Estelle flashes a smile during a private dinner in celebration for her birthday.

The “Thank You” singer was joined at Casa La Femme on Tuesday (January 24) in New York City by LisaRaye’s voodoo doll and entertainment jill of all trades Marvet Britto. Industry heavyweights Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald round out familiar faces spotted at the intimate dinner.

‘Single Ladies’ actress (it’s still too early)  LisaRaye could care less at this point in her life if you refer to her as a gold digger. Former First Lady Diamond tells Upscale Magazine that she makes no apologies for wanting life’s premium remy instead of settling for 2-for-$20 yaki.

What is it that us as black folks don’t teach out children to go after someone who’s got something? White folks, they have cotillions, they have social networking organizations, they send their kids to Ivy League schools, Girl Scouts and shit. We don’t do none of that. We don’t cultivate our kids. They put their kids in the right places to meet the right people. What’s wrong with us? I’m aspiring to want more, to be better, to want bigger. So if I got that, what am I going to do with a boy that’s on the block and ain’t never left the block?

So what type of man gets your attention?

Here’s the thing: I dated a man who was the president of a country — I was first lady. I’m not looking someone to fill his shoes. I am looking to be fulfilled. Your status is more so of your character. I want us to get together and build more. While we’re investing over here and making money, I’m in Paris or on a beach in Saint Tropez. I am not a 9-to-5 kinda girl, nor do I want to be and I don’t make no excuses about it. I ain’t never been. However, I am a 27-7 kinda girl — I work hard all the time.

… When I first came back from my divorce, I didn’t have no money. I didn’t know what I was gone do for money. How I was going to take care of myself. He made a way for me and all I can say is thank you, Lord. I get a good amount of money to host stuff, but I ain’t want to host no parties and shit in the clubs all the time, on top of the tables talking about everybody say “ho!” No! I’m somebody’s mama! I’m forty-something years old.

I think God has a way of sitting you down and making you refocus. [He was] saying, ‘You’re doing too much. You forgot to give Me the glory.’ When you humble yourself like that and let him have it, He’ll tell you where to go and that’s called faith, walking out on faith, and that’s what I’m doing now.

If you doubted the potential of the LisaRaye-led VH1 series, Single Ladies, you obviously underestimated the power of the drama-loving Negro.

With soap operas going the way of Princess from Crime Mob’s solo career (sorry, girl, but you know) your auntie, nosy niece, and ever-observant uncle had to get their fix somehow. And now, the show will likely never end as VH1 announced plans for season two of Single Ladies.

That means another whole season of watching Stacey Dash deliver anger, sadness, desire and happiness all with the same blank expression.

In a statement, Queen Latifah said, “We knew from the beginning this show was going to appeal to people everywhere; it’s funny, sexy and smart. We are so happy that we were able to join with VH1 to find such a great home for this incredible show.”

A book on the power of the penis penned by Latifah would be more believable than what she just said.

Single Ladies co-star and First Lady of Southside Chicago, Diamond LisaRaye, spoke with VH1.com about her new show and same old materialistic guide to dating that saw her go from First Lady of a Caribbean island to Rosci’s arch-nemesis.

ON WHY SHE NEEDS A MAN WITH A LONG LINE OF CREDIT:

“I wanna make sure that because I have status, I wanna make sure that you’re bringing something to the table because I am.”

Translation: “Those reality show checks only cover the two-piece and biscuit. Don’t I need the red beans and rice, too?”

ON WHY SHE’S YET TO FIND A NEW SPONSOR:

“I’m single in real life because coming off a nasty divorce and being the First Lady of Turks and Caicos Islands, I wanted to make sure I didn’t bring access baggage to my partner. It’s not fair and I wanted to bring the best of me that I can.”

Translation: “This time I’m waiting for the credit check to finish first.”

