Compose Yourself

Best of 2011: A Year in Music

2011-12-30T17:22:00.011-06:00

1. ADELE 21
Adele brought a solid album with her debut 19. No one could have imagined her topping that. She did that, and more. Born out of heartbreak, 21 is a magical offering that transcends genres and audiences. In tracks such as Don't You Remember, one can feel the pangs in Adele's vocal performances. The young British talent captivated audiences with her understated performances and elegant styling. Rolling in the Deep's monstrous success and the chart topping piano ballad Someone Like You have solidified Adele's place in music. Evoking the soul of Aretha Franklin and the heart of Patsy Cline, Adele managed to outsell her peers and break through the dance heavy nature of today's popular music. Not too shabby for a twenty-three year old.

Key Tracks: Rolling in the Deep; Someone Like You; Rumour Has It

2. Watch the Throne Jay-Z & Kanye West
3. House of Balloons The Weekend
4. Born This Way Lady Gaga
5. 4 Beyoncé
6. Take Care Drake
7. F.A.M.E. Chris Brown
8. Femme Fatale Britney Spears
9. Bon Iver Bon Iver
10. Late Nights & Early Mornings Marsha Ambrosius

Having an almost folklike quality, Adele's Rolling in the Deep became ubiqitous this year. Spawning severl covers, including a stunning rendition by R&B crooner John Legend, Rolling in the Deep has a backwoods revival storytelling type feeling with its tribal drums submerged beneath Adele's smoky and soulful voice. Easily one of the best pop songs that isn't a pop song, Adele makes heartbreak and bitterness sound so sweet.

1. Rolling in the Deep Adele 21
2. Marvin's Room Drake Take Care
3. Motivation Kelly Rowland Here I Am
4. 1+1 Beyoncé 4
5. You & I Lady Gaga Born This Way
6. Firework Katy Perry Teenage Dream
7. Fool For You Cee-Lo featuring Melanie Fiona The Lady Killer
8. Far Away Marsha Ambrosius Late Nights & Early Mornings
9. So Gone (What My Mind Says) Jill Scott featuring Paul Wall The Light of the Sun
10. Novacane Frank Ocean Nostalgia, Life

Hip-hop heavyweights Kanye West and Jay-Z set radio airwaves afire with their Redding sampled juke joint stomping track Otis. But it was the controversially titled N*ggas in Paris that made the most impact from the Watch the Throne cuts. Armed with a Will Ferrell sound byte and a jagged and non-conventional hook - "I ball so hard muthf-ckas wanna fine me" - the track does what Jay-Z and Kanye do best. It marries grit and aggression with a glossy polished beat. The tune became large enough that it was performed as many as nine times during a Watch the Throne tour stop. Provocative, eh? "That shit cray."

1. N*ggas in Paris Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch the Throne
2. Look At Me Now Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes F.A.M.E.
3. We Found Love Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris Talk That Talk
4. Van a Bailar (On the Floor) Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull Love?
5. Til the World Ends Britney Spears Femme Fatale
6. 6 Foot 7 Foot Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz Tha Carter IV
7. Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera Hands All Over
8. Give Me Everything (Tonight) Pitbull featuring Nayer & Ne-Yo Planet Pit
9. Black and Yellow Wiz Khalifa Rolling Papers
10. Party Rock Anthem LMFAO Sorry for Party Rocking

Beautiful.Dirty.Rich: A New Brand of Feminism

2011-11-14T11:11:00.006-06:00

Are Pop Divas the new Hip-Hop?
Allow me to explain...

As I was strolling down memory lane, I listened to some 90s girl group music. It then occurred to me that, unlike En Vogue's Free Your Mind or TLC's Unpretty or Waterfalls, Destiny's Child never did a political song. (Stand Up For Love doesn't count. That was trash.) These days, pop divas are about a different empowerment. Beyoncé is a girl power artist. She likes to "empower the women" as she says so often. Rihanna and Gaga love to push the boundaries of sexuality and bring women from the video vixen background to showing more ownership of their sexuality.

Beyoncé's both asked and answered an important question: Who run the world? Girls. Gone are the male pop idols of before. These days, women do indeed rule the charts. Ask Adele's chart topping album. Katy Perry and Rihanna's number one singles are shattering records. Beyoncé and Gaga's stage shows trump any male entertainer out there.
What exactly are they proclaiming with their music? Women overcoming body issues? Women leaving bad relationships? Equality of any kind? Not really.

"All we care about is runway models, Cadillacs and liquor bottles," raved Gaga on the title track from her first album Fame. Beyoncé wants women to be independent, but it isn't in an emotional or political sense. Every ounce of her female empowerment is rooted in financial fortitude. "The shoes on my feet? I bought 'em." "Make that check. Come at they neck..." If a woman can support herself and prove that she doesn't need a man's money, she is set. Gaga's music has also mostly teetered between sexual liberation and boasts about materialism. Many of their tunes make Madonna's Material Girl seem modest. Ciara's Ride and Love/Sex/Magic videos were highly controversial and sexual, but some argued that she was just flipping the roles.
Even the gay following has changed. Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive and Cher's Believe were mostly about repairing your heart, while the newer generation of gay Diva stans are more concerned with the glitz, glamour, and socialite lifestyles. Rihanna's newest effort Talk That Talk is laden with lewd content and fans are eating it up. Of course Madonna and Janet surely paved the way for the new hyper sexual antics that were missing before them. However, the coin stacking paper chasing concepts seem to be new, perhaps being a direct result of hip-hop influence in Beyoncé's case.

Hip-Hop acts have been long criticized for couple hyper sexed images of women with an unrealistic thirst for material wealth. Are Beyoncé and her fellow divas gaining an edge by taking the reins into their own hands and owning it? Or are they perpetuating the same problems that are women are trying to combat?
Is this new way of I don't need your heart being replaced with I don't need your wallet healthy? Only time will tell. We will have to wait until Britney stops partying and the Rihanna reign let's up.

True Colors: Tafari Hinds for Re-bel

2011-10-19T18:07:00.005-05:00

Model Tafari Hinds
Magazine: Re-bel
Photography: Daniel Sannwald
Styling: Rasharn Agyemang
Hair: Teiji Utsumi Makeup: Thomas De Kluyver
[source]

I am not an insider in the world of fashion. I am a spectator. Therefore, I view it as art. I adore the way that they employed the use of bold color palette for contrast against his skin.

Fun House: Omarion for Contributing Editor

2011-06-22T19:45:00.003-05:00

Singer Omarion
for Contributing Editor
Editorial: Fun House
[source]
Photography: Kevin Amato
Fashion Editor: Robyn Victoria Fernandes Fashion Assistant: Staci Pearson
Grooming: Adrian Fanus for Adrian Fanus Grooming

I'm by no means an Omarion fan, but I adore Contributing Editor's point of view. This colorful spread pops off of the screen and manages to shroud every ounce of douchebag in Omarion. That's no easy feat. hehe

Pay it 4Ward

2011-06-22T19:27:00.003-05:00

Of course my first post back on the blog scene would be about Beyoncé. The pop superstar was recently awarded an Artist of the Millennium honor by Billboard and is set to release a new album in two weeks. The album caught many by surprise with it's ballad heavy nature. Many fans and critics have griped that they want the fun Beyoncé back. Though risky, I think 4 is the best career move she has made in a while.

Run the World (Girls) was the first track lifted from her fourth studio album. Brazen and laden with drums, the female empowerment anthem was along the lines of Independent Women and Single Ladies in terms of content. However, the chanting hook, or lack of a hook, was a stark contrast to those tracks. Sampling a track by indie act Major Lazer, Beyoncé went left field. Animalistic in nature, the track was hardly the glossy pop hit that the Crazy in Love star usually serves up. As risky as the hit was, it was not representative of what the album sounds like. 4 is an album of an adult woman who has nothing to prove. There isn't really a chart topper in sight. But what we have is a collection of timeless songs. From the soul wrenching 1+1 to the exuberant early Whitney-esque Love On Top, Mrs. Knowles-Carter aimed to take us back to a place when singing was real. This sets her apart from the big pop albums of this year. Synth heavy albums from Britney, Gaga, and Katy Perry are not close to the album Beyoncé has crafted. Free of autotune, she is looking to show her artistry.

Time will only tell how this pans out. We asked Beyoncé to grow up and to make real music with real messages and heart. She has done so. With her singles failing to pick up steam on the charts despite glowing reviews of the album, will she prevail? Or will she have to resurrect Sasha Fierce for a little help? I'm banking on this being a win in the long run.

In the Trenches: Nate Gill for GQ Style Germany

2011-03-17T07:47:00.004-05:00

Models Nate Gill, Daniel McSweeney, & Roy Pratt

Magazine: GQ Style Germany

Photography: Xevi Muntané

Styling: Grant Woolhead

[source]

Blogger's Getting a Makeover

2011-03-17T00:16:00.003-05:00

Great new features are going to be added to blogger! Yay! I had fallen off with blogging but I have gotten back on the train. Thanks to everyone who follows. I often forget that people read it. Then I will get a new follower and become amazed for about five minutes. haha
Anyway, I plan to launch another blog soon. [More news to come] That one will be sort of a professional outlet. Compose Yourself is more about my love for pop culture.

