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By Michael Lopez

Sure it's freezing in most of the country right now, but in Sports Illustrated land the beach bods are full bloom. The popular jock mag just released its latest "Swimsuit Issue" and it's chock full of bikini-clad Latin beauties.

One particular model who's making a ton of waves is Costa Rica's Jessica Perez. Sporting golden blonde hair and washboard abs, the Latin American beauty has several videos on the SI site. Her shoot in Panama has proven to be quite popular, with imagery of her dancing in a two-piece alongside crashing waves.

Seeing how she's so new to the game, Sports Illustrated has dubbed her one of their "Rookies." But as Jessica told the readers, she doesn't mind the label as long as it gets her in the magazine.

"Even though I'm a rookie, [I think] my pictures came out really great," she explained. "I was so shocked when I found out they were using my shots. I was jumping up and down, I was teary eyed, I called my mom immediately! The feeling was surreal."

But Perez isn't the only Latina throwing on a trademark "Swimsuit." Brazil's Izabel Goulart also made the cut. Known for her runway shows and appearances in the Victoria's Secret catalog, Izabel has gone on to wow Hollywood with her exotic good lucks. In the past few years, she's appeared on Two and a Half Men and Entourage.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy," Goulart told the magazine after her photo shoot. "Last year I was a rookie and when I got the call back it was really exciting. It was such an amazing shoot, it was very special."

And though the other 19 models aren't Latinas, they've got some strong connections to the Hispanic community. Cover girl Kate Upton has been recently spotted with Mexican-American QB Mark Sanchez. She also ranked right behind Sofia Vergara in AskMen’s "Most Desirable Woman" poll.

Russian-born Irina Shayk made the SI cut this year too and trust us, this isn't the first time she's been mentioned in the magazine. Irina has been famously dating fútbol star Cristiano Ronaldo for the past two years.

And though she may not be romantically linked to Spanish tennis pro Rafael Nadal, Bar Rafaeli posed for some very provocative shots with him for her "Swimsuit" session.

You can see all 21 beach babes in the newest Sports Illustrated issue, on stands now.

Are planning on picking up the SI 'Swimsuit Issue?' Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Bar Rafaeli, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Hot Stuff, Irina Shayk, Izabel Goulart, Jessica Perez, Kate Upton, Magazines, Photos, SI, Sports, Sports Illustrated, Style, Swimsuit Issue

By Ikam Acosta

Jennifer Lopez confesses the paparazzi has finally gotten the best of her. Lopez says she finds it hard to cope with the incessant scrutiny and publicity surrounding her personal life.

Since her split with Marc Anthony last year, JLo has struggled with media intrusion and wishes the press gave her more privacy.

"It's hard sometimes, I'm not going to lie. I try to stay away from the media as much as I can. Sometimes I try not to take it too personally, because I don't think they do it just to me. But as a human being it feels like that, you feel like you're the only one being picked on. But the truth is, they pick on everybody. They really don't discriminate. I try to concentrate on all the great things I have going on in my life."

Welcome to stardom, Jennifer. It's the price people pay for being celebrities, unfortunately. On the bright side, I'm sure you have your fame, family, and Casper the friendly backup dancer to console you.

Despite her struggles with media exposure, Lopez says she would not deny her kids a shot at fame if that is what they wanted for themselves. While she feels her twins Max and Emme have a normal life, Jennifer says she would encourage them to be whatever they want to be, even if it would mean they would be in the limelight themselves. JLo explained,

"If they want to go off and be artists or singers or dancers or pilots or architects or anything- then they have my full support. My mom couldn't stop me from [getting into this industry], I won't be able to stop them from doing it."

Do you think the media is too intrusive on celebrities?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony

By Ikam Acosta

Bay Area hip hop artists Los Rakas will be celebrating Valentine's Day with the release of their Raka Love EP.

Raka Love is a departure from the duo's usual harder sound and features the smooth and sultry 'Copita de Champaña' track. The 'Copita' video is available on the web today, February 14th.

I had the pleasure of talking to Raka Rich and Raka Dun, and they dished on their new Raka Love EP and their reasons for its release. The duo expressed they had a lot of romantic views they usually don't get to share in their music and felt Valentine's Day was a good day to express that. They wanted to show the world they could also do R&B music, along with their usual dancehall, reggae, and reggaeton.

