theHotness Grrrl

theHotness.com

2010-02-23T17:48:00.005-05:00

I am now blogging at theHotness.com. I may come back to this special lil space, but for now, I'm catching wreck over here.

Foaming At The Mouth

2008-10-06T15:46:00.014-04:00

So the other night I decide to finally open one of two bottles of Hypnotique that I was given as part of a pretty decent party gift bag. I choose the small bottle first figuring that if I don't like the aquamarine colored potion, I can still re-gift the big bottle and give it to one of my unsuspecting liquor loving buddies.

I pour the syrupy concoction in a lowball glass and immediately notice it has the viscosity of Nyquil. I'm already turned off because as much as I love the color blue, I feel it should never, ever be on my plate or in my glass. The last time I drank something blue was probably 20 years ago when I could not get enough Bonton BBQ chips and Bodega Blue quarter waters. The chips were literally fuschia-- Red #10, Orange #3 and a smattering of Yellow #1. One dollar would get me two bags of chips and two quarter-waters-- the perfect snack serving size! Afterwards my mouth looked like a Heatherette dress with a hot pink tongue as the flouncy skirt and bright blue teeth as the accompanying feathered boa. Tre chic; tre unhealthy!

As I raise the lowball to my lips this awful chemical smell rattles my olfactory senses burning my nostrils a bit. Ew, it smells like Top Job. What the hell? I stick my index finger in the mix just getting a drop on the tip. I put it in my mouth. Yuck! It tastes like Top Job too! This can't be right. Oh my God. Someone must have tampered with this bottle. This is poison! I freak-out. Does Unik (the host of the benefit) know that someone is trying to sabotage him? I can't find his email so I leave a message for his publicist to call me back asap. I'm still freaked out as I search my Yellow Pages for the number of Poison Control. I have to alert the authorities. Someone is using toxins in Hypnotique to sicken and even kill the masses. The media has to be alerted to this crime. Oh hell, it just occurred to me, this could end up being more catastrophic than Jim Jones.

As I stand in my kitchen smelling the bottle of Hypnotique, trying to see if I can determine whether it's Mop & Glo or Windex that's turned this tonic into toxin, I decide to search the label for anything out of the ordinary. I look for an expiration date cause you know, maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe this ish, which alleges to contain fruit, has just gone bad. Instead of ammonia that I thought I tasted maybe it was salmonella. Taunting death, I dip my finger back in the deadly tonic and then take a lick. Nope, this is poison fo' shizzy! But everything checks out. The bottle states "An exquisite blend of premium vodka, fine cognac, and natural tropical fruit juices." The thing is there is nothing natural about this toxic tasting elixir. I examine the cork top to see if it had been stripped or mishandled in any way when I notice a tiny clear sticker on the side of the top. As I lean in closer to read it, I literally fall back against my kitchen counter, my body spasing out. There it was in tiny blue lettering: Bubble Bath. My body is convulsing from laughter. I can't believe I almost drank bubble bath, but as you can see from the pic below the bubble bath bottle is identical to a regular pint-sized bottle of Hypnotique. Damn, all of this had me literally foaming at the mouth and thirsting over a simple night cap! From now on when I desire a drink at night, I will delight in my collection of herbal teas ...Yeah right, I'm making a Screwdriver as we speak. Good night!

Shout outs to my sister Dimitri for the title of this post and to the book Straight Up & Dirty for inspiring my own literary voice.

Susan Taylor's Love

2008-08-05T17:07:00.005-04:00

The weekend before last I was invited to attend a special book party celebrating the release of former Essence Editorial Director, Susan Taylor’s new book, All About Love.

I thought it was special because the party was held at Susan's home in Sag Harbor. All snazzied up in a beautiful boheme French Connection sundress, I was ready to go and luxuriate in that glow, that all encompassing warmth that Susan oozes even with just a glance, when 45-minutes before the event was to start the heavens opened up and Mother Nature just saturated the earth with her goodness. But me and my crew had been looking forward to this soiree all weekend so we just packed it in and yeah my toes were soaked, but it was all good. The party was still on and we were still going to show our support come rain or high water. The reading was moved indoors, which made for a cozy affair in the "play room" of a beautiful house that sits back in the nook of a beautiful block off of the beach. Her granddaughter excitedly let us and all latecomers in through the sliding doors. It was just that intimate, that chill.

My connection to Susan and to Essence goes way back. Outside of being a summer camp counselor and working after school in the NY Public Library, working at Essence was my first real job. I started as an intern supporting the Editor-- Stephanie Stokes Oliver. But then halfway through the school year Stephanie's assistant (and well known Poetry Editor), Angela Kinamore, had to take a few months off from work to take care of her daughter. Initially they were going to hire a temp to assist Stephanie, but then Stephanie said, "Why not just hire Nicole and put her on payroll? She knows the job." I'm sure there may have been some doubtful looks given from management, but in the end I got the job. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, I was only 17 years old and at the time the youngest member on staff. I was stoked! I went to class in the morning and was sitting pretty in my cubicle at 1500 Broadway by 1pm everyday. You couldn't tell me a damn thing. What I remember most from that experience is the support, trust and absolute belief in my abilities that I received everyday from Stephanie, Ionia, Elsie, Cheryl, Nicole and yeah, Susan too. I was mentored and learned proof correction marks in three days. Both Susan and Stephanie used purple pencils. They had their own style and were serious about the business. It was a beautiful experience that forever changed my plans to be a pediatrician and totally led to my career as a writer.