Check out the video above to see the new improvements coming to Blogger.
Thanks to my good friend over at RonaldMatters.com for the heads up.
Check out his blog. Great stuff.

My Icons: The Dancing Queen

2011-03-16T23:39:00.005-05:00

Icon: Paula Abdul, Singer/Choreographer

"Everyone is your best friend when you are successful. Make sure that the people that you surround yourself with are also the people that you are not afraid of failing with."
Paula Abdul

Long before American Idol, Paula Abdul had her own stint as an idol. The Grammy winning artist/dance/choreographer had massive success in the eighties and nineties with a string of hits. First discovered by the Jacksons while dancing as a Laker girl, Abdul went on to serve as their choreographer. She worked on the Jacksons video for Torture and helped to shape the dance image of Janet Jackson. During the rise of music videos, Abdul was highly sought after as a choreographer.

Cold Hearted Snake

After funding her own demo, she went on to enjoy success at the top of the charts.
Her six #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 tie her for 5th among the female solo artists who grabbed the number one spot. Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl took 62 weeks to reach number one. Though it holds that record for the longest ascent to the top, it spent ten weeks there once it reached #1.

Opposites Attract

It's only fitting that Jennifer Lopez has seemingly taken Abdul's place on American Idol. Abdul is one of her predecessors. Abdul's early work spawned the careers of J-Lo and Britney Spears. The jazz inspired choreography of Abdul is what Britney grew up studying as a trained dancer. And the vocal styles of Britney and J-Lo also draw influence from the era that Abdul hailed from. (Of course everyone from Pebbles to Janet sounded similar then). Personal setbacks and public meltdowns have overshadowed her legacy. However, Abdul was the woman behind the whispery voiced dancing diva movement.
[You can see the Britney roots in the Cold Hearted Snake video]

Chris Brown for Italian GQ

2011-03-16T23:10:00.003-05:00

Singer Chris Brown
Magazine: Italian GQ
Photography: Kai Z. Feng
GQ Fashion Director: Andrea Tenerani
[source]

Looks like Breezy is officially back. After releasing Graffiti prematurely, the smoke seems to have cleared at the public is fully embracing the rebirth of Brown's career. His latest album F.A.M.E. is getting great reviews and is due in stores in less than a week. After snatching up a Grammy nomination for Deuces (the track appears on F.A.M.E. but was originally released from a mixtape) and a high profile SNL gig, Chris seems to be back on top. He has yet to master the art of image rebuilding given his recent twitter feuds and nude photo "leak". However, that seems to be what has solidified his place in pop music/culture. He is human. And his music speaks for itself.

Rihanna for American Vogue

2011-03-16T11:35:00.005-05:00

Singer Rihanna
Magazine: VOGUE
Photography: Annie Liebovitz
[source]

This cover is stunning! Give me Jessica Rabbit, Miss Fenty. The photos leaked a while ago but I wanted to wait until high quality images surfaced. So...here you go. I think Liebovitz knocked it out of the park with this shoot. However, I must wonder why the girls of cover get put on the shape issue. I may be overthinking it, but it's as if they have to justify putting a woman with curves on the cover. Beyoncé's Vogue cover was for the same issue. And what's funny is the fact that in real life, Beyoncé and Rihanna aren't exactly considered thick girls in the black community. But fashion is art, not real life. Rihanna looks soft and ethereal. This shoot is a stark contrast to the Vogue Italia shoot that was far more edgy.

Behind the Scenes:

New Music: Introducing "King"

2011-03-14T19:52:00.003-05:00

When my friend turned me on to King, I was a bit apprehensive. There are plenty of acts out there doing "urban hang suite" music as I like to call it. However, the creativity and beautiful sound of these women blew me away.

King
The Story

The music video above was made by hand by the girls. The group hails from Los Angeles and is made up of twin sisters Paris and Amber Strother and singer Anita Bias. Popular acts like ?uestlove and Erykah Badu have even given them shoutouts. They reportedly write and produce all of their music. I know one thing. I want more! Their EP is divine.

[Check out their Website HERE]

Fresh Face: Rob Evans of Major Models

2011-03-14T19:25:00.004-05:00

The Rob Evans train has left the station is at full speed ahead. Managed by Major Models, Evans is the anti-waif and broods masculinity and bulk. His perfectly chiseled physique and strong features have caused the work to come pouring in lately. From the looks of things, he is gunning for top model status. The UK native walked exclusively for Givenchy and is taking the fashion world by the horns.

Model Rob Evans
Magazine: Hunter
Editorial: Evil Boy
Photography: Julian Hargreaves
Styling: Fabrizio Ferrini
[source]

Covers: Kat Graham takes on Janet

2011-03-14T19:18:00.002-05:00

Katerina Graham
Escapade/Love Will Never Do Without You
Director: Bille Woodruff

Vampire Diaries star Katerina “Kat” Graham released a music video to pay tribute to the Janet Jackson. The 21 year-old sings and dances to her cover of Janet’s early 90′s hits “Escapade” and “Love Will Never Do Without You”. The mashup was produced by Mark Grilliot and Kazual. The video was choreographed by Lady Gaga's choreographer Laurieann Gibson with production by Jaala Ruffman.

Covers: Sam Tsui "Hold it Against Me"

2011-03-14T19:13:00.002-05:00

Sam Tsui
Hold it Against Me
[Britney Spears Cover]

Sam Tsui is a Chinese American singer and YouTube sensation. He's making quite a name for himself, even making appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show as well as the Oprah Show. This cover of Britney Spears is stunning. If someone can give heart and soul to a dance track based on a corny pickup line, I can give them kudos. Tsui did an awesome job!

Foxy Lady: Joan Smalls for V

2011-02-27T19:07:00.002-06:00

Model Joan Smalls
Magazine: V
Editorial: Foxy Lady
Photography: Alasdair McLellan
Styling: Beat Bolliger
[source]

Nicki Minaj for Black Book Mag

2011-02-24T22:05:00.002-06:00

Rapper Nicki Minaj
Magazine: Black Book
Photography: Andrew MacPherson
Styling: Brett Bailey
[source]

As much as I love to kind of hate her, there are few chicks who have taken as many memorable photos as she has in recent pop memory. This spread is hot.

Pop's Men in Heels: Kazaky

2011-02-24T21:54:00.004-06:00

If you haven't heard of Ukrainian group Kazaky, you are missing out. Oleg, Arthur, Stas and Cyril are by no means your typical boy band. Sensual and fluid choreography, homoeroticism, heels, and gym bodies are the visuals that accompany their speaker thumping tracks.
I first discovered their song In the Middle a few months ago. The video for the song instantly became an internet sensation. The clip was directed by Yevgeniy Timokhin. Below is also the clip for their new song Love, also directed by Timokhin.

Love

In the Middle

Love it. The video for Love is giving me Givenchy. I wish things like this would work in the U.S.

Kanye West Borrows Concept for All of the Lights

2011-02-24T21:19:00.004-06:00

Rihanna recently drew criticism and a lawsuit from David LaChappelle for her S&M video. The photographer/director pointed out her video's uncanny similarities to his work. LaChappelle has directed music videos before so if she wanted a LaChappelle look she could have hired him.

Another artist is under fire now for copying. Kanye West and legendary hip-hop music video director Hype Williams have been accused of copying the concept for a portion of Kanye's All of the Lights video. The original video served as the opening for 2009 French film Enter the Void.

Take a look starting at 1:08...

Kanye West
All of the Lights ft. Rihanna

Check out the original video here.

I have to agree. Kanye and Hype lifted this concept. I can see them paying homage but this is too close for comfort. The workmanship isn't even close to the original, lessening the Kanye clip to cheap imitation.

This begs the question of whether or not any of our rising icons are original. I do believe wholeheartedly in inspiration but can you be considered an icon if most of what you do is derivative of the work of someone else? Beyoncé has been accused of copying plenty of things. Even the video for Single Ladies, arguably her best, was based on the Fosse choreography for Gwen Verdon's Mexican Breakfast dance. Pop music's biggest star Lady Gaga seems to draw all of her ideas from the past. David Bowie, Grace Jones, Madonna, and others seem to have inspired her every move. Her record breaking new single Born This Way has been widely attacked for sounding like nothing more than Madonna's Express Yourself.

The pop stars of the 80s such as Madonna, Michael and Janet Jackson, and Prince were so groundbreaking that their visuals may be hard to live up to. They rose to fame in the era when visuals were becoming more important. Also, most of our pop stars today grew up watching them. Therefore, the influence more than likely can't be helped.
I typically don't mind someone grabbing something and making it their own. However, the younger generations are seeing these works as new ideas, ignoring the references.
As much as I love Usher's work and it's tribute to Michael Jackson and Rihanna's constant Madonna/Janet style reinvention, I am beginning to wonder if we will ever see anything new. Or will we forever be subjected to mere tributes to the past?

