Florida Sentinel Bulletin

LOS ANGELES – R&B singer Chris Brown will release his fifth studio album titled “Fortune” in May, record label RCA said on Thursday, following on from Brown’s recent Grammy comeback performance and award win.

“I hope this album shows growth and positivity to all my fans and will inspire them to live life to the fullest!!!” Brown posted on his Twitter this week about the upcoming May 8 album release.

“Fortune” will follow on from Brown’s fourth album “F.A.M.E,” which was released in March 2011, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned hits such as “Look At Me Now” and “Yeah 3x.” Brown also picked up the Grammy award for best R&B album last month.

The singer, 22, has been attempting to rework his tarnished image after he was arrested and pleaded guilty to beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February 2009. Brown was sentenced to five-year probation, which he is currently mid-way through serving.

After publicly apologizing and being invited back to the Grammys this year to perform, Brown was on his way to redeeming himself, but his Grammy win had fans and critics split, which led to Brown retaliating on Twitter.

Adding further speculation, the singer musically reconciled with Rihanna last month, as the songstress added her vocals on a remix of Brown’s new uptempo dance song “Turn Up The Music” while Brown lent his voice to Rihanna’s sexually-charged song “Birthday Cake.”

The collaboration sparked criticism, with many online fans fearing Brown was being forgiven too easily for his assault three years ago.

But the singer still has the support of many fans, as the music video for “Turn Up The Music,” the lead single from “Fortune,” amassed more than 8 million views since its release on February 17.

The new album “Fortune” will be released in two editions, standard and deluxe, with the latter featuring additional songs and a collectable cover.

No Arrest Warrant Yet In Chris Brown Probe

Miami officials said on Friday reports of an arrest warrant issued for R&B singer Chris Brown are inaccurate, although the singer is still a suspect in the alleged theft of a mobile phone earlier this week.

Brown, 22, who won a Grammy award earlier this month, is midway through a five-year probation after pleading guilty to criminal assault for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. If arrested again, Brown risks being jailed for probation violation.

In a report filed with Miami Beach Police Department on Sunday, 24-year-old Christal Spann, a resident of Miami, named Brown as a suspect in a “robbery by sudden snatching.”

The report cites Spann’s claim that Brown, who was in a black Bentley automobile, reached through an open window and snatched Spann’s iPhone out of her hand as she tried to snap a picture of him, saying “you ain’t going to put that on no website,” before driving off with the phone.

The incident is still under investigation by the Miami Beach police, and a spokeswoman at the Miami-Dade County state attorney’s office said on Friday that reports of an arrest warrant issued for Brown were inaccurate at this time.

Representatives for Brown did not immediately return calls for comment.

The funeral home where Whitney Houston’s body was kept last week is denying they leaked a photo of the Grammy Award-winning singer in her casket, but says they know who did.

During a press conference Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, the owner of the funeral home denied selling a photo of Houston to the National Enquirer.

Carolyn Whigham, owner of Whigham Funeral Home, defended her staff and said that there were only 3 people from the funeral home who had access to Houston’s body and none of them took the photo.

“My staff, my secretaries, my drivers, never were exposed to any area that she was in. Whitney was always on the lower level under lock and key. Security being provided by ‘Nippy Inc.’ not my security,” Whigham said.

“I had people that I had never seen in my life, who were part of her security, sleeping here in my funeral home.”

Whigham said the funeral home’s investigation revealed that the picture was taken on February 17, a day before services for Houston. Although she knows who took the photo, she would not identify the person.

The 48-year-old Houston died Feb. 11 in California. Her body was at Whigham funeral home for five days.

Although the Houston family has closed its inquiry into who leaked the photo, Whigham said she is considering taking legal action to clear her name.

According to their Twitter accounts, model and Master of the Mix host Amber Rose and her boyfriend, rapper Wiz Khalifa are officially engaged.

