I think this is dope, I’m excited for my copy to see what the writers have captivated for the natural hair sistahs. What do you think?
Let’s Get Down and Dirty Oakland Global Work Day
I’ll be there of course, I’m actually pretty excited it’s been a long planning process but I know it will be a success!
Afro Chic’s Kinky Curly Curling Custard: Revisted
I’ve decided to give Kinky Curly Curling Custard another revisit and this time, I did the KCCC Twist-Outs. When my hair was much shorter I was able to apply the product without mess or hassle but when I obtained a certain length KCCC became too cakey on my hair. I didn’t want to give up on it because I loved the product so much that I tried a different way to apply it and it actually lasted longer than before.
Like usual I washed and conditioner my hair, and when soaking wet I pleated my hair into four sections. I sectioned those pleats into small individual twists by using a healthy amount of KCCC to each twist. And this is what it looked like:
Each twist is about 1/2 to 1 inches whith to ensure my curl pattern and definiton. Realizing that my hair was extremely wet afterwards I decided I’d go 24 hours until I took them out so below will be what the result next day. I didn’t use a comb to unravel them, instead I fingered styled them until I got the texture I was going for.
I was satisfied with the bouncy curls for about 3 days until then I slicked it back into a ponytail. Nonetheless, I think it’s a great hairstyle for the fall. 🙂
“Barbra Stresiand” (Video) by Duck Sauce
This is hella funny to me.
Santigold, Pharell Williams, Exra Keonig, ?uestLove, and Kanye West random make random appearances on this video called “Barbra Stresiand” by Duck Sauce. Peep the bootleg impersonator. I love it!
So who is Duck Sauce? I like his myspace definition: “Duck Sauce is Armand Van Helden and A-Trak making house music and eating Chinese food. Who’s hungry? Quack quack”
Nican Robinson: A Look into a Photographer’s Soul
It’s always interesting to watch an artist’s life unfold right before your eyes and I had a chance to meet one that was so inspiring it immediately took my weekend into a world of creativity. Nican Robinson is a local photographer in the Bay Area that may be seen at your Monday soul events or local concerts but he possess a talent that I rarely see in people that take pictures; it is his ability to capture the beauty of the human body. Born and raised in Oakland, a graduate of UC Berkeley, college athlete, and a salsa dance king, Nican Robinson proves me to be one of the most outstanding and illustrious photographers in the Bay Area.
Reesa: When did you first start doing photography?
Nican: This may be a surprise but how long do you think?
Reesa: I’m not good with guessing but your work is phenomenal so I would say in High school.
Nican: February 14th at 9 pm 2009. My life was surrounded by athletics, all the men in my family played basketball and football. After the big game with Stanford, I sat down with my dad and expressed to him that I wanted to pursue photography so immediately my dad ran into the room and brought out a Nikon B50 and just gave it to me and from then on it was history.
Reesa:It’s not so often that you find a photographer who started only two years ago and has built a professional platform that can rank with some of the veterans. So what do you have an eye for or what is your inspiration when shooting?
Nican: Different aspects or occurrences that happen in my life are my inspiration. I come from a very loving and nurturing family, sometimes my family is referred to the Cosby’s…like no joke. My father does not wear the sweaters but were pretty much Cosby-like.
Reesa: (laughs) Ok, I was looking at your photos on your website and I really liked your black and white portraits. What makes you choose to do black and white versus color?
The Blackout
Nican: That a good question. The reason why I think that black and white photos should be used is number one; depending on what you photograph, colors tell you the answer but when using black and white it has to be read and felt. And two; the energy of the photo is locked into your imagination and you really have to feel the emotion.
Reesa: How do you go about capturing the perfect photo?
Nican: When I go about capturing a picture I use all different type of models and bakcgrounds. Whether you are big, small, tall, the human body is a model. It all depends on the situations on how I’m feeling. I’ll go and reach out to a certain person and express the situation through my photography.
Reesa: One of my favorite models you shot is Adryan Sterling. I love how you can capture her beauty from a different perspective. How do you define Beauty in the human body?
Model: Adryan Sterling
Nican: My answer is very simple but my meaning is deep. Everything is beautiful. Everybody has a beauty about them; they may not see or recognize it. As an artist/photographer you can pull the inner beauty out of someone. When you look at my photos you can feel the beauty in every one of my models. My goal is to define the beauty that people ignore within themselves.
Reesa: As an artist we tend to appeal to all of our senses when it comes to creativity. So choosing one of the five; what sound or noise do you love the most? And why?
Nican: I like the sound of the dishwasher. It’s really calming. My mother would turn the dishwasher on and it at night and it would be soothing to me when I fall asleep. Also, I love the sound of Sam Cooke, even the song “Keep Moving On” he talks about how things in life happen but you have to keep moving on.