Beyoncé for L'Officiel

2011-02-22T12:00:00.005-06:00

Singer Beyoncé
Magazine: L'Officiel
90th Anniversary issue
Photography: Mark Pillai
[source]

For their 90th Anniversary cover, L'Officiel magazine chose Beyoncé to don African inspired fashions. The shoot pays tribute to Nigerian political activist and musician Fela Kuti. The cover shot of the African Queen themed shoot shows the pop star rocking a gold dress from Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection.
The shoot has drawn controversy due to the dark face painting that appears in a couple of the shots. This is not Beyoncé's first encounter with skin color controversy. L'Oreal was accused of lightening the singer's skin for a past ad and Beyoncé herself has even been recently accused of skin bleaching. I take no issue with the face painting. It is a common practice and is used here for artistic purposes rather than comic effect. UK singer Estelle recently caught fire for her blackface scenes in her Freak video and Nicki Minaj's tribal painting for V magazine caused a stir.

Check out more photos and behind the scenes footage below.

New Video: Erykah Badu's "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long"

2011-02-10T18:59:00.003-06:00

Erykah Badu
Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long [Official Music Video]
Director: Flying Lotus

The clip is the latest from her studio album New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh.
Soooo dope.

Love Faces: Trey Songz Live on Wendy

2011-02-10T18:48:00.002-06:00

Trey Songz
Love Faces
[Live on Wendy Williams]

Lady Gaga for VOGUE

2011-02-10T18:34:00.003-06:00

Singer Lady Gaga
Magazine: VOGUE
Photography: Mario Testino
[source]

Excerpts from the Vogue article by Jonathan Van Meter:

“Speaking purely from a musical standpoint, I think I am a great performer. I am a talented entertainer,” the singer tells the March issue of Vogue magazine. “I consider myself to have one of the greatest voices in the industry. I consider myself to be one of the greatest songwriters. I wouldn’t say that I am one of the greatest dancers, but I am really quite good at what I do.”

Gaga sounds pretty cocky. In her defense, she added: "I think it’s OK to be confident in yourself.”
“It’s so funny when people say, ‘It’s amazing to see how hard you work.’ We’re supposed to work hard!” she says. “I have the world at my fingertips. I am not going to saunter around the stage doing pelvic thrusts and lip-synching. That’s not at all why I am in this.”

We Three Queens

2011-02-09T14:39:00.002-06:00

These chicks are not playing around. All that is missing is Honey Bey. She will be stinging in no time. Along with Janet's tour, looks like every kid will have time with his diva of choice. Love it.

H.A.M: Kanye by Karl for VMAN

2011-02-09T14:26:00.005-06:00

Rapper Kanye West

Magazine: VMAN

Photography: Karl Lagerfeld

[source]

“In Kanye’s only magazine cover shoot of the season, he shows that he’s finally done talking and wants his art to speak for itself. He has literally put his money where his mouth is, and in tandem, VMAN has issued a promotion where one in ten covers contain REAL dollar bills. It’s the ‘thrill of the game’ – and who better to illustrate this than one of the most controversial music and fashion icons of our generation.”

Excuse my French, but this is Le Fucking Business. ;-)

Adidas for Schön! Magazine

2011-01-30T12:31:00.003-06:00

Models Mario Loncarski, Malte Paulsen, Roy Pratt, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Pete Bolton, Tokumbo and Hanna Paat

Magazine: Schön!

Editorial: 7 for Adidas

Photography: Dimitris Theocharis

Styling: Ioannis Dimitrousis; Hair: Richard Scorer; Makeup: Yin Lee & Anastasia Borovik

[source]

Compose Yourself: Nicki the Chicken?

2011-01-30T12:27:00.002-06:00

Considering the fact that I have a love/HATE relationship with Nicki Minaj, this video makes me giggle a lot. [Craziness]

Freak of Nature: Chris Crocker

2011-01-30T12:20:00.003-06:00

Freak of Nature

Chris Crocker

Leave Britney Alone internet star has released a new single aptly title Freak of Nature. The song sounds a lot like something his idol would record. It's very Blackout era. Everything from the excessive autotuning to the breathy speech throughout.

Anyway, the video is quite...provocative. Lots of bad weave and a random black guy to grind against. Sounds like Britney's Toxic video. haha Crocker is on this hustle. Can we see a collaboration from him, B. Scott, and Cazwell? That would be interesting...

Covers: Maxence Cyrin is Crazy in Love

2011-01-30T12:12:00.002-06:00

Maxence Cyrin

Crazy in Love

Pianist Maxence Cyrin took to the piano for this great rendition of the smash hit Crazy in Love by Beyoncé. I love when people blend genres and when pop is fused with the classical realm. Anyway, the visuals make it even more exciting. Check out the part with the cards are being dealt. The music is so fitting.

Formichetti + Mugler

2011-01-20T23:11:00.002-06:00

Above is the Mugler by Nicola Formichetti Fall/Winter 11.12 official video. Directed by Mariano Vivanco, the clip features an exclusive new track by Lady Gaga. Gaga remixed her new single Born This Way for the clip which features the tattooed model Rick "Rico" Genest. Awesome images from an awesome group of collaborators.

Yonie does Kanye's Devil in a New Dress

2011-01-11T13:13:00.004-06:00

Check out this awesome video from director/producer Yonie.

It's an interpretation of Kanye West’s Devil in a New Dress, from his latest album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, in stores now.

Chris Matthews Destroys Tea Party Nation Founder

2011-01-11T12:56:00.003-06:00

The tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona which killed 6 and injured many others brought a spotlight on violence in America. Among those injured was Congress representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) who now lies in critical condition. The tragedy has sparked a debate about political language that incites violence. Members of the Tea Party and many of right wing groups often defend their second amendment rights to bear arms and use violent language in campaigns. Sarah Palin has since removed language from her sites which spoke about "targeting" opponents.

Chris Matthews interviews Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips

Matthews destroyed him! Phillips had no credible responses, nor could he prove any of his points. I love the facts that Matthews brought up and he exposed the misguided views of the Tea Party's founder.

There are more guns in private homes in America than in any other nation. There have been more attacks on leadership by use of guns in America than any other nation, including third world countries. There needs to be reform. And there needs to be reform now. However, I don't know what would happen if the government tried to take away the guns of rural Americans. Remember what happened when slavery was being eradicated? Rural Americans can and will go to great lengths to protect what they view as a right.

The Birth of a Star: Minaj for V

2011-01-11T12:45:00.004-06:00

Nicky Minaj

Magazine: V

Photography: Inez + Vinoodh

The Birth of a Star...

Minaj said “Its safe to say my cover shoot in V Magazine is dedicated to my gays and fashionistas. My most bad ass shoot to date. On stands in 3 days ;)”

Nicki Minaj

Moment 4 Life

Live on Ellen Degeneres Show

This is a big improvement for a live showing by Minaj. But of course, she was mostly rapping. This is what she should stick to.

Flick Picks: Portman & Black Swan

2011-01-04T11:48:00.003-06:00

I'm usually against hype. For this reason, I was afraid to see Black Swan. The Natalie Portman lead film by Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler; Requiem for a Dream) has received a lot of press and amazing reviews, not to mention a huge campaign via word of mouth. It is nominated for a number of Golden Globes and many predict Oscar gold for Portman.

I won't offer a lengthy review of the film but I will suggest it. It really speaks to the struggle in us all. The battle being striving to be perfect and trying to live a free life. Letting go of one's self often finds one treading dangerously close to losing one's self.

The films dance sequences are gorgeous and riveting while the thematic material is something that speaks to its viewers.

Is perfection worth it? Or does the key to perfection actually lie in tapping into something far more imperfect?

Don't miss this one!

Angels With Dirty Faces

2011-01-03T22:19:00.004-06:00

Models Tyler Riggs, Silviu Tolu, Lyle Lodwick, Shaun Haugh and Salieu Jalloh

Magazine: Fiasco

Editorial: Angels With Dirty Faces

Photography: Jason Mickle

Styling: Martin Waitt

Makeup: Lauren Whitworth & Hair: Eric Williams

[source]

Top Music of 2010

2010-12-28T19:16:00.013-06:00

1. Janelle Monae's The ArchAndroid: Suites II & III

This is a concept album that simply blew us away. The second half of her stage name rhymes with the surname of painter Claude Monet. Monae is equally talented when it comes to creating art. The opening track is not an attempt at superficially fusing classical music with contemporary. The full out overture preps us for what the album is- a full out event. Monae effortlessly blends genres in this exciting story of cyborgs and futuristic chases. The follow up to her Metropolis:Suite I (The Chase) EP, this album manages to evoke sounds of Stephen Sondheim, Michael Jackson, Prince, Sarah Vaughn, André 3000 and many others without sounding uneven. The way that each thematic idea is woven throughout makes the album almost sound like an operetta. It is clear that Monae, once a student at New York's American Music and Dramatic Academy, knows how to tell a story. And no story has been more riveting. The album is nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. It deserves much more than that.

