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BACKSTAGE AT ... Hot-107.9 and Laffapalooza's Ladies Night Out

This is the hip-hop and R&B station's annual evening of roses, chocolates and performances by (mostly) male performers. This year the lineup at Eleven50 included rapper T.I., R&B groups 112 and Jagged Edge as well as R&B singers Sammie, Johnta Austin and Mya.

Photos by SONIA MURRAY/Staff (ENLARGE)
Emperor Searcy
(ENLARGE)
Kandi
(ENLARGE)
CJ
(ENLARGE)
Cham
(ENLARGE)
Sammie
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In between the speedy, and often riveting sets, radio and recording personalities described their ideal night out:

• "My ideal night would actually start in the day, with breakfast in bed," said Hot-107.9's afternoon personality Emperor Searcy. "Then I would have a car service come and pick my wife up. Maybe take her to the mall, let her go shopping and get her nails done and all of that. Then I'll probably surprise her and meet her at lunch. Then, after that, I've got to get gone and let her continue to do her thing. A little more shopping. Then we meet up again for dinner and end up at, like, Backlot [Cinema & Cafe] for a movie. "

• "An ideal night out," began R&B singer-songwriter Kandi, "is a good dinner at a nice restaurant. A place that makes a great steak. And all of the fixings. And great dessert! Because I love dessert.

"You know, going to the movies with my friends, that's a great night out for me. Or just having fun, kicking it, and I don't have to pay! Or just having a nice date where a man is being a gentleman the whooole night. And he's treating me like a queen. I went out with a guy Tuesday and he didn't even open the door for me. Once!"

• "Gotta get some dinner," replied teen R&B singer Sammie. "Ladies like to eat. Some dessert. A guy named Juan Farmer told me some cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, always gets 'em there. A nice movie. And of course you've got to do the hold-the-hand thing, or hold her arm and just conversate. And make her laugh. Real simple. It's the simple things that the girls like."

• "My ideal night out with a man — [laughs] which is now kind of imaginary because I don't have one pursuing me at the moment — would be [pause] I'm very, very simple," CJ of Hot-107.9's "A-Team" said. "So just an evening of dinner. Drinking some wine ... I would like to go to, maybe, a park, at night. And just talk. Learn about each other. I hate going to the movies because you can't talk ... I'm a very, very, very noncomplicated woman. I just want a man that doesn't lie or cheat! We can sit at home and watch a Blockbuster movie as long as you're not lying or cheating!

"Hanging out with the girls though, I start it off by getting ready listening to my Mary J. Blige or Beyoncé CD," she continued. "And my favorite [single] is 'Freakum Dress.' Put your 'Freakum Dress' on if you're going out with the girls. Because you've got to get that man's attention when you're with the girls. So I listen to Beyoncé, then go to the bar at Twelve. Or maybe Strip, and have some drinks. It doesn't really have to include a club. Just hanging out, drinking."

• "A lot of females!" reggae artist Cham said. "But still keeping it moderate. Maybe 15, 20. A lot of drinks. But not going overboard. I love champagne and cranberry juice. And my friends there also, enjoying the bounty. That's my fun night out."

HEAR WHAT, WHERE AND WHY

Two worthwhile funk and soul acts on one night: The Brand New Heavies return with N'Dea Davenport Oct. 28 at Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St., Midtown. $24. 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com.