Nican Robinson is currently working in Oakland to pursue his career as a professional photographer. Every week he has current projects that he displays on his blog www.thee-exhale.blogspot.com and his portfolio at www.nicanrobinson.com
http://NicanRobinson.com
http://www.flickr.com/nicanr
http://twitter.com/nicanr
http://thee-exhale.blogspot.com/
“Villains” The Mixtape by Supreme Sketch
After many years, days, contemplation, and a rites of passage, Supreme Sketch releases his first mixtape “Villains” as an independent solo artist. Born Anthony Ragland and raised in the Bay Area, Supreme Sketch has always had a love for music and the Hip Hop culture. He decided to use his “Villain” alias to capture the essence of him as an artist. When describing his movement he says, “I really feel like there is good in every bad guy. Villains make it happen, regardless.” By throwing up the peace sign to stamp Villain on the map, Supreme Sketch has made himself a known staple for upcoming artists of the bay area. The mixtape itself as he describes “Down to earth music; if you aren’t down to earth or understand my perspective with life you will not be able to relate to this mixtape.” Sketch uses original beats and well-known samples to help him tell his real life scenarios that one can relate too. In my opinion, he gives me the feel good music vibe but I can also crank it up when I want to hear a message. “Color Boxes” derives from his phase as a shoe head and by using this as a metaphor you are able to figure out the meaning behind it. My favorite songs happen to be Color Boxes, Back Stabbers and Show Me, but I’ll let you be your own judge.
Download the exclusive mixtape HERE
The Black Ivy x Street Etiquette
Photo Courtesy of Street Etiquette Website
The “Young, Gifted, and Black” is a beautiful thing in society today. I’ve noticed a buzz this week about “Black Ivy” which is an editorial video done by http://www.streetetiquette.com illustrating the prep fashion that is so common amongst Historically Black Colleges and University. And as an Hampton Alumna, I would know this fashion style pretty well. Street Etiquette is a fashion and style blog owned by Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs of New York. When you watch the video take not of the different faces of black men on a college campus. They covered the books, the sports, and the looks quite well. I just love short films and black men especially.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Direct Link: http://streetetiquette.com/2010/09/23/the-black-ivy-2/
Shout Out to Clutch Magazine for being a great source 🙂
Sundays in the Redwoods: Concert Series 2010
Sundays in the Redwoods is a concert series in Oakland, California where people from all over the bay area gathered at Joaquin Miller Park to celebrate different genres of music each weekend. Hosted by the Oakland’s office of Parks & Recreation and Vice Mayor Jean Quan, the community is given different series of concerts for the fall; Wold Music Day (Sept 19th), Soul Symphony (Sept. 26th), The Rythmn Section(Oct. 3rd), and Talking All That Jazz (Oct. 10th). The artists headlining the upcoming series will be Angie Stone, Goerge Duke, Martin Luther, Michael Morgan, Pete Escovedo, Stable Wilson, and this past Sunday was Oakland’s own, Goapele, alongside The Oakland East Bay Symphony. Unfortunately I was unable to attend but, photographer Fredrick Shavies (@fredshavies) of http://www.3680photography.com, did an outstanding job at capturing the essence of the artist and her band, time of day, and influence Oakland has on music culture.
Tickets are a $5 Donation, Gates open at 1 pm and starts at 2pm every Sunday.
You can get them online as well as view the program guide for future reference http://www.sundaysintheredwoods.com/
Afro Chic’s Pick: Hairtrition Conditioner
What caught my eye as I was strolling down the aisle of Sally beauty supply were the nutrition facts on this bottle. I immediately felt that my hair would eat up this conditioner in no time. It’s literally everything you need in a bottle for the fall season. We are so busy trying to take care of every aspect of our body to ensure healthy living we always seem to neglect our hair, and mines is screaming “give me vitamins!!!” So I tried it, and so far so good. Here I have the Hairtrition Color Protection Conditioner but the line is equipped with conditioners, shampoos, leave-ins, and sprays that can fit your personal lifestyle and current hair condition. That photo of me below is me after I washed and set my hair, please excuse me unenthused expression on my face.
Chic Facts: formulated with Coconut Oil, Sunflower Seed Extract and UVA/UVB Protectants, extends the life of your hair color up to 66%*. Hairtrition delivers vital nutrients your hair requires to be unbelievably manageable, silky, shiny and radiant. only $6 at Sally Beauty supply!
Corinne Bailey Rae x Is This Love?
Photo Courtesy of Last.fm
She does it again, always seems to put me in a good mood. Although this a remake of Bob Marley’s Original song and one of his bests “Is This Love?” I thought she did a pretty darn good job. Slower, it’s still Bob’s but has her touch.
Reesa Speaks 