Raka Love was influenced by personal experiences, as well as the experiences of others they knew, "anything to do with love." It's about all kinds of relationships, even complicated ones.

Raka Rich remembers being in Panama, chasing his dream, when he wrote the 'Copita de Champaña' song. While the song wasn't inspired by any one particular special lady, he says,

"Once I heard the beat, I just knew what to say. It was natural. There wasn't really a girl in particular."

In the 'Copita' video, you might notice Raka Rich giving his special lady a Spongebob watch. I had to ask about the significance of that scene, of course.

"Everybody nowadays is very materialistic. I wanted to show the humble side of things, and how it's the thought that counts... You see people giving expensive things they can't afford... Spongebob watch only costs $2.99 and it looks fly."

I asked Raka Rich what Valentine's Day meant to him and how he usually celebrates it, to which he replied,

"I think Valentine's Day should be every day. You should show your love every day. I don't think you should wait for Valentine's Day."

Los Rakas will also be performing at a special CD release party in San Francisco tonight celebrating Raka Love. If you're in the Bay Area, you won't want to miss this. Those attending the show will receive a free download of the new album.

When asked what the fans could expect from their Valentine's Day CD release party, besides the live band and background singers, Raka Rich stated,

"We're gonna slow it down for this show... It's gonna be real sexy. We basically wanted to show the evolution of Los Rakas."

Finally, when asked what final thoughts they had for their fans, they shared these words of wisdom,

"Don't give up. Work really hard at what you do, and don't give up on it."

Make sure you download the Raka Love CD and show Los Rakas some love this Valentine's Day.

How do you like the sexier side of Los Rakas?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Los Rakas, Música, Raka Dun, Raka Love, Raka Rich

By J.Sand La Diiva

Romeo, Romeo Where Art Thy Romeo Santos.....Well he was in Madison Square Garden this past Friday night  for his first concert kicking off his Formula Vol.1 US Tour. The energy in New York was insane, but this is nothing new to Romeo because New York is home to the bachatero.

The night started with New York's own Alex Sensation from La Mega 97.9 which got the ladies ready to go for Romeo. The lighting was spectacular but the stage was truly fit for a king. It came complete with what seemed to be the worlds largest lit up crown above the stage and plenty of statues pero nada fue comparable  a cuando Romeo came out como todo un rey.

Y así empezó la noche at the sold out Madison Square Garden. I was personally extremely happy to hear some of the Aventura classics and having Romeo stick to his roots. He sang everything from 'El Perdedor' to 'Obsesión' and mixed it in with all his hits from his recent album Formula Vol. 1.

Speaking of the king, Romeo got a little into his role as 'King' and pulled out a white sparkly glove while the lights went out and the spot came on along with Michael Jackson's instrumental to 'Billie Jean' . The King of Bachata paid a little 30 second tribute to the King of Pop.

If you have ever gone to an Aventura concert  you know the drill;  the Romeo concert was no exception. Someone from the audience always sings alongside Romeo -typically this happens when he sings 'Ella y Yo' , his duet with Don Omar- but for his new show he did it with his smash hit 'Debate de 4' that features Raulin Rodriguez, Luis Vargas, y Anthony Santos.

He auditioned three gentlemen from the audience to play each part but they had to know the song and the catch was who ever did the best -which was audience's choice- would win a thousand dollars.

For this concert he couldn't help himself, calling his gordita to the stage, who gave a special lap dance and 'Un Beso' like always made a lot of flacas jealous.

He also got on his flying gear and flew above the audience so everyone could catch a glimpse of the king up close and personal.

Someone I don't think anyone expected to see on stage was Prince Royce! He even did two songs 'Stand by Me' and 'Corazón Sin Cara' as Romeo went for a wardrobe change. It's clear, there is no beef between these two bachateros. Then we had Tomatito for the song 'Mi Santa' , but the one that topped the cake was Usher who came out drove the crowd wild for 'Promise' to finish the show. Truly spectacular!

Make sure to check out all his music videos here at Tr3s.com. Don't forget to comment here and @MTV3. See you later mis Blogamolies!