Seeing Susan that Sunday brought all of those memories back to my mind in a flood. She read from her book and it was like coming home or at the very least coming back to the middle. She lives and breathes every word of her "In The Spirit" columns. Still. Please buy the book cause like me you will adore and be humbled by the various interviews and stories about love, respect and commitment. My fave of course is her talk with Alice Coltrane.

Murakami, Mommy, & Me

2008-07-15T13:03:00.013-04:00

On Sunday my mom called to ask me if I would go to Brooklyn with her to visit a close family friend who was ill. I was already planning to catch the last day of the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, yet I wanted to see this "auntie" of mine too so I played let's make a deal with mother Ruby and she agreed to go with me to see Murakami and I would go with her to the rehabilitation center. After I hung up the phone I was excited and anxiety ridden. What da hell did I just concede to? My mom is going to hate Murakami with his animated vulgarity. There's going to be hell to pay in the art world or at least in my world come Sunday evening. As soon as we park the car on Eastern Parkway I immediately let loose the goose and tell her that she is probably not going to like Murakami. That his work is a tad fresh and not like Krush Groove fresh, but Playboy fresh. She says that she’ll wait in the car and I feel awful. I convince her to at least see what else is showing at the Museum or in the Botanical Gardens next door. When she sees the crazy long line of folks at the museum’s entrance and the diversity of the masses—old, young, anglo, asian, black, boheme, big-boned big-mammas, and mohawked mulattos, she states "oh hell I gotta see what all of this about" and so we proceed. In the first room we are met by three different versions of this robotic femme whose breasts are exposed and retractable. By the third version her body has morphed into this flat missile like plane. It was outrageous and I loved it! Moms: "eh, that's interesting." In the next gallery there are the canvases for which Murakami is so well known- the skittle hued Louis Vuitton LV’s and his iconic DOB. Both mom and I were under impressed.

Our dulled senses were quickly charged for better and for worse by Hirpon and My Lonesome Cowboy--Murakami's gigantic fiberglass sculptures of a spurting sperm dilznack holding boy and another of a busty Pam Anderson type girl squeezing her nipples and using projectile breast milk as jump-rope. Classy.

But baby when we hit that room with the flowered wallpaper and this beautiful 13-foot resin and fiberglass flower ball it was all smiles. The children that were there (traumatized no doubt by the previous room of body fluids) now yelped with glee. It was the Magic Garden to the nth power. Tan Tan Bo Puking was also crazy fresh! I gotta give my boy M-kami dap for that-- the little details, the colors, the drama of it all. Whoa! Moms and I made a beeline for the giftshop. We just had to get Murakami T-shirts to mark the occasion (cause of course that's what we Moore women do)! So glad I have the kinda mom that can hang and who wants to expand her artistic boundaries beyond Charles Bibbs and Paul Goodnight.

Click here for more photos (Wired)

Holidaze: Just Chillaxin

2008-07-03T13:51:00.007-04:00

Oh yeah, there's nothing like a lil vacation time! I've certainly been enjoying my week off from blogging. I'll be back next week, but meanwhile I wanted to wish you a Happy Long Weekend. I'll be making this here Limeade (courtesy of NYAM) and eating barbecued chicken. Going to the movies to check out Hancock and Wanted (did y'all know that Wanted is based on a popular comic that features a Black woman-- I hear Jada was supposed to get the role but somehow Angie scores another Black leading lady role. Is it the lips? Dang Black actresses can't catch a break!) I'll also be downloading these soulful mixes from Qool DJ Marv while I chill out, read my horoscope, and do absolutely nothing for a change.

Anyway have a good one. Peace!

3 Things To Do This Weekend

2008-06-27T16:25:00.005-04:00

1.) Check out the Waterfalls. It may not have the authenticity of the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or the grandness of Niagara Falls, but the New York City Waterfalls like the orange Gates of Central Park back in 2005, is a public art project largely concerned, (if not solely), about juxtapositions. Waterfalls with the Brooklyn Bridge serving as backdrop and indeed as its canvas is something every New Yorker should wanna behold.

2.) Check out FLOW at The Studio Museum of Harlem, which closes this Sunday. Flow focuses on the work of a dynamic generation of young African artists. I peeped some of the works from Flow when I was in South Africa last fall and believe me there’s some really creative joints on exhibit.

And here are 7 Other Cool Things To Do While In Harlem.

3.) Pray for all of the young girls being stabbed, raped, and, in the case of this 3-year old, shaken to death. Then write a letter to your local politicians demanding tougher legislation against child abusers and, in some cases, against the parents of these victimized children. This nonsense has got to stop!