Khalifa’s Twitter timeline exploded after he posted a photo of Amber Rose’s hand with an engagement ring on it with an accompanying tweet which read “She Said Yes!!”. Amber Rose then tweeted saying “He has made me the Happiest Woman in the World!!!!”

A former video vixen, Rose is best known for being in a high profile relationship with rapper Kanye West from 2008 to summer 2010. She began dating Wiz Khalifa in 2011.

Do you think this couple will last or go the way of Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian?

More than two years have past since the Chris Brown-Rihanna incident.

Though Brown and Rihanna are collaborating on songs now and are reportedly spending more time together, the court of public opinion doesn’t seem quite ready to forgive him just yet. And, from all indicators, forgiveness appears to the farthest thing from people’s minds when thinking of Brown. Is it that people are being too hard on him or are critics justified in their belief that he has not truly changed?

Experts cautioned that Rihanna, 24, should look for warning signs — if Brown, 22, becomes controlling, jealous or aggressive toward her, verbally or physically.

Rita Smith, executive director of National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said she didn’t believe Brown seemed that reformed, judging by his reaction to fan criticism and media scrutiny of his performance at the Grammys.

Police in Miami are looking to speak with Rick Ross regarding a murder that took place outside of his home.

The Maybach Music Group head is not implicated as a suspect in the death of the 40-year-old man, whose identity has not been released.

Sources say that Ross wasn’t even at his Miami Gardens home at the time of the shooting, but that the victim’s body was found inside the gate. Authorities are unsure whether or not the dead man had any ties to Ross, but nonetheless, cops are still interested in questioning him on the matter.

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson is on the witness list for the upcoming trial of a man accused of killing her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

The prosecutors haven’t yet disclosed whether Hudson will actually testify at William Balfour’s trial, which is slated to begin April 9.

Balfour was the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia. Hudson’s mother and brother were found dead in the family’s home on Chicago’s South Side in 2008. Her nephew’s body was found days later in a vehicle on the city’s West Side.

A court filing by prosecutors last week contains detectives’ reports from interviews with Hudson after the deaths. According to the filing, Hudson told investigators she’d known Balfour since childhood and had advised her sister against marrying him.

Pilar Sanders, the soon-to-be ex-wife of former NFL great Deion Sanders, is reportedly suing Deion for $200 million for embarrassment and mistreatment.

According to Pilar, Deion’s daughter, Deiondra’s attacks on her are a part of the ongoing humiliation and abuse she has suffered in her 12-year marriage. Deiondra’s most-recent assault came when she called her embattled step-mother a “gold-digging hoe” who cheated on her father.

Pilar claims that since she is such a “gold-digging hoe,” she has decided to sue Deion for a whopping $200 million for the “dominance, humiliation, isolation, threats, intimidation, denial and blame” she has allegedly suffered.

The suit includes $150 million for punitive damages and $50 million for actual damages.

After turning heads for missing Whitney Houston‘s funeral, Aretha Franklin has offered the late singer’s mother, Cissy Houston, an apology.

Citing leg problems ahead of a Radio City Music Hall show, the legendary singer did not make the memorial or burial service.

Franklin sent a large bouquet of flowers to Cissy Houston that reportedly said, “Love, Aretha.

It was speculated that Franklin skipped the services after angering Cissy Houston for comments she made on the “Today” show, however, a source close to the Houston family confirmed on Tuesday that Franklin’s leg had indeed hobbled her efforts to get around.

“Aretha was devastated she missed the service,” the source said. “She’s just stunned and heartbroken.

CHICAGO  — The late Bernie Mac is getting a special honor in Chicago.  Mac died on Aug. 9, 2008, at the age of 50.

Now, his legacy will be celebrated with an honorary street name. The block of West 69th Street where Mac grew up in the Englewood neighborhood will gain the additional name of “Bernie Mac Street.”

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago in 1957. He began his career as a comedian on the South Side in 1977, when he was just 19.