Tags Alex Sensation, Anthony Santos, Aventura, Blogger Jsandladiiva, J.Sand, Jsandladiiva, King of Bachata, Madison Square Garden, MSG, new york, Prince Royce, Romeo, Romeo Santos, Usher

By Michael Lopez

Sadly, Project Runway star Mondo Guerra will not be one of the featured designers during New York Fashion Week. But that doesn’t mean that there won't be a Latino presence. In fact, several Hispanic designers and models will be strutting their stuff in the Big Apple, along with a ton of major style icons.

Paparazzi cams already caught Victoria Beckham arriving in Manhattan with baby Harper in tow. Will the youngest Beckham be modeling a chic infant fashion line? It’s doubtful, but their overseas arrival is just one indicator of how big of an event NYFW is.

Held annually every February, the East Coast soiree attracts the world’s most famous designers, including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Betsey Johnson, and more. Not only that, it sets the standard of what style trends will be emerging within the next 12 months (and could be a good precursor of what types of gowns you’ll see at this year's Oscars).

So far, several style blogs are already predicting the colors and patterns that will emerge on the New York catwalks. It seems that navy will replace black as this season's "in" fabric. There is also talk that retro flapper dresses like those seen in The Artist will begin popping up in posh department stores.

"Dresses perform very well. Women love a dress," Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing said. "It's such an easy way to look amazing. It’s effortlessly chic."

And one Latina who may be sporting elegant dresses on the runway is Joan Smalls. Currently ranked fourth on Models.com, Smalls is a Puerto Rican native who's been making big waves with the latest Chanel campaign. With her tall frame and perfect cheekbones, she's definitely a runway girl to keep your eye on. Interestingly, Joan even got to pose with Bruno Mars at a recent Vogue cover shoot.

On the design front, Custo Barcelona will be debuting some bold lines this coming Sunday at 3pm ET. Founded by Spanish fashionista Custo Dalmau, Barcelona specializes in men's, women's, and children's wear, all with a bold neon edge.

Venezuelan style goddess Carolina Herrera will also be present this weekend, debuting her new line Monday morning. A true legend in the fashion biz, Herrera has dressed luminaries like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Rene Zellweger.

A hometown American hero you can root for during fashion week is Narcisco Rodriguez. Born to Cuban immigrants in New Jersey, this self-made style icon worked his way up from a freelancer in the New York garment district to one of Michelle Obama's lead designers. In fact, it was Rodriguez who created the dress she wore after her hubby was elected President of the United States.

You can see Narcisco's, Carolina's, and Custo's handiwork streamed live this weekend on the YouTube Live Runway channel.

Do you follow the New York fashion scene? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Carolina Herrera, Custo Barcelona, Custo Dalmau, Fashion, Fashion Face-Off, Fashion Week, Hot Stuff, Joan Smalls, Narcisco Rodriguez, New York Fashion Week, Style, Victoria Beckham

By Ikam Acosta

Blue-haired vixen Katy Perry took a stab at ex-husband Russell Brand during her performance of 'Part of Me' at the Grammys last night.

The singer came onstage decked out in a skin-tight latex superhero-esque catsuit that left very little to the imagination. What she did leave to the imagination, however, was whether she publicly dissed her ex husband Russell Brand onstage at the award show.

While Katy was performing 'Part of Me,' she made some creative changes to the song. The original song lyrics would have been,

"You can keep the dog from me/ I never liked him anyway."

It seems Perry changed the lyrics to say

"You can keep the diamond ring/ It don't mean nothing anyway/ In fact you can keep everything/ Yeah, yeah, except for me."

Ouch. Hope Russell wasn't watching. That got pretty personal. While it is unclear whether the new and improved lyrics were directed at her ex, we can all speculate, can't we? Katy and Russell insist their divorce was amicable, but this sounds a bit too snarky for comfort.

Do you think Katy's lyrical changes were directed at her ex?

Tags Award Shows, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Celebrity Divorce, Chisme, Grammy Awards, Katy Perry, Russell Brand

By Ikam Acosta

Bobbi Kristina has been released from Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after being hospitalized for a stress-induced panic attack following Whitney Houston's death.

