Music, and both games are also nominated for Best Game, Design, and Story.  Deus Ex: Human Revolution received nods for Action, Original Music, Story and Strategy.  Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 both have three nominations.  Bastion, Battlefield 3, Dance Central 2, Dark Souls, FIFA 12, From Dust, Kinect Sports 2, Monstermind, The Nightjar, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario 3D Land, and Total War: SHOGUN 2 all received two. 

This year’s new categories garnered nominations for the following games:

Debut Game:  Bastion, Eufloria, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, L.A. Noire, Monstermind, and Rift.

Online-Browser:  Gardens of Time, I Am Playr, Monstermind, Resistance 3, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, and The Sims Social.

Online-Multiplayer:  Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Dark Souls, Gears of War 3, and LittleBigPlanet 2.    

Performer:  Aaron Stanton (Cole Phelps) – L.A. Noire, Mark Hamill (The Joker) – Batman: Arkham City, Nolan North (Nathan Drake) – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Stephen Fry (Narrator) – LittleBigPlanet 2, Stephen Merchant (Wheatley) – Portal 2, and Togo Igawa (Diplomat, Advisor and Military General) – Total War: SHOGUN 2. 

Other nominated games include: Child of Eden, Dead Space iOS, Dead Space 2, DiRT 3,F1 2011, Football Manager 2012, Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, LEGO Pirates of The Caribbean, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Magnetic Billiards: Blueprint, Mario Kart 7, Peggle, Quarrel, Raymans Origins, and Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012.

This year’s Awards will also include the publicly-voted category – the GAME Award of 2011. The shortlist was compiled by a panel of gaming journalists and enthusiasts, and comprises of Batman:  Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 2012, L.A. Noire, Minecraft, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Voting is now live at www.baftagameaward.com.

While the Academy recognises those individuals at the top of their field, it also nurtures the developers of tomorrow by recognising up-and-coming talent. This year’s nominations for the BAFTA Ones To Watch Award in association with Dare to be Digital are Dreamweaver, Joust! and Tick Tock Toys.

The GAME British Academy Video Games Awards will take place on Friday 16 March at the London Hilton on Park Lane and, for the fourth year running, will be hosted by comedian and gamer Dara O’Briain.

For information on either buying tickets or about the Awards in general, visit BAFTA’s website at www.bafta.org/awards/video-games

Action

Assassin’s Creed Revelations

Martin Schelling, Darby McDevitt, Raphael Lacoste

Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft

Batman: Arkham City

Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill, Adam Doherty

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Development Team

Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Jean-Francois Dugas, Antoine Thisdale
Eidos Montreal/Ubisoft

Portal 2
Development Team
Valve/Valve

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Evan Wells, Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig
Naughty Dog/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Artistic Achievement

Batman: Arkham City

Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill, David Hego

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

L.A. Noire

Simon Wood, Cheekin Chan, Ben Brudenell

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

LitteBigPlanet 2

Development Team

Media Molecule/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Raymans Origins

Michel Ancel, Celine Tellier, Christophe Villez

UBlart Montpellier/Ubisoft

The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim

Todd Howard

Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Game Studios

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Evan Wells, Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig
Naughty Dog/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Audio Achievement

Batman: Arkham City

Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill, Nick Arundel

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Battlefield 3

Stefan Strandberg, Bence Pajor, Carl Vikman

Dice/Electronic Arts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Development Team

Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard

Dead Space 2

Andrew Boyd, J White, Steve Papoutsis

Visceral Games/Electronic Arts

The Nightjar

Nick Ryan, Paul Bennun, Daniel Jones

Somethin’ Else/Somethin’ Else

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Evan Wells, Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig
Naughty Dog/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Best Game

