The couple at the Soul Train Awards last week:

I'm loving her dress and hair!

love the dress and hair also!!!!!!! she looks so pretty so hott! they look real happy!never was big on him thou......but i take it she is!

She looks so much like Vanity the older she gets. Eric lookin' yummy as usual.

Where's her ring? She usually has it on.

DesireeNevermind said:

She looks so much like Vanity the older she gets. Eric lookin' yummy as usual.

Where's her ring? She usually has it on.

What ring? Are they engaged? I thought there was a thread here a few months ago about her just being an "arm piece" and that he was really going with someone else. What's the 411?

Oh, and is it him who sings "Sometimes I Cry?" They play that on the radio here 24/7. And if it is him, is Mannie the one he's referring to when he sings, "When we make love, she doesn't take me there like you used to."

[Edited 11/19/10 13:30pm]

[Edited 11/19/10 13:33pm]

Shyra said:

DesireeNevermind said:

She looks so much like Vanity the older she gets. Eric lookin' yummy as usual.

Where's her ring? She usually has it on.

What ring? Are they engaged? I thought there was a thread here a few months ago about her just being an "arm piece" and that he was really going with someone else. What's the 411?

Oh, and is it him who sings "Sometimes I Cry?" They play that on the radio here 24/7. And if it is him, is Mannie the one he's referring to when he sings, "When we make love, she doesn't take me there like you used to."

[Edited 11/19/10 13:30pm]

[Edited 11/19/10 13:33pm]

I remember that thread. I can't believe she is just an arm piece. They look too good together for it to be fake but then again...

Anyway not engaged to my knowledge but she has worn one of them damn promise type rings. Not sure what to call it but they both have rings that are identical. She has worn it on her right hand but in these pics it looks like her hands are ring free.

Why doesn't Eric get more love? By love I mean why doesn't he have a bigger following? He should be bigger than Maxwell. One good dance track and he could be Ne-Yo.

They look nice

Ow! Hot couple.....Eric Benet is foine!

DesireeNevermind said:

Why doesn't Eric get more love? By love I mean why doesn't he have a bigger following? He should be bigger than Maxwell. One good dance track and he could be Ne-Yo.

Because he is gen-Eric.

To his credit, "Sometimes I Cry" is a better ballad than anything Prince has dropped in a long time.

BlaqueKnight said:

DesireeNevermind said:

Why doesn't Eric get more love? By love I mean why doesn't he have a bigger following? He should be bigger than Maxwell. One good dance track and he could be Ne-Yo.

Because he is gen-Eric.

Dude has a great voice. Without a doubt he does. That said, his tracks are very safe and middle of the road. He doesn't branch out musically. He's got some good songs but always falls short with his up-tempo cuts. He's essentially a ballad singer.

To his credit, "Sometimes I Cry" is a better ballad than anything Prince has dropped in a long time.

And oddly, he kind of sounds like Prince in that track. When I first heard it, I thought it was Prince for a second.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.n...3894_n.jpg

Here is a closer snapshot

Shyra said:

BlaqueKnight said:

Because he is gen-Eric.

Dude has a great voice. Without a doubt he does. That said, his tracks are very safe and middle of the road. He doesn't branch out musically. He's got some good songs but always falls short with his up-tempo cuts. He's essentially a ballad singer.

To his credit, "Sometimes I Cry" is a better ballad than anything Prince has dropped in a long time.

And oddly, he kind of sounds like Prince in that track. When I first heard it, I thought it was Prince for a second.

Hmmm. I don't think he sounds like Prince at all.

How can you guys compare a legend like Prince who won many awards and has been inducted in the hall of fame to a puppet like Eric Benet whom my neighbors, coworkers, friends have never heard of and have absolutely no interest in knowing?????

malbena said:

How can you guys compare a legend like Prince who won many awards and has been inducted in the hall of fame to a puppet like Eric Benet whom my neighbors, coworkers, friends have never heard of and have absolutely no interest in knowing?????

Oh, there is no camparison, trust. When I heard the song for the very first time, for just a few seconds, he sounded like Prince. And before EB married Hallie Berry, I had never heard of him either.

Shyra said:

malbena said:

How can you guys compare a legend like Prince who won many awards and has been inducted in the hall of fame to a puppet like Eric Benet whom my neighbors, coworkers, friends have never heard of and have absolutely no interest in knowing?????

Oh, there is no camparison, trust. When I heard the song for the very first time, for just a few seconds, he sounded like Prince. And before EB married Hallie Berry, I had never heard of him either.

Clear enough

DesireeNevermind said:

Why doesn't Eric get more love? By love I mean why doesn't he have a bigger following? He should be bigger than Maxwell. One good dance track and he could be Ne-Yo.