The 19 year old had gotten into a shouting match earlier this weekend with police officers outside of her mother's room after they had denied her from seeing the body. She was later taken to the hospital after being hysterical and inconsolable. Family members feared she was a danger to herself and might be unstable as a result of her mother's death.

Luckily, Bobbi Kristina is now feeling better. Her father, Bobby Brown, cancelled his New Edition concert to fly to Los Angeles to be with her during this difficult time.

Bobby Brown has also been having a rough time coping with Whitney's death. During a previous concert, he reportedly told the crowd,

"Just say a prayer for my daughter, say a prayer for her mother, and if you find the time please say a prayer for me because I am going to need it."

A New Edition concert-goer described what went down when news spread of Houston's death.

"Bobby appeared to sob in between songs and the other members of New Edition would grab him and put their arms around him. Bobby would go off stage and come back on. He was very emotional."

How did you feel when you first heard of Whitney Houston's death?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Bobby Brown, Celebrities, Celebrity Deaths, New Edition, Whitney Houston

By Michael Lopez

Initially, no one expected this year's Grammys to carry such a somber note. But with Saturday's passing of Whitney Houston, that's ultimately the tone that dominated the night. Houston seemed to be on the everyone's mind, including Adele who earned six golden statuettes.

The British crooner took home multiple awards last night, including Album of the Year for 21. Winning for every category she was nominated in, Adele hit the acceptance stage six times for honors like Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album.

"Oh my God...thank you so much, thank you! Hello!" an emotional Adele said during one of her acceptance speeches. "This record is inspired by something really normal and everyone's been through it—that's a rubbish relationship. I can't tell you how I feel about it, it's been the most life-changing year."

The evening proved to be a bit life-changing for the Foo Fighters too, who took home five awards throughout the night. Their Wasting Light record nabbed Best Rock Album and their "Walk" single was honored twice, as Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.

Dave Grohl and company seemed thrilled with their victories. And they delivered one helluva final jam onstage, playing classics from The Beatles' Abbey Road album alongside Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty.

Unfortunately Tr3s fave Bruno Mars seemed to get snubbed in all of his respective categories, losing primarily to Adele. Though he did deliver a powerhouse performance of "Runaway Baby" that got the crowd roaring.

Indie fave Bon Iver took home Best New Artist and 85-year-old crooner Tony Bennett earned two Grammys for his Duets II album. Chris Brown got the night's Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E. and Kanye West dominated the rap categories, winning Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

On the Latin side of things, Maná scored a shiny Grammy for their Drama y Luz record and Los Tigres del Norte's MTV Unplugged soundtrack won Best Banda Album. Even the late Steve Jobs won a posthumous honor, earning the Grammy Trustees Award.

But no one at the L.A. venue could escape the lingering presence of Whitney. With a last minute change up, the show brought out Jennifer Hudson, who belted out an amazing rendition of Houston's classic "I Will Always Love You."

Host LL Cool J went on to deliver an emotional speech about Whitney's contributions to the music biz.

"Heavenly father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us," he told the crowd. "Though she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit.”

And for those of you following Grammy fashions, the night's most outrageous outfit belonged to…(you guessed it) Nicki Minaj. Taking things even further than Lady Gaga, the 29-year-old hip-hop star showed up in a bright red nun dress alongside a Pope lookalike.

What did you think of this year's Grammys? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 21, Adele, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bon Iver, Bruno Mars, Celebrities, Chris Brown, Fashion Face-Off, Foo Fighters, Grammy Awards, Grammys, Hot Stuff, Jennifer Hudson, Kanye West, LL Cool J, Los Tigres Del Norte, Mana, Música, Nicki Minaj, Steve Jobs, Style, Tony Bennett, Whitney Houston

By Ikam Acosta

Born in New Jersey on August 9, 1963, daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston was destined to be a musical icon. With godmother Aretha Franklin and cousin Dionne Warwick, Whitney's success was pretty much set in stone.

From the start of her career in the 1980's, Whitney had the talent and looks of a pop star. Whether decked out in evening gowns or sporting off the shoulder t-shirts, the pop diva always projected an image of stardom and glamour. Her range was amazing, belting out gospel music or singing sweet pop songs. Whitney's performances always amazed and inspired.

Houston had many great hits, including "Saving All My Love For You," which got her a Grammy for best female pop vocal. Other hits like "How Will I Know," "The Greatest Love Of All," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" quickly became audience favorites.