Key Tracks: Faster; Tightrope; Cold War; Oh Maker

Janelle Monáe

Faster

Live on Later with Jools Holland

2. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kanye West

3. The Ladykiller Cee-Lo Green

4. Teenage Dream Katy Perry

5. The Sea Corinne Bailey Rae

6. The Incredible Machine Sugarland

7. Doo-Wops & Hooligans Bruno Mars

8. Still Standing Monica

9. Sir Luscious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty Big Boi

10. Record Collection Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

Corinne Bailey Rae's soulful Closer is an instant classic. Chart topper or not, the smooth tune is emotionally vulnerable along with amazing vocals. In good company with soul veterans Badu and Sade on this list, Corinne is well on her way to etching her place alongside them.

1. Closer Corinne Bailey Rae The Sea
2. Window Seat Erykah Badu New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh
3. Love the Way You Lie Eminem ft. Rihanna Recovery
4. Just the Way You Are Bruno Mars Doo-Wops & Hooligans
5. Love All Over Me Monica Still Standing
6. You Lost Me Christina Aguilera Bionic
7. Soldier of Love Sade Soldier of Love
8. Runaway Kanye West ft. Pusha T My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
9. Stuck Like Glue Sugarland The Incredible Machine
10. Somebody to Love Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. ft. Boy George Record Collection

I immediately fell in love with the funky obscene tune by Cee-Lo Green known as F*ck You (Forget You). The song is so upbeat and fun that you forget that it is a diss record.The message is pretty much the same as Outkast's Roses and John Legend's Used to Love You: I hope you die, you gold-digging b *tch. :)

1. Fuck You Cee-Lo Green The Ladykiller
2. Monster Kanye West ft. Jay-Z Rick Ross Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. Tightrope Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi The Arch Android
4. Nothin On You B.O.B. ft. Bruno Mars The Adventures of Bobby Ray
5. Teenage Dream Katy Perry Teenage Dream
6. What's My Name Rihanna ft. Drake LOUD
7. OMG Usher ft. Will.I.Am Raymond vs. Raymond
8. Roman's Revenge Nicki Minaj ft. Eminem Pink Friday
9. Stuck Like Glue Sugarland The Incredible Machine
10. Holding You Down (Goin in Circles) Jazmine Sullivan Love Me Back

The Ten Most Captivating Figures of 2010

2010-12-26T17:03:00.007-06:00

The year was full of newsworthy figures. Oil spills, miner debacles, and politic shakeups were rampant. A new pop star rose to fame. Gay issues took center stage with legislature changes, tragedies among teens, and religious scandals. The fashion industry saw shifts and suffered losses. And the major media figures such as Oprah, Larry King, and Jay Leno were in the news. It was an interesting year and many people crossed my mind as being the most captivating. Here is who made the cut.

1. NICKI MINAJ

One woman has single handedly revived female rap. Well, she had help from her trademark alter egos. Love her or hate her, [I'm somewhere closer to the latter] you can't escape her. It seems like every top 40 hit this year was followed by the phrase "featuring Nicki Minaj". The quick rise to fame wasn't so quick. As with last year's topper of this list, Lady Gaga, much underground preparation went into making Minaj a pop culture phenomenon. Many people claim that she is too pop, but Nicki has every intention of laughing all the way to the bank. Shattering Billboard records, causing envy from her predecessors, covering countless magazines, and outshining many of hip-hop's male heavyweights were no easy feats. But what do you expect? She's "a muthaf--kin monster!!!"

2. THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT

Barack Obama admittedly received a shellacking in this year's midterm election. Republicans took control of the House and made serious gains in the Senate. Republican zeal is at an all time high and much of it is fueled by those who refer to themselves as the Tea Party. The party isn't an official political party but has so far supported mostly Republican candidates. That's not to say that Republicans were immune to the sting of the party, named after the famed protest known as the Boston Tea Party. The group is very anti-Washington and many times pushes toward being racist and intolerant. They are for less spending, reduced taxes, tighter immigration regulation, etc. Over 80% of the members of this movement identify as Republicans and many see it not as a new party emerging, but as a rebranding of Republican values.

3. BISHOP EDDIE LONG

The black church was rocked by allegations that one of its most prominent leaders had been accused of using his power to extort sexual relations from various young men. The claims are even more shocking due to Long's avid crusades against homosexuality in the past. Even if Long doesn't receive any punishment for the alleged acts, the situation should have forced the black church to come to terms with its taboo treatment of sexuality. Only time will tell if those conversations will ever occur.

4. GAY TEENS

The sudden rise in attention to gay suicides due to bullying took hold of our attention this year. The Trevor Project and the It Gets Better campaigns tried to shed light on these tragedies along with help from many celebrities. Bullying has been a problem among youth for a long time. However, among gay youth, suicides seemed to have spiked. No one should be made to feel hopeless. Studies show that people come out at younger ages and hopefully we make great strides to make our kids feel safe and comfortable. That's going to take more than a few people wearing purple for a day.

5. OPRAH WINFREY

All that needs to be uttered is one letter: "O". The media giant announced this year that she would be leaving her talk show after 25 years of being a fixture in our homes to pursue new dreams of her own network. The Academy Award nominated actress, producer, talk show host, humanitarian, and magazine editor had to find ways to top herself for her final season. A tearful and intimate interview with Barbara Walters is perhaps the defining moment for Oprah's year. Behind the power and prestige resides a woman who is human. And that's why she has captivated us for so long.

6. ANTOINE DODSON

Hide your kids. Hide your wife. Nobody was quoted more than Dodson this year. It all spawned from one crazy television interview following a home invasion in which his sister was the victim. That resulted in auto-tuned remixes, youtube videos, marching band renditions, countless merchandise and a large cult following for the overnight sensation. It also sparked a serious conversation about the media's portrayal of African-Americans. Dodson's 15 minutes of fame may be up, be we won't forget his red bandana and his antics. "They raping everybody over here!" Enough said.

7. CONAN O'BRIEN

Conan O'Brien's feud with NBC played out in front of the cameras. Long removed from his humble beginnings as an SNL writer, O'Brien was handed the reigns of The Tonight Show. Taking the place of Jay Leno, O'Brien seemed to be on top of the world. Leno was offered a primetime spot ahead of The Tonight Show. Then a snag was hit. Leno's ratings suffered and at the start of this year, producers wanted to move him back to late night. They proposed pushing The Tonight Show back and giving Jay Leno a late night time slot right before it. However, O'Brien was not having it. A nasty war of words ensued and most fans took the side of O'Brien. Many saw Leno as a greedy fading star. After being bought out of his contract, O'Brien maintained that he didn't feel harmed.

"It's crucial to me that anyone seeing this, if they take anything away from this, it's I'm fine. I'm doing great," said O'Brien. "I hope people still find me comedically absurd and ridiculous. And I don't regret anything."

8. WILLOW AND JADEN SMITH

Will Smith is one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood and a pioneer in rap music. Jada Pinkett-Smith, his wife, is a star in her own right having landed many prominent roles in film and now starring in the television medical drama Hawthorne. However, it is their kids that have garnered the attention in 2010. After previously acting alongside his father in the 2006 critically acclaimed film The Pursuit of Happyness, Jaden's starring role in the remake of Karate Kid was a hit and his acting career seems to be budding. Willow made her own name for herself with the smash hit Whip My Hair. People of all creeds and ages couldn't deny that the catchy song was pop magic. The two kids seem to be following in their parents' footsteps, continuing the dynasty.

9. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

The fashion world was shocked and saddened after the suicide of famed British designer Alexander McQueen. The rebellious 40 year old avant garde designer had recently lost his mother. Those around McQueen noticed a grim change in him surrounding his mother's death and he was quoted as saying:

"From heaven to hell and back again, life is a funny thing. beauty can come from the most strangest of places even the most disgusting places."

The designer had recently become good friends with Lady Gaga and styled her on many occasions. It was a sad, sad scene as his death came just days before the start of London Fashion Week and weeks before he was due to unveil his new collection at Paris Fashion Week.

10. THE CAST OF MODEL CITY

The BET network known as Centric set out to show the world of African-American male fashion models. The diverse cast centered around Red Model Management based in New York and followed the lives of the models including super model Wendell Lissimore. Red Model Management is known for its models of color. The show chronicled the behind the scene ego clashes, issues of race and sexuality, and the flashy sides of the industry. The fashion industry is notoriously prejudiced in terms of color. With shows like these, the tide seems to be changing. Outside of the show, Sessely Lopez was named model of the year, David Agbodji nabbed the Calvin Klein for the second time in a row, and the faces of Naomi, Chanel, and Arlenis were everywhere. Maybe the places for a young person of color are growing.