Well when he and Halle Berry got a divorce in the early 2000s, his image was totally trashed He cheated on Halle and said he was a "sex addict" before it was the "cool" thing to do (see more recently David Duchovny and Tiger Woods). The fans and press sided with Halle, whether it was fair or not, and that was that for his career

The first picture of Manuela is the best I've seen her look ever. Although, whomever said she looks like Vanity is blasphemous!

godyssey said:

The first picture of Manuela is the best I've seen her look ever. Although, whomever said she looks like Vanity is blasphemous!

Agreed-but dont mess with Vanity

There are numerous of artists which people might not have heard of or are less familiar than Prince. Are they therefor automatically uninteresting or not worth to listen to ?

Comparisons are not always the best thing to do. Just because Eric has been channeling Prince's voice in one track doesn't make him a competitor. D'Angelo did it before.

All their careers are too different for comparisons, but that doesn't makes them less interesting imo. Eric had a remake duet-hit "Georgie Porgie" with Faith Evans some

years ago which seems to have been forgotten already. No, not all artists are as versatile as Prince but some of their work might be worth to check out nevertheless.

Eric is generic in some ways but dude's abilities are undeniable. I dug "Spiritual Thing" a lot and "Love Don't Love Me" as well.

I think the new single is him showing that he can really cut loose when he wants to.

[Edited 11/21/10 1:50am]

VenusBlingBling said:

The couple at the Soul Train Awards last week:

I'm loving her dress and hair!

Manuela hasn't looked better. She looks soooo much better since divorce. Usually women look better when they are younger. Both Mani and Mayte looked way better A.P. (after Prince).

And Eric and Mani look really cute together. I didn't think they would last this long... thought it was publicity type association, but maybe they are the real deal. Wish them the best.

Gotta give it to her, she looks better as time goes on, the best I've seen her. And looks very happy and relaxed with Eric.

about the ring... I see a ring on the ring finger of her right hand. In more than one picture you can see it.

So she is wearing a promise ring? Cute. I really do wish them the best.

And Halle has moved on, had a baby and is presumably happy with her life. I hope Eric can do the same.

I was one who really stopped listening to his music for a long time because when your image is that of "the good guy, the knight in shining armor" and you do something to really eff up your image well...

But hey, that was a long time ago, the brother has some skills, and looks good. I'll buy his CD.

nursev said:

godyssey said:

The first picture of Manuela is the best I've seen her look ever. Although, whomever said she looks like Vanity is blasphemous!

Agreed-but dont mess with Vanity

I'm not messing with Vanity. I was saying that although beautiful, Manuela is no Vanity. In Vanity's prime, of course.

Mani looks great! She looks so much like Halle Berry to me though...Eric is looking a mess! HE needs to shave. Usually the facial hair I dig, but not on here. And the hair is killing me. Anyway, I like them together though, very cute.

VenusBlingBling said:

The couple at the Soul Train Awards last week:

I'm loving her dress and hair!

I am suprised no one has said it; she looks like she packed on a few pounds, less than ten. The results are that for the first time Mani is looking not only beautiful but . Look at how much thicker her upper arm is in all the pics. Also look at the softness around her jawline and beneath her cheekbones. Gone is that slight "joker" look she sometimes had when she gave that wide smile. The little bit of fat in her face and body has taken years off of her aswell as added a more womanly look at the same time. She looks younger than she did at the Lakers game, Christmas day in 2004.

Manuela verses Halle and Vanity; God bless this woman because she will always be compared to these two extreme beauties, both of whom have huge amounts of charisma. Next to them she comes in last but I can think of MANY actresses and singers who have appeared on fashion magazine covers that Manuela is as beautiful as or more beautiful then.

Anyway, I absolutely the new look and the hair. Her hair is the envy of the Kardashians and many other women who have to buy it (and it still doesn't look that good).

I also appretiate that this woman has yet to really stab Prince in the back. I applaud her for that. Had I heard the song "Sunday In The Park" sung by Tamar and written by Prince, I would not have been so nice. "The game of love can not be won by something she never had" was a painful line. I think he was never "in love" with Mani and just used her "Cinderella" good girl image as a beard to cover up what he was really doing in the park and in Panama with other chicks. She made him look like a good head-of -household down at the local Kingdom Hall. Sad.

Hurray for moving on with poise and dignity intact!

Now on to Eric Benet. I have only heard him on youtube and I have no intention of buying his album. I also don't think many musicians buy his album either. Unlike Prince I think that the only person who will say that his music style had a huge influence on them is his daughter. This doesn't mean he should go back to delivering Christmas packages. It just means that maybe there is a reason why he plays state fairs while Prince plays arenas.