Batman: Arkham City

Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill, Nathan Burlow

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

FIFA 2012

Kaz Makita, David Rutter, Aaron McHardy

Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts

L.A. Noire

Brendan McNamara, Naresh Hirani, Alex Carlyle

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

Portal 2

Development Team
Valve/Valve

The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim

Todd Howard

Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Game Studios

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Development Team

Nintendo/Nintendo

Debut Game

Bastion

Amir Rao, Greg Kasauin, Darren Korb

Supergiant Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Eufloria

Rudolf Kremers, Alex May

Omni Systems Limited/Omni Systems Limited

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Michael Gagne, Joe Olson

Shadow Planet Productions/Microsoft Studios

L.A. Noire

Brendan McNamara, Naresh Hirani, Alex Carlyle

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

Monstermind

Henrique Olifiers, Mike Bithell, Ric Moore

Bossa Studios/Bossa Studios

RIFT
Scott Hartsman, Russ Brown

Trion Worlds/Trion Worlds

Design

Batman: Arkham City

Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill, Ian Ball

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

L.A. Noire

Brendan McNamara, Alex Carlyle, Andrew Hamilton

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

LittleBigPlanet 2

Development Team

Media Molecule/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Portal 2

Development Team
Valve/Valve

Super Mario 3D Land

Development Team

Nintendo/Nintendo

The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim

Todd Howard

Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Game Studios

Family

Dance Central 2

Development Team

Harmonix/Microsoft Studios

Kinect Sports 2

Development Team

Rare and Big Park Studios/Microsoft Studios

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

Development Team

TT Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

Jon Burton, Kellam Eanes

TT Games/Activision Blizzard and LucasArts

LittleBigPlanet 2

Development Team

Media Molecule/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Mario Kart 7

Development Team

Nintendo/Nintendo

Game Innovation

Bastion

Amir Rao, Darren Korb, Gavin Simon

Supergiant Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Child of Eden

Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Takashi Ishihara, Yuki Ichiki

Q Entertainment/Ubisoft

From Dust

Eric Chahi, Guillaume Brunier, Bruno Gentile
Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft

L.A. Noire

Brendan McNamara, Oliver Bao, Franta Fulin

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

LittleBigPlanet 2

Development Team

Media Molecule/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Development Team

Nintendo/Nintendo

Mobile & Handheld

Dead Space iOS

Development Team

Iron Monkey Studios/Electronic Arts

Magnetic Billiards: Blueprint

John Pickford, Ste Pickford

Pickford Bros/Zee-3 Limited

Peggle

JP Vaughan, Paul O’Donnell, Sukhbir Sidhu

Popcap Games/Electronic Arts

Quarrel

Gary Penn, Aaron Puzey, Sean Taylor

Denki Games/UTV Ignition Games

Super Mario 3D Land

Development Team

Nintendo/Nintendo

The Nightjar

Development Team

Somethin’ Else/Somethin’ Else

Online – Browser

Gardens of Time

Development Team

Playdom/Disney Interactive Media Group

I Am Playr

Oli Madgett, Steve Didd, Dan Mayers

We R Interactive/We R Interactive

Monstermind

Henrique Olifiers, Mike Bithell, Ric Moore

Bossa Studios/Bossa Studios

Resistance 3

Development Team

Insomniac Game/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure

Development Team

Toys for Bob/Activision Blizzard

The Sims Social

Development Team

Playfish/Electronic Arts

Online-Multiplayer

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

Martin Schelling, Darby McDevitt, Raphael Lacoste

Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft

Battlefield 3

Fredrik Loving, Joakim Bodin, Oskar Gabrielson

Dice/Electronic Arts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Development Team

Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard

Dark Souls

Development Team

From Software/Namco Bandai Games

Gears of War 3

Development Team

Epic Games/Microsoft Studios

LittleBigPlanet 2

Development Team

Media Molecule/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Original Music

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

Jesper Kyd, Lorne Balfe
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft

Batman: Arkham City

Nick Arundel, Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Steve Szczepkowski, Michael McCann

Eidos Montreal/Ubisoft

L.A. Noire

Andrew Hale, Simon Hale

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim

Jeremy Soule

Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Game Studios

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Greg Edmondson

Naughty Dog/Sony Computers Entertainment Europe

Performer

Aaron Stanton (Cole Phelps) – L.A. Noire

Mark Hamill (The Joker) – Batman: Arkham City

Nolan North (Nathan Drake) – Uncharted 3:

Drake’s Deception

Stephen Fry (Narrator) – LittleBigPlanet 2

Stephen Merchant (Wheatley) – Portal 2

Togo Igawa (Dipolomat, Advisor and Military General) – Total War: SHOGUN 2

Sports/Fitness

Dance Central 2

Development Team

Harmonix/Microsoft Studios

DiRT 3

Development Team

Codemasters Racing Studio/Codemasters

Fl 2011

Development Team

Codemasters Birmingham/Codemasters

FIFA 2012

Kaz Makita, David Rutter, Aaron McHardy

Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts

Kinect Sports 2

Development Team

Rare and Big Park Studios/Microsoft Studios

Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012

Stephane Decroix, Igar Manceau, Philippe Baude

Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft

Story

Batman: Arkham City

Jamie Walker, Sefton Hill, Paul Crocker

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Mary DeMarle, Jean-Francois Dugas, James Swallow

Eidos Montreal/Square Enix

L.A. Noire

Brendan McNamara

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

Portal 2

Development Team

Valve/Valve

The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim

Todd Howard

Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks Europe

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Evan Wells, Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig

Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Strategy

Dark Souls

Development Team

From Software/Namco Bandai Games

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Jean-Francois Dugas, Frank Lapikas

Eidos Montreal/Square Enix

Football Manager 2012

Development Team

Sports Interactive/SEGA

From Dust

Eric Chahi, Guillaume Brunier, Bruno Gentile

Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft

Ghost Recon Shadow Wars
Julian Gollop, Stefan Dyulgerov, Borislav Bogdanov
Ubisoft/Ubisoft

Total War: SHOGUN 2

Development Team

Creative Assembly/SEGA

BAFTA Ones to Watch Award in association with Dare to Be Digital

Dreamweaver

Malath Abbas, Joseph Hurst, Daniel Scholes, Stuart Brown, Mat Stevenson

(Evolved Ape)

Joust!

Jose B Martinex Hernandez, Roman Graebsch, Agne Gediminskaite, Petr Papex, Amr Din

(Digital Knights)

Tick Tock Toys

Sophie George, Kristian Francis, Rosemary Ball, Mark Bamford, Calum Goold

(Swallowtail)

GAME Award of 2011

(The only award to be voted for by the public)

Batman: Arkham City

Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Battlefield 3

Dice/Electronic Arts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard

FIFA 2012

Sports Interactive

L.A Noire

Team Bondi/Rockstar Games

Minecraft

Mojang/Mojang

Portal 2

Valve/Valve

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks Europe

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Nintendo/Nintendo

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception

Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

With great power comes great responsibility…

The Amazing Spider-Man movie, released this summer, transports Peter Parker back to his teenage years where he becomes obsessed with solving the mysteries of his past and in doing so comes face to face with a new enemy.

The game picks up where the film ends. Parker is thrown into a new exciting storyline fighting a variety of baddies, from criminals on the street to interpretations of the fans all time favourite villains to try and save New York from devastation.

This trailer shows Spider-Man putting his new web slinging skills to use moving seamlessly from buildings, New York landmarks such as the Brookyln Bridge and coming face to face with a terrifying familiar foe in the shape of Rhino.

By Moseley Labour

Robot sex doll £4,300 (www.truecompanion.com)

So if you’re lonely this Valentine’s Day there is still hope. Douglas Hines is the creator behind the robot sex doll.  The original idea as always was in the pursuit of science with Douglas wanting to create a robot with artificial intelligence. The concept then changed in order to capitalise on the adult industry. The final result became Roxxy a robot that knows your name, responds to your touch, listens to you and responds in order to continue a discussion. There are five different personalities, flesh-like synthetic skin and she can even have an orgasm.  True companion is in the works of releasing a male version soon, so ladies don’t worry you will soon be able to have your perfect man.

The Sqweel and Sqweelers oral sex simulator £39.99 (www.lovehoney.co.uk)

Cunnilingus the favourite word for most of the women out there, This sex toy aims to provide the perfect oral stimulation. This oral stimulator is mounted with ten tiny tongues on a rotating wheel that will give you the ultimate pleasure. This is a vibration free mechanism opting for three different speed settings for those tongues to lap onto your erogenous zones.