Check the links below for the list from the two previous years:

[TOP TEN Most Captivating Figures of 2009]

[TOP TEN Most Captivating Figures of 2008]

For Colored Girls: K. Michelle's New Mixtape

2010-12-26T16:55:00.002-06:00

Jive Records R&B singer K. Michelle has just released a gift for her fans in the form of a mixtape called For Colored Girls. The following to her first mixtape What's the 901 acts as a precursor to her forthcoming album Pain Medicine. The last image posted here shows a letter to her her fans. There is a link below to a site that contains more information about the Memphis native as well as links to her mixtape.

[DOWNLOAD For Colored Girls]

New Video: Chris Brown & Chipmunk "Champion"

2010-12-26T16:32:00.002-06:00

British rap star Chipmunk & R&B singer Chris Brown

Champion

[Director: Colin Tilley]

Oprah for Parade Magazine

2010-12-26T15:11:00.002-06:00

Media maven Oprah Winfrey opens up about her new network, some of her fears, and more in the latest issue of Parade magazine.

Here are some snippets.

On retirement:

“I was questioning, ‘Why don’t I build a boat and sail around the world? Why don’t I learn French and find a nice little house in Provence?’ I could see myself bicycling with my baguettes and the whole thing. But I talked it over with my friends, and they all said, ‘You’re not going to be happy doing nothing‘”.

On what she perceives as failure:

“What will be a failure is if nobody comes and watches this network. What others will perceive as failure is if some shows don’t succeed. I’m concerned about the bigger overall picture: my belief that people are basically good and want to see the good in them reflected through their experiences and the shows that they watch. This is a gamble I’m taking. I believe that the banal state of television, the kind of insipid space that we’re in–that you can have as many channels as we have and not find anything that really interests you–means that to a great extent we’ve lost our way.”

On President Obama:

“I think that no one understands until you’ve been in that seat the enormous pressure to please and satisfy everybody. And I think instead of being grateful for where we are and what he has done, we’ve forgotten that we were on the brink of a depression when he took over this office. And as everybody celebrates the holiday season and sits around with their families, regardless of your circumstance, we could’ve had breadlines. How soon we forget that.”

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed

2010-12-22T15:35:00.003-06:00

President Obama's lame duck season is proving to be surprisingly successful. Obama signed the landmark bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The DADT policy previously prevented gay men and women from serving openly in the military. Liberals and LGBT organizations have complained that Obama wasn't acting swiftly enough to fulfill his campaign promise to repeal the controversial law.

Here are some of Obama's thoughts about the big moment:

"No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder in order to serve the country that they love," Obama said.

"I say to all Americans, gay or straight, who want nothing more than to defend this country in uniform, your country needs you, your country wants you, and we will be honored to welcome you into the ranks of the finest military the world has ever known," Obama said.

[source]

Over 13,000 soldiers have been ejected from the military over the years after admitting to homosexual practices. Proponents of the law argue that the new legislation will create distractions during battle. As if the gay service men/women will start waving rainbow flags and hitting on everyone. Being a soldier is a job. Plenty of people go to work without advertising their orientation. That is possible. However, it is wrong to force someone to hide it. With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Mr. Bigot from Flint, Michigan will react to serving alongside a gay soldier. The future lies in how the new law is implemented. As of right now, those plans are fuzzy.

A longtime champion for gay rights, Lady Gaga also showed her happiness with the new law. Above is a picture taken from Twitter.

Here is what she had to say:

"Can’t hold back the tears+pride. We did it!i Our voice was heard today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS. Today I am so proud to be American. I wish I was home so I could throw a Parade. We are on the way…to full equality."

Maestro O'Neal?

2010-12-22T11:07:00.001-06:00

Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday.

“[Celtics PR director Heather Walker] asked me if I wanted to conduct the orchestra,” he told ESPN. “I was like, ‘Seriously, like a real orchestra?’” He added that he “[had] a new respect for conductors: I went through a rehearsal today, and my arms are shot right now.”

Umm...no comment.

International Business: Mark Ronson for DEdiCate

2010-12-13T00:18:00.004-06:00

DJ & Producer Mark Ronson

for DEdiCate Magazine

Photography: Marcus Mam

Styling: Nicholas Galletti

[source]

For DEdiCate magazine's newest cover, musician Mark Ronson was chosen.

The Grammy award winning UK native is not a household name but his music is incredible. Co-founder of Allido Records, Ronson performs with his band under the name of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

Below is a performance of his great collaboration with the iconic Boy George.

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

featuring Boy George

Somebody to Love Me

Live on Later...With Jools Holland

The Right to Remain Silent

2010-12-06T22:45:00.003-06:00

Model Brandon Wilson

as Charlie Chaplin

Editorial: He...

Photography: Stefan Giftthaler

Stylist: Luca Termine

[source]

Brian Wilson's take on Chaplin is amazing in this editorial portraying the legendary silent film star. I'm all about iconic figures in the past and I love how they captured the blend of sophistication and comic sensibility that personified Chaplin.

Flick Picks: Berry in "Frankie & Alice"

2010-11-30T11:57:00.003-06:00

Halle Berry stars along with Chaundra Wilson of Grey's Anatomy and Phylicia Rashad in a new film called Frankie & Alice. Berry stars as a woman with multiple personality disorder. Alice, her character has trouble controlling her racist alter-ego, Frankie, who comes out during in occasional dramatic moments.

The Geoffrey Sax directed film opens worldwide on February 4, 2011.

Lady Gaga's Album of the Decade?

2010-11-30T11:45:00.003-06:00

Lady Gaga has made a claim that is sure to leave tongues wagging. Born This Way, her forthcoming album is set to be the biggest album of the decade. At least that is what she would have us believe.

Gaga told the crowd at a Polish show seen above that the album would be “so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or an outfit, or a f—ing meat dress,” and that it will be “about what keeps us up at night and what makes us afraid.” [source]

Hmm...While Gaga has made a huge impact on music in a short amount of time, this is quite a statement to make. As I have said before, Gaga isn't exactly the most original act that we have. However, she is genius at drawing from the past and making it so above and beyond that we forget that we have seen it before. [See Beyoncé's career also] Gaga has single handedly revived the genre of pop music, aligned the fashion and music industries, and saved the music video. With that being said, many still see her as a flash in the pan. A fluke. If Born This Way is anything close to what Gaga claims, she will have her critics eating humble pie.

The Daily Tea: Chin Up

2010-11-24T14:56:00.004-06:00

Whenever I am at the barbershop and my barber [my brother] shapes up my facial hair, he has to tell me several times to look up. Today was no different. He eventually said, "Keep your chin up." We both laughed because it's something that he tells me often about life in general.

When things get low for you, do just that. Keep your chin up. Brighter days are ahead.

Massive Attack: Nicki for Ebony

2010-11-24T12:48:00.002-06:00

Rapper Nicki Minaj

for Ebony Magazine

Photography: Derek Blanks

[Check out a behind the scenes video HERE]

Only Girl in the World

2010-11-24T12:38:00.002-06:00

Pop star Rihanna

Magazine: Interview

December January 2010.11

Photography: Mikael Jansson

[source]

Continuing with her floral themes, the Bajan beauty covers Interview with a story by Kanye West. Her newest LP LOUD debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts and has spawned the smash #1 hit What's My Name which features Drake.

Korean Peninsula Divided Once Again

2010-11-23T23:01:00.005-06:00

North Korea's artillery attacks have the leadership in South Korea all riled up. South Korea's president said that "enormous retaliation is needed" after the deadly attack which killed a number of South Korean civilians.

"The provocation this time can be regarded as an invasion of South Korean territory," President Lee Myung-bak said at the headquarters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff here, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The relations between North and South Korea have always been strained. Can we forget the "forgotten" Korean War in the early 1950s? Considering the fact that my father took a bullet during that conflict, I know that I can't.

This new action comes on the heels of North Korea receiving more sanctions after suspicion arose about their alleged development of nuclear weapons.

President Obama has defended South Korea.

"South Korea is our ally. It has been since the Korean War and we strongly affirm our commitment to defend South Korea as part of that alliance," he told ABC News.

He also added that he can not speculate about whether or not we will send troops. This makes me very uneasy. You know that we can't help but get involved in things. We still are wrapped up in Middle Eastern wars. North Korea, though a small nation, has always been a ticking time bomb [no pun intended]. And while they may be a small nation, we can't afford to angry the big beast that is China, an ally of North Korea. Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged China to "restrain" North Korea.

Well, I guess we will see how this all plays out.

[Scary music plays in background]

Dark Twisted Fanatic

2010-11-23T22:49:00.005-06:00

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy...A f--kin classic. No rapper has had such a strong sense of musicianship and attention to detail. I will go on a limb and say that. He blends genres seamlessly and evolves effortlessly. He is more of a composer than a rapper. Have you heard the haunting piano on the Runaway track??