So Sneaky Freaky

2008-06-24T23:09:00.021-04:00

(my kicks)
I love rocking heels and wedges and especially love kickin up snow in my pumpkin orange platform boots, but really I'm a sneaker freak at heart and in earnest. Living in NYC I've been blessed to have access to some of the best sneaker spots in the world. Not like I've ever paid more than $100 for a pair of kicks, but it's so nice to try on the classic, crazy expensive limited edition joints every now and then. And wow, when they opened this spot just for us grrrls I was in 7th Heaven.

But lately like in the last few years I've noticed an awful trend that's got me pulling my laces out in frustration. I don’t know if it started with Sex & The City and Carrie's addiction to Manolos, Choos and all manner of 4-inch heeled shoes, but now it seems that wearing sneakers is deemed so unsexy, so uncool and so unfemme by men and by society at large. It's like when I wear my Pumas or my newest purchase-- the Nike Court Force Lows-Copper Pack from their Limited Edition 2008 Olympic series (that's a mouthful), I get dudes saying, "Yo ma why you being such a hard rock today, what happened to the sexy lady I saw yesterday?" I'm like 'she's right here baby!' Dang, when did wearing sneakers render us grrrls frumpy, hard and asexual?

I remember when hiphop first emerged and grrrls weren't considered funky fresh if we did not rock a pair of Nike Pegasus or suede Pumas with big fat pink or baby blue laces. That was instant hotness back then that kept the boys coming to the yard. Oh yeah! Now I go out for a drink at The Mandarin Oriental and I'm rockin' my red Nike Sprint Sisters and they tell me I can't sit in the main lounge cause of my kicks. Whut da? Now I must say for awhile there was a double standard (and there still is to a large extent) where a woman can wear sneakers to clubs and lounges and be allowed in, but men cannot. I guess those days are fleeting. And it’s funny because down South "tennis shoes" are relegated just for the kiddies, and for garden work or sporting activities if you are an adult. I guess BBQ isn't the only thing we are assuming from Southerners.

Even when I reflect on today's pop music scene, it's like the only chicks that rock sneakers are the ones that people allege are gay or either tom-boys (i.e. Teyana Taylor, Lil Mama, Missy Elliott, Da Brat). Then there's those paparazzi shots of fly women like Beyonce or Alexis in their stilettos and/or beautiful high-end designer gear lounging on the arms of their significant others that are dressed in jeans, t-shirts and Air Force Ones, err I mean Bapes. I guess this is the other double standard whereby industry jiggas get off wearing rubber-soled kicks and its considered appropriate evening attire. Don't let Janet Jackson get caught out at a party in a pair of Adidas. It would be considered another wardrobe malfunction, no doubt.

I'm seriously pissed on one hand and I don't give a swoosh on the other. Living in Harlem, which is the sneaker capital of NYC, gives me firsthand, up-close, intimate moments with some of the hottest kicks out there and so that makes the double-standardized backlash tolerable and well worth it. ATMOS, the Japanese-based sneakeria has a boutique on 125th Street that carries a small, yet very exclusive selection of sneakers. On 116th there is the currently under-constrution Training Camp Store where I copped those copper Court Force joints. And then there's the newest and probably greatest sneaker emporium to grace Uptown's streets-- House of Hoops, a retail marriage between Nike and Footlocker to promote the NBA-- the game, the players and their apparel.

Needless to say, I'm going to keep on being the sneaker fiend that I am and rock my sneakers with pride. I'm a B-Girl at heart and everyone knows that a woman who knows her heart and loves herself in Louboutins as much as she loves herself in New Balance is the sexiest kind of grrrl there is!

Other sneak freak grrrls: (female-sneaker-fiends)

Things to Do This Weekend

2008-06-20T13:19:00.003-04:00

1.) Check out La Bruja as she rocks the mic at SummerStage's Definitely Poetry Jam on Saturday.

2.) Check Alice Russell do her wonderful, jazzy, funky thing at Hiro Ballroom (rare NYC performance) on Saturday night.

3.) Also on Saturday night go to El Museo del Barrio's film festival and catch Maldeamores a Puerto Rican film produced by one of my most fave actors-- Benicio del Toro.

4.) On Sunday download D-Nice's crazy-fresh start-of-summer music mix while doing that last bit of that spring-cleaning you've been putting off-- Saturday is the first day of summer you know!

In the News & On the Web: Black Models, R. Kelly, UBO MOvie

2008-06-19T18:25:00.011-04:00

On the heels of Vogue's historic and therefore much talked about "Black Issue" that hits newsstands here next week, there is an article in today's NY Times (again) about the lack of Black models in major fashion magazines and runways. Written by Cathy Horn, "Conspicuous by Their Presence," focuses more on the upcoming issue and on Steven Meisel who photographed all the models including Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez. Some interesting quotes from the article:

O.K., so fashion ain’t deep. It looks into a mirror and sees ... itself. The irony in fashion is that it loves change but it can’t actually change anything. It can only reflect a change in the air. But what changes fashion? What would finally move American designers to include more black models on their runways? That 30 percent of the country is nonwhite? That black women spend $20 billion a year on clothes? That an African-American is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party?