If that’s not enough the Sqweel has been updated to the Sqweelers back in 2010. This introduced the pearl, wave and tingle which are 3 interchangeable textured wheels that can replace the original ten tongued wheel, varying sensations and pressures.  Finally Sqweevee is a case for the Sqweel which also acts as a holder for your favourite vibrator to be held in place whilst using the stimulator. So the Sqweel can now give four different kinds of oral while simultaneously penetrating you with your favourite vibrator.

 We-Vibe 3 Clitoral and G-spot vibrator £99.99 (www.lovehoney.co.uk)

The We-Vibe has seen many updates from the original product launched in 2009. Essentially it was announced as a vibrator that you could wear whilst having sex. This was a single speed device that was designed to sit against the G-spot and clitoris, whilst still allowing for your partner to penetrate.  The first upgrade was the We-Vibe II which bought in nine different vibrating functions. This further emphasised a product that was loved by both men and women.

The 3^rd iteration of the We-vibe came with a wireless remote, allowing for the easy adjustment of the device whilst fully in use. They dropped the different settings from 9 down to 6 and whacked up the power by 40%. This meant that speeds and patterns benefit from a stronger crescendo, whilst keeping the noise levels absolutely silent during full use ‘even if you won’t be’.  The device comes with a nice charging case which allows it to be discreetly covered up, clean and out of sight. This could be the perfect toy to spice up any relationship.

Tracey Cox Supersex Bullet Vibrator £9.99 (www.lovehoney.co.uk))

If you’ve never owned a sex toy and feel intimidated then a good place to start could be this small but trusty toy. Having a single button on the end, just simply press once to turn on the vibrations then press again in order to make it stop. This is perfect for experimenting either by yourself or with your partner in order to heighten foreplay or for use during sex. This is a discrete vibrator that can be kept hidden away or carried around for whenever the moment takes you.  If you wanted a slight upgrade from this then the Tracey Cox Supersex 3 speed bullet (£14.99) provides three progressive speeds.

Rampant Rabbit The Silicone One £49 (www.annsummers.com)

The original sex toy, the rampant rabbit has seen 7 iterations of what is considered the best selling sex toy of all time.  Released during the 1990’s due to women demanding for a more pleasurable sex toy, the Rabbit got its name from the clitoral stimulators looking like rabbit ears.  When the Rabbit was featured in an episode of the hit TV series ‘sex and the city’ this made sex toys more glamorous and open in mainstream shopping.

The silicone One is made from premium medical grade black silicone which gives a much more natural and luxurious feel.  The One has an upturned tip in order for better G-spot stimulation.  There are 7 vibrating functions in the ears and 3 in the shaft, whilst the shaft can also rotate. All this whilst still being incredibly quiet and with a high quality feel in order to give maximise pleasure by yourself or with your partner.  The Rabbit has furthered pulled away from its competitors with the One and will no doubt still be many a girl’s best friend.

UK CHOCOLATE and Diamond Noir invite the press, associates and readers to UK Chocolate Magazine’s Issue 3 Release Party, to be held 3^rd March 2012 at Club Tamarai in Covent Garden. 10pm -3am – with special guests: Ashley Theophane, Flawless Dance Crew, Stylo G and Nicholas (ODF Clothing) also promoting their future endeavours.

“The UK Chocolate brand represents a melting pot of luxurious great taste. A smooth approach to what life has to offer for both dreamers and the contented. It aspires to represent the beauty in the spectrum of skin colour from white to black all presented smoothly and topped with sexy,” is how co-founder M.Mais described Julian’s brain child.

The UK Chocolate team will be available for interviews as well as competition giveaways from the ODF Clothing Collection,soon to be available in Asos Stores and Eliteframes.co.uk will be giving away a pair of Ry Ban Wayerars, .