Also, recently released were Rihanna's LOUD which is a strong showing from the pop princess. She returned from the dark side and presented a collection of peppy hits, injecting more island flavor than she had recently. Nicki Minaj dropped Pink Friday which has been met with many lukewarm reviews. However, her fan base is solid and she is set to pull some big numbers. I like half of the album. I could do without the pop made for radio stuff. Nicki works best when she is murdering the tracks while rapping. Another classic record that has been recently released it Cee Lo's Lady Killer. It has been criminally slept on. F--k You was one of the greatest songs of the year, capturing some of the same magic that Cee Lo was able to give us with Crazy while partnered with Danger Mouse. The album gives me 1965 and 2017 at the same time. I love the espionage themes and the retro feels.

There are soooo many big releases in the latter part of this year. It's going to be hard to narrow down my top ten albums of the year.

The Daily Tea: Don't Look at the Wall

2010-11-23T21:08:00.004-06:00

There is this guy on TV and he is on death row. They asked him if he is afraid of dying and he told a story about how they train race care drivers not to look at the wall. They can look at the track, other cars, and inside their own car. But they should never look at the wall, or else they will plow into it.

I thought that was a nice way of looking at things. This year has been so tumultuous for me and I was searching for answers by reading everything I could. I can remember passages in The Secret when they talk about the law of attraction and how we often draw bad things to us by being worrisome. Sometimes, the best way to live life is to stop focusing on what you are afraid of.

Don't look at the wall. Life will throw you curved and turns. Just drive.

New Video: Willow Smith "Whip My Hair"

2010-10-18T19:21:00.004-05:00

Willow Smith

Whip My Hair [Official Video]

Director: Ray Kay

Two words: Leyomi Mizrahi! The vogue legend made a stunning cameo in Willow Smith clip to accompany her sensation of a pop song Whip My Hair. I love it how they kept it age appropriate while still managing to make it ferocious. The Smith family is soooo bankable. If you saw Willow's interview on 106&Park, you saw how much of a charmer she is. She sure does have some cute little star presence. And her daddy's ears. haha

Hot Album Art: Yeezy, Breezy, Cudi, and Ronson

2010-10-17T22:01:00.004-05:00

I am old-fashioned when it comes to album art. I still buy CDs. I hate downloading on iTunes because I like to get the album packaging and actually feel it and look at it.

In the age that we live in where everything is going digital, it's becoming a lost art to hang on to album art. Think about years from now. Would your collection of mp3s on your hard drive really compare to that collection of vinyls that your elders had? No.

Anyway, here are four new album covers that I think are pretty cool. All from stylish gentlemen.

Mark Ronson & the Business Intl

Record Collection

Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

[This cover is allegedly banned in most U.S. major retails outlets for nudity]

Chris Brown

Yeah 3x [Single Cover]

Kid Cudi

Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager

Flick Picks: Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls"

2010-10-16T10:41:00.005-05:00

Here is an exclusive trailer from Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls

The film is based on the critically acclaimed play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. Yeah, that's a mouthful. The film stars heavy hitting actresses such as Phylicia Rashad, Whoopi Goldberg, and Loretta Devine as well as appearances from Perry favorites Janet Jackson and Kimberly Elise. Whether or not the film will work hinges on Perry's ability to capture the essence of the work rather than fall into the mood of forced melodrama that plagues many of his films. Can this film do for this generation what The Color Purple, The Women of Brewster Place, and Waiting to Exhale did for black women? We will find out soon.
The emotionally charged film is set hit theaters on November 5th.

Sesame Street: I Love My Hair

2010-10-14T20:11:00.004-05:00

Check out this cute video from a recently aired Sesame Street episode. The piece title “I Love My Hair" teaches little girls, black girls in particular, about loving and valuing their own hair. Cool and positive video.

New Video: Kid Cudi "Erase Me" ft. Kanye West

2010-10-13T01:22:00.002-05:00

Kid Cudi

Erase Me featuring Kanye West

[Official Video]

Director: Jason Goldwatch

Rapper Kid Cudi channels Jimi Hendrix in this clip for Erase Me. I love this track! Kid Cudi is great for Hip-Hop. [Anger issues and all]

Bruno Mars for Wal-mart Soundcheck

2010-10-13T00:56:00.004-05:00

Doo-Wops and Hooligans by Bruno Mars has easily become one of my favorite albums of the year. His voice is awesome and he really has a gift for melody. Something about the whole thing just really seems honest and connects with me. His hits with Travie McCoy and B.O.B. landed him on the charts but his own material is equally strong.

Anyway, the two videos below are from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for Wal-mart Soundcheck’s Risers series. Love it.

Grenade

[Live]

I love Grenade. It's nice to see a man sing about a relationship lacking reciprocity. Those tracks always come from female vocalists. It's not like men don't have feelings too.

Nothing on You

[Live]

He really is a refreshing artist to me [despite his drug problems...ugh]. I hope he sticks around for a while.

New Video: Ciara "Gimmie Dat"

2010-10-11T20:52:00.002-05:00

Ciara

Gimmie Dat [Official Video]

This.girl.kills.these.videos.

Stars and Strife: Reconsider Columbus?

2010-10-07T22:13:00.004-05:00

"Do you really want to celebrate the legacy of a man who committed heinous crimes against the Indigenous people of the Caribbean and throughout the Americas?"

That's what this campaign is asking. Reconsider Columbus Day asks us all to examine the dark side of our nation's history, something I often do. I love celebrating stars and stripes and patriotism, but we have to acknowledge the fact that our nation's way was paved through plundering, pillaging, mass genocide, forced migration, and slavery.

The campaign described in the video above asks that we push for a national holiday that would honor the indigenous peoples of America.

I don't think it is necessary to take away from the Columbus holiday but there should be a holiday honoring the natives of this nation. That would make sense given the fact that they were the first here and have suffered the most. Through disease, murder, and being pushed West, the natives of America have the saddest story in our land. However, they are the most overlooked. Aside from the fact that Columbus didn't actually "discover" what he was looking for, we have to realize that while he helped to shape this nation, he was really no more than an explorer in search of making money by any means necessary. Put that in your peace pipe and smoke it.

[Visit the Reconsider Columbus Day website HERE]

Supernova: Chanel Iman for Flare Magazine

2010-10-07T21:45:00.005-05:00

Model Chanel Iman

Magazine: Flare October 2010

Editorial: Supernova

Stylist: Elizabeth Cabral

Photography: Max Abadian

It Gets Better: Protecting Our GLBT Youth

2010-10-07T20:58:00.006-05:00

In light of recent spikes in suicides among young people, specifically LGBT youth, awareness has been raised in terms of protecting those who feel hopeless.

The It Gets Better Project has been a prominent part of the movement with people rushing to the aid of troubled teens. Even celebrities have weighed in. It's amazing to see the outpouring of love and support for our youth. With the Eddie Long controversy, the proposed repealing of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the back to back suicides that have made national news, gay issues are at the forefront. During the Obama campaign, I often said I felt like I lived in the 1960s because of all of the activism among youth and the national conversations about race. Well, now I suppose we are in the 1970s, as gay people feel a new freedom and sense of urgency to fight back. I recently said that we need another Harvey [Milk]. I suppose we don't. We each need to channel our own inner Harvey.

"You gotta give 'em hope." - Harvey Milk

It does get better, indeed.

Jake Shears of the band Scissor Sisters

on coming out

Singer Jewel

on her experiences with defending a gay friend

Fashion guru and star of Project Runway

Tim Gunn

on his own suicide attempt

For Tyler Clementi, Seth Walch, Gwen Arujo, Matthew Shepard, and the countless others.

[Visit the It Gets Better Youtube Page HERE]

Cee-Lo "F*ck You" Live in UK

2010-10-07T20:39:00.003-05:00

I immediately fell in love with the funky obscene tune by Cee-Lo Green known as F*ck You (Forget You). The song is so upbeat and fun that you forget that it is a diss record.The message is pretty much the same as Outkast's Roses and John Legend's Used to Love You:

I hope you die, you gold-digging b *tch. :)

Cee-Lo

F*ck You [Uncensored]

Live on BBC’s Later with Jools Holland Show

Offical Video

Willow's Hair Whipping Ignites the Masses

2010-10-07T19:44:00.006-05:00

I'm still in awe of how little 9 year old Willow Smith has taken the net and the airwaves by a storm. Remember the youtube dance craze that Single Ladies inspired? Well, Whip My Hair hasn't quite reached that level, but the ubiquitous track has inspired some interesting choreography in some videos that have since gone viral.

A group of little girls below who appear to be Willow's age show us how they whip their hair.

This time, a dance troop made up of adult females clad in black try their hand at whipping their hair.

The video directly above this one was choreographed by a guy, but the one below has a guy actually dancing. Of course, he is a scene stealer.

I knew it was only a matter of time before someone edited a video of Beyonce, the queen of hair whipping. Here is a compilation of moments from the pop superstar's careers. Whip that hair!

And last but not least, it's Britney, b*tch.

Come on, Willow. It's time for you to drop a video. Show us what you've got.