Comparing him to Bobby McKnight was perfect. They are both fine enough and not all that famous. Name recognition is not proof of talent. Sadly I never heard of Solomon Burke until he died and he was a very talented singer. I also never heard of Betty Davis, who I think should be thought of as a funk legend, until I read a thread about her hair on the org.

I lost alot of my Marvin Gaye collection, need some Solomans Burke, Betty Davis, Sam Cooke, and many many more before I even think of buying any Eric Benet.

Deadflow3r said:

I am suprised no one has said it; she looks like she packed on a few pounds, less than ten. The results are that for the first time Mani is looking not only beautiful but . Look at how much thicker her upper arm is in all the pics. Also look at the softness around her jawline and beneath her cheekbones. Gone is that slight "joker" look she sometimes had when she gave that wide smile. The little bit of fat in her face and body has taken years off of her aswell as added a more womanly look at the same time. She looks younger than she did at the Lakers game, Christmas day in 2004.

Manuela verses Halle and Vanity; God bless this woman because she will always be compared to these two extreme beauties, both of whom have huge amounts of charisma. Next to them she comes in last but I can think of MANY actresses and singers who have appeared on fashion magazine covers that Manuela is as beautiful as or more beautiful then.

Anyway, I absolutely the new look and the hair. Her hair is the envy of the Kardashians and many other women who have to buy it (and it still doesn't look that good).

I also appretiate that this woman has yet to really stab Prince in the back. I applaud her for that. Had I heard the song "Sunday In The Park" sung by Tamar and written by Prince, I would not have been so nice. "The game of love can not be won by something she never had" was a painful line. I think he was never "in love" with Mani and just used her "Cinderella" good girl image as a beard to cover up what he was really doing in the park and in Panama with other chicks. She made him look like a good head-of -household down at the local Kingdom Hall. Sad.

Hurray for moving on with poise and dignity intact!

They both used each other, I doubt either of them truly loved each other or that she really gave a shit about being a JW, however that was her ticket to money and fame and he used her as his trophy. However, as you can see, Mani came out the winner, those alimony payments must be sweet!!!

wonder505 said:

Deadflow3r said:

I am suprised no one has said it; she looks like she packed on a few pounds, less than ten. The results are that for the first time Mani is looking not only beautiful but . Look at how much thicker her upper arm is in all the pics. Also look at the softness around her jawline and beneath her cheekbones. Gone is that slight "joker" look she sometimes had when she gave that wide smile. The little bit of fat in her face and body has taken years off of her aswell as added a more womanly look at the same time. She looks younger than she did at the Lakers game, Christmas day in 2004.

Manuela verses Halle and Vanity; God bless this woman because she will always be compared to these two extreme beauties, both of whom have huge amounts of charisma. Next to them she comes in last but I can think of MANY actresses and singers who have appeared on fashion magazine covers that Manuela is as beautiful as or more beautiful then.

Anyway, I absolutely the new look and the hair. Her hair is the envy of the Kardashians and many other women who have to buy it (and it still doesn't look that good).

I also appretiate that this woman has yet to really stab Prince in the back. I applaud her for that. Had I heard the song "Sunday In The Park" sung by Tamar and written by Prince, I would not have been so nice. "The game of love can not be won by something she never had" was a painful line. I think he was never "in love" with Mani and just used her "Cinderella" good girl image as a beard to cover up what he was really doing in the park and in Panama with other chicks. She made him look like a good head-of -household down at the local Kingdom Hall. Sad.

Hurray for moving on with poise and dignity intact!

They both used each other, I doubt either of them truly loved each other or that she really gave a shit about being a JW, however that was her ticket to money and fame and he used her as his trophy. However, as you can see, Mani came out the winner, those alimony payments must be sweet!!!

The are two reasons that I doubt that Mani was a user.

First, she was only 22 years old, from Toronto with absolutely no knowledge of the entertainment industry when she pursued her idol Prince. She was not a 36 year old woman that had been around L.A. for over a decade, had her man game down and knew the ropes.

Second, she went specifically after him. She didn't saddle up to every married rock star and try and make a go of it. Back then she had her sights set on that particular man. Was she "in love' or just obsessed? I am not a psychiatrist but I think at the time she thought she was in love with Mayte's husband, and that she and he were meant to be. I think after hearing a few verses of "Someone is delusional, lord, kum by yah" she woke up, came to her senses and divorced the man. At 29 she became independently wealthy, with more money then either of her parents ever made and a better house then they had after working a lifetime. She also probably drives the nicest car of any of the Testolini's.

That religion thing? Again she was 22 when she met P and 25 when they became baptized together. I don't think it was as much a shrewd move as a delusional one. A 36 year olf video vixen becoming a J.W??? is all I have to say to that