Creative Control does it again. Check out the visual for one of my favorite songs “Out of My Mind Just in Time” by Erkyah Badu. I love the simplicity of the video, because they lyrics and concept are FAR from it. I think I will go do some twirling and dancing in my room now. . .tooshaay. lol
Category: Entertainment
Documenatry: Dark Girls (Preview)
Check out this preview for a documentary called “Dark Girls”. Black women have been fighting this issue since slavery and it always makes me wonder when we ever get over this self hate. I appreciate my upbringing and the value of the color of my skin and I always make sure to educate other girls fighting their racial complexion. I could really go on and on about how I feel about the intra-racial discrimination and the bias and issues we have in the black culture but I’m sure just by watching these clips you will get a good sense of what this documentary is trying to portray. After watching, please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings in the comment box.
Look out for “Dark Girls” to be released this fall/winter of 2011.
Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.
Directed by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry
Produced by Bill Duke for Duke Media
and D. Channsin Berry for Urban Winter Entertainment
Co-Produced by Bradinn French
Line Produced by Cheryl L. Bedford
Edited by Bradinn French
Rochelle Jordan x How to Feel
Rochelle Jordan has been on my youtube radar for quite some time now (like 3 years) so glad this Toronto artist is starting to get the spotlight she deserves. Check out her newest song “How to Feel” and tell me what you think. Find out more about this beautiful songstress here. Also her fro is to DIE for!
This is the video that caught my eyes a couple years ago. I’m a fan of Jill Scott and not too many people can sing “He Loves Me” but Rochelle Jordan passed the test!
Frank Ocean x Acura Integurl (Visual)
Frank Ocean releases a visual (with him in it) from his latest project Nostalgia, Ultra entitled “Acura Integurl”. Yes he’s riding around in an NSX and yes he looks good. *swoons* If you aren’t familiar with this Odd Future creation, I suggest you get hip here. Enjoy!
TJ Evans x On Shakey Ground
Check out this soulful rock artist TJ Evans with her new release “On Shakey Ground”. This Indianapolis native began playing music at the age of 14, where she embarked on her own musical journey as a freelance journalist traveling the Midwest interviewing artists such as George Clinton, Parliament Funkadelic, Amuse, and more. I thought I’d give you something new and fresh for your ears. Enjoy!
Eastside Arts Alliance Presents:11th Annual Malcom X Jazz Festival
If you are local, check out the 11th Annual Malcom X Jazz Festival in Oakland this weekend. Hosted by Eastside Arts Alliance, an organization for artists, culture workers, and community organizers of color living in the in the San Antonio District of Oakland, Ca. This year the festival will feature The John Santos Sextet, The Grossroots Composers Esemble, The Abraham Burton Trio, and more. There will also be dancers, poets, live music, grafitti walls and lots of vendors to browse. For more info visit www.eastsideartsalliance.com
Where: San Antonio Park, Oakland, Ca
Date: May 21, 2011 11-7 pm
Book Review: A Natural Woman by Lori Johnson
It’s about that time you prepare for your summer reading list. A few months ago I came across this book “A Natural Woman” by Lori Johnson while browsing through my local bookstore and the title stuck my mind. My whole thought process was ooooh this is going to be one of those stereotypical stories about a black woman and her revolution…I was so wrong. It was a love story about a man(Dante) who fell in love with a woman (Aliesha) and her beauty with natural hair. It all starts off when Aliesha, a successful Anthropologist professor needs to get a haircut, so she goes to a barber shop and ends up in Dante’s chair.
Lori Johnson uses very detailed descriptions and story telling within this novel to provide a sense of love and passion for hair. I won’t give it away but the significance in this story has to do with the Dante’s grand mother and the nurturing and teaching she gave him with caring for a black woman’s hair. The story is almost ironically based on a black man’s appreciation for the women in his life. I’d reccommend this book to anyone and everyone who is looking for a happy ending 🙂
Happy Mother’s Day!
Solange x Left Side Drive
Check out the released track “Left Side Drive” by Solange which was created years ago and she decided to finally release an unfinished track over this past weekend. I had a recent conversation just last night about the Beyonce vs. Solange image and I have to admit Solange is growing on me. I’m glad she isn’t trying to follow her sister’s footsteps in trying to be a pop star and instead she is evolving as her own person.
T-Ran x Outside The Box: Still Dreaming (Mixtape)
I usually test out my new music while I’m working out in the gym since it always the most downtime for me and my thought process seems to work the most. T-Ran released his latest project Outside The Box: Still Dreaming this past weekend and I could tell that determination, thought, and true emotion went into this project. For those of you who aren’t familiar with T-Ran as an artist he is an Oakland Bred rapper currently residing in Washington, D.C. where he is actively pursuing his career in music. He has recently opened for Big Sean at the New Parish in Oakland and set a high standard for upcoming artists that followed him. I have also had a chance to interview him in a previous post that you can check out here. His drive and determination is what makes him stand out as an artist and I have become an instant fan upon meeting him.
I love how Outside The Box: Still Dreaming tells real-life stories, it’s like I’m taking a trip through his thoughts. “Heart & Soul”, “Ohh Baby” and “I Need You” seems to appeal to his female audience but it picks back up with his dreams and aspirations as an artist with “Still Dreaming” and “By Any Means”.
T-Ran describes his inspiration behind this mixtape in his own words as, “chasing my dreams really asking myself is it worth it…meaning music. I was in a place of feeling like I was doing this all in vain because of how much I was puting in and not feeling like I was getting through. I was feeling like I was fighting a battle that was set up for me to lose. I’ve been rapping since I was 7, and as I continued to get better I was just feeling like I could lose my dream at anytime. But through it all I know that music is the only thing I could see me doing and thats where the “Still Dreaming” aspect came from. From me loving hip hop so much I could never give up on dream no matter what.”
So there you have it, regardless of your own circumstances we all have a dream and T-Ran truly shares his dream through this project. Take a listen.
Download Outside The Box: Still Dreaming here
SIJI x Ijo (Video)
Check out this visual interpretation sent from Lagos, Nigeria where artists Siji collaborated with Alix Alveratze to produce their classic single “Ijo”. I get flustered with a lot of music submissions but I love this vibe and the dancing of this video so I decided to share it with you guys. What do you guys think?
SIJI – ‘Ijo'(Official Video) from SIJI on Vimeo.
sijimusic.com
solechannelmusic.com
Reesa Speaks 