Ya Heard: Usher, Tameka head toward Splitsville

"I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't."

—Lucille Ball

Usher Raymond and wife Tameka Foster called it quits on a two-year courtship, resulting in two children and a marriage.

The controversial union was often a lightning rod for media scrutiny. Foster, eight years Usher's senior and the mother of three children from a previous relationship, was often accused of taking advantage of Raymond.

Criticism intensified when Usher fired his mother as his manager in 2007. Usher fired back during an appearance on MTV's TRL in 2008 by speaking into the camera: "My wife is not 40 years old. I love her to death and I'm a black, strong man in America standing up for my people—as a man to my wife, to my son, to my family… I'm trying to do it the right way. ... And my wife had nothing to do with me firing my mother; nothing like that, that's trash. I hear y'all talking crazy out there; she's a beautiful black woman. Stop. Stop talking. And I love her. Stop it."

All of this has many of us wondering, "How could a young man in his prime become romantically involved with such a woman?" Outsiders cannot know the truth, but I think this old '90s saying explains it best: "Whipped!"

The Queen Opens U

Queen Latifah recently revealed to Essence Magazine she was sexually abused as a child by her babysitter. "He violated me," Latifah says about the incident. "... I just buried it as deeply as I could and kept people at an arm's distance. I never really let a person get too close to me."

Following time spent with a therapist, she said she was finally able to understand the situation. "I was a kid, and I had no power or control over the situation," she says. "I really wish I'd had the strength ... to say something sooner ... But I accept that the time for action has come and gone."

People have tried to peek into the Queen's personal life for years, but no one expected something of this magnitude to be a part of her past. The revelation of Latifah overcoming such extraordinary obstacles will only serve to help the Queen's star shine that much brighter. Talk about hip hop saving a life.

Sticky's Finger Sli

Onyx member Sticky Fingaz was recently involved in the accidental shooting of a friend. Allhiphop.com reported Sticky was showing off his new Desert Eagle when the gun went off and shot his associate in the shin. Sticky has a license to carry a firearm and has not been charged.

In a statement the rapper said: "This incident ... could have been much worse. I'm just happy [my friend] is recovering and in good condition."

As many similar stories as we hear, people still continue to play with firearms. Take heed, otherwise, as in the words of Prodigy: "The next verse I write might be about you"…'Til next week, Peace!!!

Dennis Winn can be reached at 703-200-4928 or .