Over Ms. Sozzani’s initial objections, he also hired Toccara Jones, a full-figure model, who became known from “America’s Next Top Model.” “I wanted to say something about weight, and I’m never allowed to do that,” he said. “I met Toccara and thought, she’s beautiful. What’s the deal with her? She’s great and she’s sexy.”

Some people think it's agood idea and others don't. I personally think it's fantastic, but I am also aware of how some in our society like to make these grandiose public acts just for show, which don't have any roots in anything substantial or lasting. So my eyes are wide open.

So R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges. Surprised? Nope. I knew it. Anytime it takes that long to bring someone to trial there is a lack of seriousness in the midst. My comrade Joicelyn said it firsts three years ago, the judicial system and our communities at large do not care what happens to little Black girls. I followed up just a month ago when Kila (who is from Chicago) thought Mister Braid-My-Hair would be getting his cornrows done in prison. I told her then that those folks on the jury are probably blaming the girl in the video for being promiscuous and that further more we are not about to lock up the dude who gave us the 2-Step. Jalylah over at Vibe really sums it up nicely.

And lastly Miles Marshall Lewis hipped me to the making of a documentary about UBO (Urban Box Office). Dang near every Black artist/ writer/ "tastemaker" was scooped by UBO—the mega all encompassing, multimillion dollar website with aspirations to be all things for all Black folk. Well needless to say that ish never panned out cause well it would seem that the folks at UBO spent their millions on lavish parties (launch party on Ellis Island), crazy salaries, private jets, Gucci suits, Cuban cigars and Dom Perignon. So typical! Anyway this doc, being produced by the man behind the hugely popular gossip site Urban Expose, should be painfully hilarious. I was asked to freelance for UBO three weeks before they went out of business and am still feeling the affects of their greed and mismanagement today when investors are still crazy skeptical of the urban online arena and it's potential to be highly successful. Thanks UBO for that one! Check the trailer:

Lingering Father's Day Thoughts

2008-06-17T17:28:00.008-04:00

I didn't want to blog about Father's Day, but these last few days all I seem to think about is my daddy and it's causing me to have major writer's block. I don't know why I didn't want to write about my father. Well actually I do. There are a ton of reasons and the underlying theme is that it's a personal thing. As many of you know my dad just transitioned last year and writing about it could be cathartic or it could be like scratching a newly formed scab. The not knowing has been reason enough, at least up to now, to keep my thoughts to myself. Well anyway every time I talk about my dad and how much I love him and why I credit him for most of my hotness folk say I should write about our relationship (Right Danyel? Happy Tate?) So this is what I gots to say about me and my dad-- Cornelius "Kurt" Moore.

Because of him or should I say, road-trippin with him to Cleveland or Trenton in his silver gray Toronado Oldsmobile, I knew about green anti-freeze before I knew about Tampax Tampons. I could check the oil in his car long before I signed my first check.

Because of my father I knew as much about Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes and Lou Rawls as I did about Michael Jackson, Prince and New Edition and loved them all with equal fervor. I'll never forget the first time he played Cristo Redentor for me and my sister. We were young teenagers at the time. The sound of that mournful chorus and Donald Byrd’s trumpet would thickly flow through the four speakers in the living and dining rooms and fill our home like warm lava. My sister and I would sit back quietly absorbing it all. Today it is easily my most favorite jazz song of all time. As a matter of fact when he was at his most grave state and not conscious, I would play this song and James Brown’s "It's a Man's World." His eyes would be closed but he would squeeze my hand almost every time. Because of my dad's sensitive nature and extremely fragile state at the time, it was a family decision not to inform him of James Brown's transition. His love for James was that serious. I went to the Apollo the night of James' memorial and stood outside on behalf of my dad. Don't think I ever told him though. Yeah my dad gave my sister and I a Jedi's education in jazz and soul.

Because of him I am a sports fanatic. I know a great deal about the Knicks and the Jets and the Mets and the Yankees-- Reggie Jackson, Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Patrick Ewing, these dudes were fixtures in my house-- if not on the tv, then in one of our fiery conversations or in some crazy bet between him and my Aunt Ann. My dad loved them all, but the Yankees were his absolute favorite team. Dang I even had my first taste of liquor with my pops watching a Yankees game. I had to be about nine or ten. He asked me to go to the fridge and get him a beer. A cold Miller or Budweiser, of course. He opened the can, took a sip and exhaled "aaahhh." I stood there watching it all-- amused, amazed and curious. I asked to take a sip. He said okay, "but a small one." With a quickness I turned that frigid aluminum can over into my mouth and tried to take the biggest gulp ever. It was good. I wanted more, but he said not this time. I told my sister and this somehow became our little ritual—watch baseball with daddy and we’d get a sip of his beer (maybe two if the Yankees or Mets were ahead). It was funny to us and so cool that daddy would let us taste what we knew was a grown-up drink. Besides we already had moms on lock in the morning with our requests for some of her "coffee-milk" and now we had Bud on Sunday afternoons with daddy. My sister and I, twirling around my dad's chair making ourselves dizzy playing like we were drunk, had a wonderful childhood.