Crazy Horse: Francisco Lachowski for Huge

2010-10-06T20:40:00.001-05:00

Model Francisco Lachowski

Magazine: Huge November 2010

Editorial: Crazy Horse

Direction & Styling: Tsuyoshi Noguchi

Hair: TAKU Make-up: Yoshiyuki Wada

Photography: Wataru

[source]

La Lettre: Karl Lagerfeld for HOGAN

2010-10-03T22:59:00.003-05:00

Designer Karl Lagerfeld is collaborating with Italian clothing brand HOGAN. Above is a short flim "La Lettre" which was directed by the designer/photographer. It depicts his muse, model Baptiste Giabiconi, in a love drama with model Magdalena Frackowiak.

Suit Yourself: Patrick Kafka for BBM

2010-10-03T22:44:00.003-05:00

Model Patrick Kafka

Magazine: BBM

Stylist: Paolo Turina

Photography: Stefano Moro

[source]

I love these shots. The styling and overall composition is great. I love that menswear is fun now and people aren't afraid to use color.

Power Hungry: Kanye Live on SNL

2010-10-03T14:38:00.007-05:00

Kanye West

Live on Saturday Night Live

Power

Runaway feat. Pusha T

This guy has some epic concepts. Essentially turning the SNL stage into a work of art is no easy feat. Love it.

Good to see that he and SNL kissed and made up.

Raschelle Osbourne by William Lords

2010-09-30T20:45:00.003-05:00

Model Raschelle Osbourne

Photography: William Lords

[source]

New Video: Ciara "Speechless"

2010-09-30T19:14:00.003-05:00

Ciara

Speechless [Video Premiere]

I love the simplicity and smooth feel of this video. It is very Janet in that sense. But Ciara still looks like Ciara. My only issue is that Ciara's music style is always molded by others. She has her own look and way of doing things but with The-Dream writing the bulk of her material, it sounds like his music and not hers.

Abiah Hostvedt for i-D

2010-09-28T21:41:00.001-05:00

Model Abiah Hostvedt

Magazine: i-D

Photography: Thomas Lohr

Styling: Matthew Josephs

Designs by: Lou Dalton

[source]

New Video: Kelis "Scream"

2010-09-28T21:37:00.001-05:00

Kelis

Scream [Video Premiere]

There is only one Kelis. haha

Murder She Wrote: Naomi by Mert+Marcus

2010-09-28T21:31:00.003-05:00

Model Naomi Campbell

Magazine: Interview October 2010

Photography: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Styling: Karl Templer

[source]

Check it Out: Nicki Minaj Behind the Scenes

2010-09-28T08:05:00.004-05:00

Nicki Minaj feat Will.i.am

Check it Out

[Behind the Scenes with MTV]

MTV Shows

As much as I applaud her for gaining such mainstream acclaim rather quickly, I must say that I am tired of these sing-song pop singles. If Nicki is to be billed as a rapper, I want her to rap. I love Your Love and hate Check it Out. It feels like both of them could be a single for a singer with Nicki as the featured rapper. Check it Out could have been just as effective as a Fergie song. It probably would have been better. Nicki has really shined as a feature artist. She has been on a track with everyone. Is that what she is limited to? Can she sustain a rap record alone?

We will see.

Her album Pink Friday drops November 23.

Royal Subjects: Lara Stone covers VOGUE Paris

2010-09-26T21:28:00.002-05:00

Vogue Paris celebrates its 90th Anniversary with a sensational cover starring supermodel Lara Stone. Carine Roitfeld, the editor-in-chief of the French publication, is throwing a a special costume ball in celebration of the issue.

K. Michelle Rocks 106&Park

2010-09-26T21:05:00.004-05:00

Memphis native K. Michelle stopped by BET's 106&Park to promote her upcoming album Pain Medicine. The Jive records R&B act performed and discussed her upbringing, including her single parenthood and her parents' initial disapproval of her pursuing music.

Interview

Can't Do This

[Live Performance]

The Daily Tea: Don't Live in the Past

2010-09-26T20:45:00.002-05:00

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

Soren Kierkegaard

We learn from our mistakes and we cherish our memories. That's how we grasp what life is all about. Situations can makes us smile and they can change us for the better. On the other hand, we can be bitter and anxious due to things that happen to us. There is nothing wrong with examining our past, as long as it doesn't keep us from moving on to better things.

David Agbodji for Numéro Homme

2010-09-22T23:27:00.004-05:00

Model David Agbodji

Magazine: Numero Homme

Photographer: Matthias Vriens-McGrath

[source]

David Agbodji is smokin in this shoot reminiscent of Grace Jones. Even with the feminine touches in the styling, his masculinity is burning through the images. He is quickly gaining steam as a top male model in the industry. One could see why.

[Interesting tidbit: A couple of the hats seen in this shoot were worn by Beyoncé in the director's cut of her Diva video. The hats are by designer Franc Fernandez for Brian Lichtenberg.]

My Icons: The Radiant Child

2010-09-22T23:10:00.004-05:00

Icon: Jean-Michel Basquiat, American artist

"I am not a black artist, I am an artist."

"I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is."

Jean-Michel Basquiat

The first artist of national descent to become and international star in art, Basquiat started as a graffiti artist but eventually evolved into a neo-expressionist painter. His work incorporated folk images fused with modern abstract styles. He often used his work as commentary on the state of African-Americans post Jim Crow era, especially taking aim at complicit blacks who he felt were only puppets of the dominant white ideology. One example of this is his 1981 piece "Irony of Negro Policeman". He was close friend with Andy Warhol and though he possessed a great deal of talent and potential, his life was plagued by drug use. In 1988, Basquiat died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27, one year after the death of Warhol.

Below, the two can be seen in a British documentary State of the Art.

I previously posted an editorial with model Ty Okungoya posing as Basquiat for Vogue Hommes international. View the post here.

Stop Animation: Nicki Minaj for Complex

2010-09-20T19:06:00.003-05:00

Rapper Nicki Minaj

Magazine: Complex

Photography: Lauren Dukoff

Styling: Kelly McCabe

[source]

[Read the Article HERE at the Complex website]

Compose Yourself: Waka Floka's Lost Brain Cells

2010-09-17T20:37:00.004-05:00

Rapper Waka Flocka

on 106&Park

His speech is almost unintelligible. I can't believe that there are kids that look up to him and watch him everyday, patterning their lives after him. Epic fail. Waka Flocka, go and get a book. Find someone to teach you to read it. And then try and compose yourself. In the mean time, "Ay hold up, we gotta run dat back!"

SMH

Willow Smith "Whip My Hair" Teaser

2010-09-16T23:12:00.003-05:00

Willow Smith

Whip My Hair [Promo Teaser]

Unless you have been living under a massive rock, you've heard Whip My Hair by Willow Smith by now. The nine year old daughter of Will and Jada is embarking on an exciting musical journey and has lit the airwaves and blogosphere afire with her debut track. Tinged with Keri Hilson and Rihanna swag, this song has arrived with quite a force. Banging in the clubs and being like by everyone from grown straight men to thirteen year old girls, she is set to grab her own piece of the Smith empire. The song is ridiculously catchy and her image has been meticulously crafted over the last couple of years so she very well may be a smash. Let's wait and see.

The Fifth Element: Calvin Klein Underwear

2010-09-16T22:57:00.003-05:00

Models Hidetoshi Nakata, Mehcad Brooks, Kellan Lutz, & Fernando Verdasco

for Calvin Klein Underwear

Creative Director: Trey Laird

Photography: Mikael Jansson

[source]

The infamous Calvin Klein ads are back with a splash of color. Each shot represents one of the elements. Um..Yeah.

Two Much, Never Too Much

2010-09-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

Models Anne Sophie Monrad, Vicky Andren

Magazine: Tush

Editorial: Two Much

Photography and Styling by Armin Morbach

[source]

iPad Light Painting

2010-09-14T20:11:00.003-05:00

iPad Light Painting

By Timo Arnall, Campbell Orme and Jack Schulze

Music: Matt Brown

Sound Mixing: Liam Paton and Andy Theakstone

Making Future Magic: iPad light painting from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

We use photographic and animation techniques that were developed to draw moving 3-dimensional typography and objects with an iPad. In dark environments, we play movies on the surface of the iPad that extrude 3-d light forms as they move through the exposure. Multiple exposures with slightly different movies make up the stop-frame animation.

Effin amazing!

Nicki Minaj for OUT Magazine

2010-09-14T19:50:00.003-05:00

Rapper Nicki Minaj

Magazine: OUT

Photgraphy: GL Wood

This shoot makes me almost forgive Nicki Minaj for the catastrophe that was her VMA performance. I love these images for LGBT magazine OUT. They really remind me of the work of French artist/graphic designer Jean-Paul Goode. Anyway, the accompanying written piece by Caryn Ganz speaks about Nicki's rise to fame and what her flirts with lesbianism can do to help lessen homophobia in hip-hop.