She even had an acting career beginning with a memorable performance in The Bodyguard in 1992. Houston even revamped Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which sold 10 million singles, and the Bodyguard soundtrack was named album of the year.

During her career she sold 55 million records in the United States alone.

Houston influenced many younger songstresses like Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera, who said,

"She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise."

Whitney's lifestyle took a turn for the worse when she married bad boy Bobby Brown, and her drug problems began to make tabloid headlines. Her habits started to take a toll on her voice and appearance, and she eventually became a fleeting shadow of the bright-eyed Whitney we knew and loved.

Whitney did not blame her demons on her husband, however. Whitney said her and Bobby weren't as different as most people might think. In a 1993 Rolling Stone interview, Whitney shared,

"You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy."

By the time The Preacher's Wife was released, drug abuse was a regular thing for Houston. She confessed to Oprah,

"I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."

Things fell apart for Whitney after that. She had been looking gaunt and unhealthy, and her career was not what it had been in the beginning. A Good Morning America appearance went bad when her voice sounded "ragged and off-key." Whitney blamed an Oprah interview for straining her voice, but people speculated other reasons for her failing performance.

Whitney's concerts became less and less popular with the crowd after she cancelled some concert appearances and failed to hit certain notes in her songs, causing fans to walk out at some of the shows.

In spite of her troubles, her 2009 comeback album "I Look To You" debuted on the top of the charts and went platinum.

Whitney Houston was working to turn around her career with a performance in the upcoming movie "Sparkle,'' the remake of a 1976 film inspired by The Supremes.

The night of her passing she was to be a guest of honor at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy bash.

Davis, now 79, discovered the singer when she was only 20 years old. He reluctantly went on with the party, tearfully telling the crowd,

"Whitney was a beautiful person and she had a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence so many times, giving so many memorable performances here over the years.  So simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on".

What was your favorite Whitney Houston performance?

Tags Aretha Franklin, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Bobby Brown, Celebrities, Christina Aguilera, Deaths, Diane Sawyer, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Oprah, Whitney Houston

By Michael Lopez

One day before the 54th annual Grammy Awards, the music world was rocked with news of Whitney Houston’s passing. The 48-year-old legend was found lifeless in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton hotel room. As of right now, the exact cause of death is not being released.

Houston had battled addiction for many years and even discussed it openly during a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer. Whitney admitted to abusing cocaine, marijuana, and pills, which many say caused damage to her pristine singing voice.

"The biggest devil is me," she told Sawyer. "I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy."

Her body was found late Saturday afternoon and paramedics immediately rushed to the scene. Sadly, after numerous CPR attempts, Whitney was pronounced dead at 3:55pm PST. Beverly Hills detectives have now begun a full investigation but insist that there is no evidence of foul play.

The news threw music lovers for a loop as Houston's friends and fans flocked to the web to send their condolences.

"Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston," Mariah Carey posted. "My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth."

Christina Aguilera added,

"We have lost another legend. Love and prayers to Whitney's family. She will be missed".

Whitney's ex, Bobby Brown, reportedly went in and out of "crying fits" after hearing the news. He was with his touring band New Edition when the story broke and they are said to be consoling him during this difficult time.

"We are absolutely shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely death of our dear sister Whitney," the band said in a group statement. "As a group, we are extremely close; when one of us hurts, we all hurt."

Houston's relatives aren't holding up much better. Her famous aunt, Dionne Warwick, is "inconsolable", according to press reports, and her mother Cissy (who is also a singer) is in deep mourning. Interestingly, both of them said they spoke to Whitney earlier in the afternoon and she sounded fine.

But by far the person most impacted by Houston's death is her 19-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina. Whitney's only child, Bobbi was incredibly close to her superstar mom and even accompanied her for a "girls night out" in L.A. on Thursday.

Our thoughts and prayers are definitely with the Houston family during this difficult time. And you can bet we'll keep you up-to-date as more details develop.

R.I.P. Whitney

What's your favorite Whitney Houston song? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Bobby Brown, Celebrities, Chisme, Christina Aguilera, Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Grammys, Mariah Carey, Música, popnews, RIP, Whitney Houston