Because of daddy, I am a complete woman. I don't feel like I need to have a man, nor have I ever, to complete me or make me. It's certainly nice to be in a relationship, but my daddy loved his girls and gave us so much of himself that there is no void in terms of needing male validation. From the lil Valentine hearts he would give us filled with Brach chocolates on Valentine's Day to him helping me into the bath after major surgery just eight years ago he was always there with goodies, with jokes, and with a helping hand.

Yep because of him I'm better. My dad made me a better individual (my mom too). So this is why I'm hot. This is why I'm hot! Thanks daddy... you are my original hotness.

For Ayo & Lori.

Things To Do This Weekend

2008-06-13T07:23:00.010-04:00

FRIDAY, 06.13 - MAVIS STAPLES & STEPHANIE MCKAY @Central Park SummerStage in Manhattan

FRIDAY, 06.13 - LES NUBIANS @House of Blues in Chicago

SATURDAY, 06.14 - KOOL HERC & LITTLE JACKIE @The Brooklyn Public Library in BK

SATURDAY, 06.14 - DIANE DACOSTA’S AMERICAN BEAUTY TOUR in Atlanta @Shrine of the Black Madonna

SUNDAY, 06.15 – GAME 5: BOSTON CELTICS & LA LAKERS @The Staples Center in Los Angeles (and on ABC nationwide) at 9PM

For more cool happenings in NYC this summer check Sharon Pendana's supa uber comprehensive listing of free events on her very cool blog.

And read here why sometimes it's hard for me to find things to do in Harlem.

Katy Perry

2008-06-11T09:57:00.016-04:00

On Monday night I met up with new partner in crime, Jamiyla, at Steve Madden on the LES to check out this new artist that had music promotion bigwigs-- Giant Step-- going absolutely ga-ga. I had never heard of Katy Perry before I received my invitation. In all honesty the main reason I decided to go was for the Perrier Jouet and Stoli open bar. I know that says very lil about my curiosity for new music and volumes about my love for the bubbly, buy hey, music here lately just hasn't been blowing my skirt up.

As soon as I turned the corner onto Rivington I was surprised to see a small line forming outside. Were all of these very hip, very cool multi-culti folk here to see Katy or to get their drink on? If it was the former I ~~wanted~~ needed to be in the know.

By the time I slid inside, Jamiyla had made a new friend-- Tracey Moore (formerly of the Jazzyfatnastees and co-founder of Black Lily). While we sipped our mimosas, the three of us talked about the state of Black music and debated about how segregated New York City’s Black and White artistic communities had become. Initially I disagreed about this last issue, pointing to groups like Burnt Sugar and the Afro- Punk movement, but then I realized that if it wasn't for Giant Step I would have never heard of Katy Perry and come to find out she is pretty well known outside of the urban or Af-Am cipher (she's been featured in the NY Times, on TRL and on this summer's Warped Tour).

(Jamiyla & Tracey)

She has this song, "I Kissed A Girl," which is like chicken pox catchy and she totally reminds me of early Alanis Morissette except where Alanis' "Like A Pill" was situated on a bed of anger and angst, Katy settles on a more humorous cushion for her set. She also reminds me of Ashlee Simpson or Avril Lavigne before they became US mag fodder. I'm looking forward to checking out her record, One of The Boys, when it drops next week.

Afterwards I thought about some of the things Tracey had mentioned with regard to NYC's artists communities and how we tend to not socialize and collaborate across racial groupings. Maybe she is right. I think back to when I was a little girl and even though I may not have been chillin with white girls, that at least musically speaking, my homegirls and I would all listen to 92-WKTU and watch Video Music Box where they played Madonna, Blondie, Tony Basil and Belinda Carlisle as often as they did Vanity 6, Run DMC and the Mary Jane Girls and we loved them all and we're surely influenced stylistically by them too! We knew all the words to "Mickey" just as well as we knew Mtume's "Juicy Fruit." Of course this was before there was such a thing as urban radio-- clearly the beginning of our sonic xenophobia. Now I hardly ever listen to the radio and the only time I readily hear about white artists (in urban circles) is if they are "soul" singers ala Robin Thicke or Amy Winehouse.

Well thank you Giant Step for always keeping me in the know. Last year you got me so into Sara Bareilles and now you got me again with Katy!

It's A Black Thing, Oh No Wait, It's a White Thing!

2008-06-10T17:42:00.005-04:00

First there was Bo Derek rocking cornrows in "10" and suddenly braids were the ish and everyone just had to cop that style. Never mind that Cicely Tyson, Patrice Rushen, Peaches (of Peaches & Herb), and scores of other Black women from New York City to Nigeria rocked this style long before Bo ever got Dudley Moore open. Then there was Carrie Bradshaw and her ghetto gold. This chick, and the series that made hers a household name, Sex & The City, actually gets credit for name chains and their ensuing popularity! Do you know how absolutely ill this ignorance makes me? Every time I wear my name chain and some spritely young girl says, "ooh I love your chain-- so SJP," I really feel like karate kicking her right smack dab in the back of her True Religions, but usually I'll just share how my daddy got it for me on my 16th birthday from Corners on White Plains Road in the BX in the 80's when SJP was still a square peg. Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Tammi Billinghurst, Lisa Parran-- we all had name plates back in the day. And some, like my sister, even had name earrings and rings. Whut!!?