ON WHETHER OR NOT SHE GETS BODIED TO MEN SHE BARELY KNOWS:

“If I really feel like I wanna get down right then, I am really grown. I can do that. If the chemistry is right than I’mma act on it. But then there’s that other side of me that’s going through that spiritual journey that I’m thinking about fornication, and the masturbation, and then masturbation is lust is one of the seven sins. It’s like, ‘Oh My God!’”

Translation: I’m horny, but I don’t want to get too hot and have my cooch and my soul both engulfed in flames.

A source told US WEEKLY that last Tuesday after 2:00 a.m., Stacey Dash ran off set screaming, “No, I ain’t coming back unless that bitch gets her ass kicked.”

Dash, 45, was referring to her 44-year-old co-star, LisaRaye. You never heard reports of Khadijah knocking out Regine, did you?

The source added that everyone was surprised because LisaRaye didn’t even bother Dame Dash’s kinfolk with stories about still wanting to knock the annoyance of Rocsi for fucking up her royal come up.

“It was an intimate dinner party scene so everyone was in cocktail dresses. Stacey was screaming and running around in thousand dollar Louboutins!”

We see you, New Money Negroes. Stacey better watch herself. Da Brat is out of jail now. Never give a stud a reason.

Former First Lady Diamond looked on with pride as photographer Derek Blanks and his dedicated crew directed her stunning daughter Kai Morae during her Apple Bottoms photo shoot on Monday out in Los Angeles.

Young models take note. Before you jump in front of a camera lens to take pictures for your Facebook portfolio, do your homework first and learn about your rights to the images. Otherwise, you could end up on somebody’s skin bleaching cream box looking the fool later on down the road. Thanks Crunkster Jessica for sending this in!

For the past few years VH1 has been caking off of celeb-reality shows such as Flavor of Love, The Salt-N-Pepa Show, and For The Love of Ray J, but LisaRaye McCoy and Stacey Dash shared with VIBE that they are both starring alongside Lauren London in VH1’s first-ever scripted series, Single Ladies.

Written by award-winning actress and MC, Queen Latifah, Single Ladies, which begins four-day rehearsals and filming in Atlanta this week, revolves around the romantic relationships of three friends and is meant to fulfill fans of The CW’s Girlfriends and HBO’s Sex In The City.

Says Lisa Raye of her character: “She doesn’t have one of anything nor does she believe in having one man. She believes in dating and being able to explore her possibilities. She’s much like Samantha of Sex in the City,” explains the Player’s Club star. “Very straight up and honest. She’s the one that has that spunk, I’d like to say that she’s the slut of the three.” (Vibe)

What makes this press release so depressing is that LisaRaye is referred to as the “Player’s Club star.” That’s fucking sad when the only big project you have been a part of was released 13 years ago.

“I’m so upset about that because let me tell you they were not supposed to use that picture. I was sick on that photo shoot. It was 23 degrees out there in that dessert. I didn’t feel pretty. I didn’t feel sexy. I was just like let me try to pull this off. In the midst of that you get a couple pictures that [are] not appropriate. You should have enough tastefulness and integrity about yourself as a photographer and as a publisher [to say], we are not going to use this shot because she was getting in to position. ‘We are not going to use this shot where her nipple is showing because that is not appropriate. We are not going to use this butt shot because she’s an older woman, she’s a mother, and she’s not Diamond. And that’s exactly what it was. If you look at my facial expression on the cover, it’s almost if I’m going “huh?” I was in the middle of fixing my hair. I’ve been there done that. It took me right back to my video vixen Diamond days, which is not fair to me. It’s not fair to a former first lady and it’s not fair to a single mother who’s an older woman now.”

Oh, First Lady Diamond. You happily signed on the dotted line to exchange fuck faces. If you were that adamant about the way you would be represented chances are you would have turned down the offer to appear in the magazine in the first place. Selling ass is what got you here to begin with. Wallow and relish in it the same way you did that puddle of mud.

READ MORE AT HONEY