[Read the Full OUT Story HERE]

2010-09-07T19:57:00.003-05:00

[DOWNLOAD JoJo Can't Take That Away From Me Mixtape]

This year has been a great year for mixtapes with releases from Chris Brown, Marsha Ambrosius (Floetry), and Estelle to name a few. Here is another from underrated artists JoJo. She is a great talent. The mixtape features the single "In the Dark" plus work from Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, Kenna, Neff-U, Oak, Beau Dozier, Jordan Gatsby, Travis Garland, and more. Check it out.

2010-09-07T19:54:00.003-05:00

Trey Songz

Can't Be Friends [Official Video]

Director: Anthony Mandler

Good song.

However, the entire video seemed like a less inspired version of Usher's Confessions. I love Trey but I think he needs to quickly capitalize on his new fame and carve his own lane so that he can ditch the comparisons. That's the only way he will have longevity.

Sleep Walker: David Agbodji for British GQ

2010-09-06T21:05:00.004-05:00

Model David Agbodji

Magazine: GQ UK

Editorial: Sleep Walker

Photography: Brett Lloyd

www.gq-magazine.co.uk

So sick. And I love it.

New Video: Jazmine's Holding You Down

2010-08-30T20:18:00.002-05:00

Jazmine Sullivan
Holding You Down (Going in Circles)

I love this song for so many reasons. And this video is cool. The 80s throwback scene is nice with the subtle homage to Kid N Play's House Party movies. The song serves as the 1st official single from her upcoming album, Love Me Back which is coming this fall.

The Daily Tea: Failure Breeds Success

2010-08-29T13:37:00.003-05:00

“Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat.”
Malcolm S. Forbes, Publisher of Forbes magazine

We all feel defeated at times. The key to winning is knowing what defeat feels like and knowing how to overcome it. Too many times in life, we fail to realize that stumbling blocks can be made into stepping stools with a little faith and perseverance. Do you have a goal that you want to accomplish? Dust yourself off and keep trying. Have you felt hurt or abandoned? The love and joy that awaits you will mean that much more to you when it comes. Life is a battle. Put your armor on and never let the fight in you die away. When you feel like quitting, push the extra mile. It will be well worth it.

Rabbit Season: Donovan Blyden by Tarik Carroll

2010-08-29T11:57:00.006-05:00

Model Donovan Blyden
Editorial: Rabbit Season
Styling: Corin Barnes
Photography: Tarik Carroll
www.tarikcarroll.com

Pretty Boys: Mishka Fall 2010

2010-08-25T20:47:00.003-05:00

Mishka Fall 2010 Looks
[source]

Are You That Somebody: Aaliyah's Legacy

2010-08-25T19:25:00.009-05:00

Aaliyah Dana Haughton is heralded is R&B's lost princess. She was cut short as her career truly began to blossom. Her self-titled album Aaliyah was lighting up the charts, she starred in Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and she was set to star in The Matrix sequels. Then there was the crash. Her plane went down off of the coast of the Bahamas and along with it went the potential for a bright and shining star and a rising icon.

Aaliyah picked up on the heels of acts like Total and TLC with tomboy sex appeal and fusing hip-hop with R&B. She was launched as an R. Kelly protegé but flourished under the mentoring of super producer Timbaland. At the young age of 22, she indelibly changed the R&B game forever. Her influence can be seen in the performances of Ciara and even short lived R&B act Cherish. Cassie's looks in Official Girl (pictured below) certainly mirror the style of Aaliyah, bordering the lines of imitation. Long tresses, fitted tops, baggy bottoms, and intricate dance moves personified Aaliyah's style. Not to mention the ubiquitous eye covering bang.

Cassie
Official Girl video feat. Lil' Wayne

Ciara
Like a Boy

Many speculate about Aaliyah's place in the R&B game if she hadn't died. Would there have ever been an Ashanti, Rihanna, or Ciara? Would Keri Hilson have a place? Would Beyoncé have skyrocketed into superstardom? I'm not one to try to figure it out. While we canonize Aaliyah now, she suffered some of the same criticisms as those above while she was alive. She didn't sing well live. She relied on studio help. Mind you a beautiful voice doesn't have to be strong in power. [See Janet Jackson] Most people talk about her sweet personality rather than her trailblazing talent. Ciara is certainly very similar to Aaliyah. That being said, it doesn't mean they couldn't have coexisted. Janet and Paula coexisted. Monica and Brandy did. Janet and Ciara coexist. Besides, Ciara's style is much more brash and sassy than Aaliyah's coy flirting. Beyoncé was already a superstar with Destiny's Child after Survivor solidified their place as worldwide stars a year before Aaliyah's death.

Aaliyah probably would have become a superstar with The Matrix sequels and would have benefited from the rebirth of Timbaland's creative flair. She probably would have sung Promiscuous Girl, the hook on The Way I Are, and many other Timbaland projects. Her mainstream success would have mirrored his. However, if she were alive today at the age of 31 in today's music business, she would have likely fizzled without reinvention. There would still be younger girls to compete with who sung over catchy beats. The industry isn't kind to aging pop girls. Could she have transitioned into a mature sound? A premature death always catapults a figure into the stratosphere. Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Tupac & Biggie, and many other artists were seen as icons due to their death, not necessarily in spite of their deaths. Had Rihanna died shortly after Umbrella's release, the world would have mourned a pop princess who never lived up to her potential. We will debate all we want about Aaliyah's place in today's music world. What is not debatable is her legacy, classic sound, performance style, any illuminating effect of the industry. One in a million indeed.

Pop Cultured: Britney Spears for POP

2010-08-25T19:03:00.004-05:00

Singer Britney Spears
in Anime inspired shots for
Magazine: POP Fall Winter 2010.11
Makeup Artist: Yumi
Set design: Peter Klein
Photography: Todd Cole
In collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami
[source]

Compose Yourself

Best of 2011: A Year in Music

Beautiful.Dirty.Rich: A New Brand of Feminism

True Colors: Tafari Hinds for Re-bel

Fun House: Omarion for Contributing Editor

Pay it 4Ward

In the Trenches: Nate Gill for GQ Style Germany

Blogger's Getting a Makeover

My Icons: The Dancing Queen

Chris Brown for Italian GQ

Rihanna for American Vogue

New Music: Introducing "King"

Fresh Face: Rob Evans of Major Models

Covers: Kat Graham takes on Janet

Covers: Sam Tsui "Hold it Against Me"

Foxy Lady: Joan Smalls for V

Nicki Minaj for Black Book Mag

Pop's Men in Heels: Kazaky

Kanye West Borrows Concept for All of the Lights

Beyoncé for L'Officiel

New Video: Erykah Badu's "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long"

Love Faces: Trey Songz Live on Wendy

Lady Gaga for VOGUE

We Three Queens

H.A.M: Kanye by Karl for VMAN

Adidas for Schön! Magazine

Compose Yourself: Nicki the Chicken?

Freak of Nature: Chris Crocker

Covers: Maxence Cyrin is Crazy in Love

Formichetti + Mugler

Yonie does Kanye's Devil in a New Dress

Chris Matthews Destroys Tea Party Nation Founder

The Birth of a Star: Minaj for V

Flick Picks: Portman & Black Swan

Angels With Dirty Faces

Top Music of 2010

The Ten Most Captivating Figures of 2010

For Colored Girls: K. Michelle's New Mixtape

New Video: Chris Brown & Chipmunk "Champion"

Oprah for Parade Magazine

Top Ten Music Videos of 2010

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed

Maestro O'Neal?

International Business: Mark Ronson for DEdiCate

The Right to Remain Silent

Flick Picks: Berry in "Frankie & Alice"

Lady Gaga's Album of the Decade?

The Daily Tea: Chin Up

Massive Attack: Nicki for Ebony

Only Girl in the World

Korean Peninsula Divided Once Again

Dark Twisted Fanatic

The Daily Tea: Don't Look at the Wall

New Video: Willow Smith "Whip My Hair"

Hot Album Art: Yeezy, Breezy, Cudi, and Ronson

Flick Picks: Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls"

Sesame Street: I Love My Hair

New Video: Kid Cudi "Erase Me" ft. Kanye West

Bruno Mars for Wal-mart Soundcheck

New Video: Ciara "Gimmie Dat"

Stars and Strife: Reconsider Columbus?

Supernova: Chanel Iman for Flare Magazine

It Gets Better: Protecting Our GLBT Youth

Cee-Lo "F*ck You" Live in UK

Willow's Hair Whipping Ignites the Masses

Crazy Horse: Francisco Lachowski for Huge

La Lettre: Karl Lagerfeld for HOGAN

Suit Yourself: Patrick Kafka for BBM

Power Hungry: Kanye Live on SNL

Raschelle Osbourne by William Lords

New Video: Ciara "Speechless"

Abiah Hostvedt for i-D

New Video: Kelis "Scream"

Murder She Wrote: Naomi by Mert+Marcus

Check it Out: Nicki Minaj Behind the Scenes

Royal Subjects: Lara Stone covers VOGUE Paris

K. Michelle Rocks 106&Park

The Daily Tea: Don't Live in the Past

David Agbodji for Numéro Homme

My Icons: The Radiant Child