But life sometimes bees like that, especially in Hollywood where White folks are repositioning much of urban culture for their own big box office payouts. And it's not just our hairstyles and jewelry, they are reappropriating entire cultural idioms as in "Baby Mama" and "Knocked Up" into feel good success stories. In fact, as of late, Hollywood is just giving Black actresses the finger by casting white girls in the lead of Black biopics. They did it with Angelina Jolie when she played Mariane in "A Mighty Heart" and we kinda let it slide because, well, it was Angie.

But now, and this is a real kicker (no doubt right back in our bootylicious booties), they have cast Mena Suvari in the true life story based on African-American Chante Mallard and get this, she's even wearing cornrows for the part. And this, my friends, is why talented Black actresses can't get a decent movie role unless it's a Tyler Perry flick and why Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg is hosting The View. When it only requires one to be cornrowed, ebonicfied and blinged-out then any blond, brunette, doed eyed chick can be Black and therefore employed. Jeesh, am I the only one getting nauseous?

Obama, Oh Yeah!

2008-06-06T09:17:00.002-04:00

I have been hesitant to write about Senator Barack Obama this week partly because I cannot believe that for the first time in this country’s history (and in my lifetime) an African-American has won the Democratic nomination to be President and partly because the superstitious part of me feels like talking about it will jinx it-- maybe Hillary will rise from the ashes like some villainous character in a horror flick to claim victory, maybe and I hate to say the A-word, but you know it's a possibility especially when his opponent starts mentioning that Robert Kennedy lost his life that way in June. Anyway this is history! This is, as an older woman on the beach summed up so well last weekend, "simply thrilling." I just got used to the fact that Oprah is one of the richest and most powerful people in the world and now this. Yeah thrilling.

Sex & The City: A Night Out With The Grrrls

2008-06-01T23:14:00.014-04:00

The clothes were flashy and seductive. Who cared if it was only 7pm and the sun was still shining. The ladies were rocking sequins, feathers and bodacious fake flowers. The weaves were tight, ponytails high and perfectly streaked bangs were coifed just so. And these were just the ladies on line to see Sex And The City at the 34th Street AMC.

And even though the critics wasted no time telling us SATC was nothing more than a shat filled excuse for product marketing with it's excessive brand placements and shopaholic protagonists, I found the movie to be the perfect salve for us grrrls left to contend with Iron Man and Indy or more consistently Entourage and The Wire. While I love these shows and hear the movies are also thrilling, sometimes us ladies need our grrrly moments of indulgence. These critics who are just hatin because they probably have never had sex in this city or in any other can't see beyond Carrie's Choos for what really got us ladies rolling out this past weekend in crews so deep we made The Warriors look like some suburban boy scout gathering. In SATC there were wonderful conversations about love and marriage, heartfelt testimonies about forgiveness and yes, all out fashion romps. It was a frock concert like no other-- the gladiator sandals, Vivienne Westwood and DVF dresses and ooohhh wheee those handbags. It was indeed orgasmic and well, I say give me more!

It's called fantasy people and personally I feel women are not allowed to fantasize enough. Never mind that we are in a war and violence abounds on street corners, in college classrooms, master bedroom suites and in so many nooks of our everyday lives and still we not only continue to promote violence in our films, we encourage our young boys by gifting them with aggressively violent video games. Never mind that our men, well, they have hockey, wrestling and football to exorcise their aggressive fantastical whims. But dang, give a grrrl two and a half hours of Manolo Blahniks, erotica and romance and suddenly the entire film genre has gone to pot. Whatever! I loved it and if you've been reading theHotness you know that we (myself most certainly included) have had our share of criticisms about the HBO series. Clearly our cries for diversity did not go unheard. There was color (and even references to coloring, lol) sprinkled throughout the film in the background and in the forefront. And yeah, even though Jennifer Hudson didn't add any real substance or complexity to the production, like everything in the movie (and in the movie theatre), it all made for the sweetest eye candy a grrrl could have on a Saturday night out!

His Hustle, My Flow

2008-05-30T22:12:00.013-04:00

I recently traveled to South Beach for a lil fun in the sun with my homeslice from Chicago. This was actually my first time back in Miami in four years and I was totally outta touch with what was poppin. Ingenious me decided not to get recommendations from trusted well-traveled friends or from online info ciphers like Traveling Diva or Club Planet. Oh no, I was going to be spontaneous and just ask folks once I got to Miami. As soon as I got off the plane I spotted a brother waiting to board that was dressed in this fly outfit and just looked like someone I would want to roll with. When I asked him what was poppin in MIA he just responded with a laugh and then said he's from NYC and was catching a connecting flight back home from St. Croix and all he knew about Miami was that the Heat had a sucky season. Figures! So I make my way over to the Starbucks that's located at the end of the terminal and as I get on line I see a very attractive man. He's got that swagger and I catch his eye. As he walks by he doubles back and gets on line right behind me. Immediately I asked him with his chocolaty tanned skin what was hot in Miami. He looked at me and smiled and said he wasn't really sure what was up, that he had been there for business and was now headed to New York City.

