Whether you know her as a fly girl from "In Living Color" or Marisa from "Maid in Manhattan" or simply Jenny from the block, Jennifer Lopez has consistently won the hearts of Americans since 1999 with "On the 6." People magazine's Most Beautiful Woman in the World is a mother of twins, devoted wife, actress, singer, and now an "American Idol" judge. This time around she's back to serve up her 7th studio album, "LOVE?" — already in stores. ESSENCE.com caught up with the renaissance woman of the hour to chat about her latest album, finding balance in her hectic life and her role on "Idol..."

Musiq Soulchild returns with his sixth studio album "MusiqInTheMagiq" — one of the Grammy winner's most diverse albums to date. It's no easy trick blending the old with the new, but neo-soul's golden voice has given us his best shot, and from the sound of his first two singles, "Yes," and "Anytime," his album will leave listeners amazed. ESSENCE.COM spoke with Musiq about creating a different type of love album, pop vs. R&B, and the benefits of being true to oneself...

Two-time Grammy winner Jennifer Holliday will forever be a star etched on the walk of fame of our minds for her tour de force performance of the ode to heartbreak, "You're Gonna Love Me (And I Am Telling You)," from the acclaimed 1982 Broadway musical "Dream Girls." Now, twenty years and a whole lot of drama later, at 50 she's a sleek 220 pounds thinner than Effie White (the character she portrayed in "Dream Girls") and wants you to know she's "more than just a song." She is an independent artist and I am telling you, with the release of "Goodness and Mercy," you're gonna love her still...

Film after film, play after play, Tyler Perry never ceases to stop amazing his fans. Today, "Madea's Big Happy Family" hits theaters and fans across the nation will be flocking to see Madea's latest antics. No matter how outlandish or over-the-top, she's still our favorite trash talking character. Check out what Tyler Perry thinks his latest film says about Black love, Black families and more...

Every once in a while, a rap star crosses over to movies with success — by my count it's been years since we've seen it done well. This Friday, Bow Wow will hit the silver screen like you've never seen him before. With a standout performance that's heart-wrenching, Shad Moss (his government name) stands a chance to be our next big crossover star. Of course, we've seen him in movies before, but he can now rightly be called a thespian. ESSENCE.com caught up with Mr. Moss to talk about playing in his first Tyler Perry film, working with the great Loretta Devine and more...

Hennessy is a brand we've grown to love over the years. most recently Toccara Jones teamed up with the popular brand to travel the nation to educate fans about Hennessy and giving out fabulous tips to mix your own. ESSENCE.com caught up with Toccara and Jordan Bushell, Hennessy's very own mixologist to talk about the difference between Hennessy and other brands, mixing tips and more...

From Old Spice commercials on the small screen to "Madea's Big Happy Family" on the silver screen — there's no stopping Isaiah Mustafa. After creating perhaps one of the most memorable commercials in recent TV history, Mustafa is on his way to bigger and better things. ESSENCE.com caught up with him to talk about landing his first movie role with Tyler Perry, what he thinks this film says about Black love and Black families and more...

In addition to the ESSENCE Music Festival Main Stage, there's are a bevy of fantastic Super Lounge sets boasting performers we love like Dwele. The Detroit native's falsetto has disarmed us through four albums, including 2010's "W.ants W.orld W.omen." The singer spoke with ESSENCE.com about his upcoming ESSENCE Music Festival performance and whether he and Kanye West will reunite on stage for the duet, "Power..."