Featured in the 3rd issue is Ashley Theophane, the British Lightweight champion recently signed to Ricky Hatton and an ambassador for Ted Baker, Flawless Dance crew who are set to release the new film ‘Street Dance 2’ and are promoting the start of their 2012 Tour (1^st June – 8^th July) and Stylo G, set to release his new album and tour in both Europe and USA and will so be part of the celebration on 3^rd March 2012. 

It has been reported by publicist Kristen Foster that on 11th Feb Saturday, the singer has died at the age of 48. She was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Hollywood. The cause of her death is as yet unknown.

In recent years she has been more known for drug abuse rather than her singing. She adimited to an addiction to drugs and checked into rehab numerous times. She came from music royalty. Her mother was gospel singer Cissy Houston, God mother, Aretha Franklin and was cousins with Dionne Warwick. She struggled to avoid numerous embarrassing incidents as her carrer took a very public decline with difficult years of marriage with Bobby Brown. The Marriage seemed to be the turning point of her success, her life took a different turn in quite a contrast from her glory years when she had hits like ‘How will I know’ and ‘I will always love you’ which was the title track to her hit movie ‘The Body Guard’ with kevin Costner. She denied rumors that she was a self obsessive recluse who could not cope with social events. She seems to have squandered her talent and threw it all away, now the classic song ‘Didn’t we almost have it all’ may be her lasting legacy.

She was a great performer with a voice the will live long after her.

Check out one of her many classics ‘It’s Not Right But It’s Okay’.

;

OUR HISTORY’S POWER COUPLES

To be a power couple it helps to be both a popular and financially wealthy pairing. They are widely admired and play a substantial role in influencing society’s expectations as to what a great love story or relationship should be.  Whether they be romantic or just high-profile, they are often culturally significant. The way in which they love one another often seems parallel to how successful they become. Having someone who understands the pressures behind being an idol and being deemed public property maybe both a blessing and a curse but these power couples make all adversity and success work to their advantage.

When putting together a top 5 it was refreshing to find out that there are so many to choose from. From Adam and Eve to Barak and Michelle Obama, each couple has their own distinct way of making a difference to the world and staying in love and in touch with one another. They pool their great skills to conquer industries including Music, Film, Fashion, Religion and Politics etc. They ensure their brand represents unity as well as cater to the differences between genders and faiths.

The couples chosen have as much passion for one another as they do their chosen careers. This is the reason why they continue to work so well together and manage to dominate media headlines:

1.      Romeo and Juliet

Although they are a fictional couple, the story of their love and eventual death show parallel to the multicultural nature of our current society. The prejudices placed upon race, creed and gender, mirror that of the discrimination from both the Capulet and Montague households. The tragic end bestowed upon these teenagers can serve as a powerful warning against ignorant prejudice towards those that are different.

2.      Antony and Cleopatra

After Caesar’s assassination, Cleopatra set her sights on RomanGeneral Marc Antony. Once married, Anthony set about appointing his new wife ruler of Egypt, Cyprus, Crete, and Cyria. This abuse of power outraged the Roman Senate and they denounced him a traitor. After losing a major battle at sea, Antony and Cleopatra were forced to flee to Egypt in 31 B.C. In desperation, Cleopatra spread rumours of her own suicide. As with Romeo and Juliet this is another prime example of an obsessive love which led them both to their demise.

3.     Victoria and David Beckham

With controversy following them regardless of which continent they are on, The Beckhams have made their undeniable mark in Sports, Music, Fashion and Perfumery as well as raising four children and have remained married for over 11 years. In 2011 their combined earnings came to a staggering £135million.

4.    Jay Z and Beyonce

The world’s most private super couple who make it a priority to ensure their relationship remains between them. Amazingly they manage the media frenzy that surrounds them with class and dignity by never discussing the intricate details of their family life. They welcomed the birth of their first child earlier this year and have a combined 2011 income of £46 million, which, for them, was a very slow year.

5.      AishwaryaRai and AbhishekBachchan

Adored by over 5 billion fans around the world, these two were established Bollywood superstars long before they fell in love and got married in April 2007, in a quiet private ceremony attended by close friends and family. 2011 was the year they added a daughter to their loving family as well as a modest, by western standards, $5 million dollars income for the year.