Him: I come to Miami all the time for meetings and business and just get drinks at various hotels. You should try the lounge at the Shore Club or Delano.

Me: Well I already know about those places. I'm from NYC. Hotel lounges are a given.

Him: Well I don't really do the club thing. You know I have bricks everywhere-- South Beach, NYC, Malibu, Beverly Hills.

Me: Bricks?

Him: Yeah, homes. What part of New York are you from?

Me: Oh so now Mr. Beverly Hills is spitting hiphop lyrics at me? I'm from the Bronx originally and I now live Uptown-- Harlem, and I've never heard bricks used in that manner.

Him: I may live in Beverly Hills, but I'm from the PJ's. I know Harlem-- the Pink Houses. Marcy in Brooklyn. I may work in "the industry," but I'm from the hood.

Me: Okay Biggie Smalls with your mansions and Benz's giving ends to your friends. I get it.

Him: (falls back laughing) Yo, you have jokes!

Me: So now you live in Beverly Hills? The whitest, most xenophobic, most plastic place to live in this country? I don't get it. Even if you work in the industry, you don't have to live smack dab in it unless you are looking for validation.

Him: Nah it's not even like that. I genuinely like Beverly Hills. I can make any city my home because home is wherever I am.

Me: Oh, so you I- Ching too and can spit 100 Laws of Power? Fascinating! So what do you do in the industry, Dr. Phil?

Him: You're killin me with the snaps. I work in film. I make movies.

Me: Really? Which ones?

Him: Too many to name.

Me: Uh ha, right. Well tell me "Mr. I Got Bricks" from coast to coast and too many movies to name, do you have a card?

Him: No, I don't carry cards.

Me: No business cards! I see. Well do you at least have a name?

Him: Antoine. What's yours?

Me: Nicole.

Him: Well it was a pleasure speaking with you and when I get to New York I will talk to my friends and find out what's poppin this weekend in South Beach and will reach out and let you know. (he takes my card) Okay, Ms. Hotness?

Me: Cool. Have a good flight.

I walk away thinking I've just wasted 20-minutes talking to some wannabe producer, hustling me with his jive flow. Thirty minutes later I'm retelling the story to my girl back at the hotel and it's apparent that I'm still hot about losing much needed beach time by talking to some dude who didn't even give up the digits! Finally at the end of my story I say to her, "and if things weren't shady enough with this no business card having, can't name a single film I've made poser, homey's got the nerve to have some crazy, fake sounding Hollywoodesque last name. He couldn't be Antoine Johnson or Thomas. Oh no this fool's last name had to be exotic. Brace yourself now-- "Fuqua". Yep, Antoine Fuqua. Have you heard of any crazier shiz before? My friend's mouth just dropped. Did you say Antoine Fuqua? Oh my god! Do you know who you were putting on blast? She then IMDB'd his name and well, all I have to say is I loved Training Day... ooops!

For more about my trip to South Beach check here where I also blog.

Tanqueray Style Sessions

2008-05-29T15:59:00.013-04:00

Last night Tanqueray got the green bottles out and did it big for their Tanqueray Style Sessions-- some crazy synergistic, cross-marketing mash-up of booze, music, fashion and art all taking place under one roof in the name of brand development. The roof in question was that of The Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, NYC. When I arrived it was a mob scene outside and immediately I was ready to head home, but comrade Larry Ossei let me slide to the front of the VIP line and I was able to ease in rather quickly. I honestly forgot how frickin loony people get when the call of "Open Bar" is made. Tanqueray, not even really a hot brand in terms of what’s poppin, had folks standing at least 50 deep in three different lines waiting to get their gin and tonic on or some other concoction. The whole experience reminded me of back in the day how folks in my hood would line up for our free cheese and butter. I saw author Trey Ellis who said to me in astonishment these lines are ridiculous. "Yeah, but how ridiculous does that make me for actually waiting on the line," I responded. After being on line for 15 minutes I started wondering if I had lush life issues, but then just contended that these types of industry affairs—fraudulent attempts at being supa cutting-edge necessitated a drink. Keeping it real, the music and art takes a back seat to cocktail sipping. There was a fashion show featuring a few lines including Marc Ecko and throughout the space were cute lil "branded" lounge areas created by Crate & Barrel and live art displays by graffiti artist STASH. It was a 3-ring circus with the main attraction being the concession stands.

There were however two thrilling moments. The first happened 30-minutes before the fashion show started when a vent fell from the ceiling, hitting a woman. She was knocked down to the floor but looked like she would be okay after medical attention. Clearly she's got a good case for a lawsuit. How's that for brand development Tanqueray?

The second thrilling moment was a "surprise performance" by Ryan Leslie. I had heard so much about him-- heard his jawn "Diamond Girl," but never saw him live. He danced, twirled and generally sang his behind off. It took him a minute to gain the attention (and respect) of the crowd, but by the third song he had won over the audience with his charm and enthusiasm and folks had gathered around the stage to show dude in the shiny jacket some love. His band was tight. I just wish he would lay off of the Usher routine and give us more edge-- more James Brown if you will.

I saw Sylvia Rhone standing next to DJ’s Steve Aoki & Mos cheering her artist on and looking fierce as ever. Damon Dash, who I interviewed a couple of years ago was there with his son chatting with Angela Yee from Sirius, and speaking of Diamond Girl, I met Jenn Tsang who creates fresh gold rings and other bombastic bling rocking the flyest denim jumpsuit. Also in the house Charles of Hustlemode with Mary Phanmaha from Rocawear and Slim Pickens.

I had an aight time. Will I check for Ryan's record? Yep. Will I start ordering Tanqueray when I go out? Nope. Will I make sure not to stand under any open vents? You damn skippy I will!

Sixth Ave Street Fair & Uptown Designers Market

2008-05-19T15:59:00.022-04:00

Weekends just seem to zip by, but then what else is new. Time flies warp speeds when you are having fun or, at the very least, when you're trying to chill. So it was for me this weekend. On Saturday I ran some errands and (literally) stumbled across the massive 6th Avenue street festival. And ooh wheee, I can’t tell you how much I love street fairs. The intoxicating smell of Italian sausages, peppers and onions on the grill and just popped hot kettle corn. It’s funny because I find in my travels there are two types of people. You got your amusement park aficionados and your street fair fanatics. The former loves the rides, the thrill of the rollercoasters and the exhilarating drenchings of water rides. I, on the other hand, fall into the latter category. I love walking from vendor to vendor looking for some unique rare find. Unfortunately the fairs in NYC have become more of the same mass produced trinket hodgepodgery-- sheet sets, wool sweaters, I love NY t-shirts, and hoop earrings galore. But the one thing that sucks me in every time is the fair's food fare. I'ma sucka for the chicken kebobs, funnel cake and kettle corn. And so I spent a good chunk of my Saturday afternoon munching my yum-yum off walking around midtown.

On Sunday the ominous clouds kept me at bay and so I stayed close to home, which worked out cause once the sun came out around 6pm I went to the Uptown Emerging Designers Market and caught the last bit of what was clearly a very hot affair. Unlike my 6th Ave experience the previous day, the vendors at this market, which was located in Harlem at the Hip Hop Culture Center (who knew?), featured vendors hawking all kinds of unique and stylish goods-- many handmade. I loved the wit of homey selling the Puerto Rican for a Weekend tees to celebrate NYC's annual Puerto Rican Day Parade-- a day where not only Jessica Alba is Latino but dang near all of Gotham.

My absolute fave though were the sisters behind Cut It Out apparel-- a line of tees that have all these cool, positive messages for women and girls like "Destroy Stereotypes" and "Dope Enough To Make You Holla & Scream" from Latifah and Monie Love's Ladies First. CIO co-founders Noricia Anderson and Tirinda McNeil (in photo: 2nd from right & right) believe "that women should assert their inner strengths and explore their individuality." About the Harlem Market, Tirinda says "there's more love here and the people get us immediately.” Well I sure did. I bought two tees and am waiting for them to do a white and gold version of their iconic tee-- the one that features the ladies bathroom symbol emblazoned boldly in front. theHotness no doubt!

I had a great time talking to the artists and vendors who all seemed to genuinely enjoy one another and the idea of growing their business in Harlem. The Market co-founder Michelle Gittens, who has Heidi Klum's charisma and Michael Kors' no nonsense all-American business sense and more designers under her uptown roof than any one season of Project Runway is excited about the future of the market. Here she is talking about the Market and what’s next:

Funk, Feathers & Fire: Joi, Tamar-kali, & blaKbushe

2008-05-13T01:40:00.016-04:00

I tell you no lie, back in '94, Sunshine & The Rain was the frickin soundtrack to my life. I thought I had just landed the job of my dreams working at a major music publishing company only to discover on day two that the job totally sucked. And on top of that I had turned down a cool gig at Essence for it too. So I would go to work, happy to have a job, and one in the music biz no less, but miserable to be working for total lunatic haters (save for my homegirl--go Homeschool Records!) Anyway a total digression I know, but that song like the mystical music maven that breathes life into it every time she sings the lyrics encapsulates the disillusioned heartbreak and blissful joy that's a part of everyday life for everyday folk who dream big, work hard, and love deep. Joi is that artist. Shid, she's that woman! Crazy critical acclaim from fans and critics for her first two records that got no real support from her label and fickle music industry; A freaky deaky awe inspiring romance and subsequent marriage to Big Gipp that dissolved like sand into divorce, lost love and baby-daddydom. So needless to say I could not wait to see Joi Gillium do her crazy sexy cool thing at Saturday night's Queen's Daughters event.

Unfortunately the Ballroom was half packed, but that didn’t stop the three headliners from giving us stadium-packed-to-capacity worthy performances. The Labelle tribute, which I thought was going to feature all three singers jamming together, opened with Shelley Nicole’s blacKbushe giving the audience, as producer Kim Knox described it-- a baptism of fire. I especially loved her song that she wrote in response to the cutting down of the noose-strewn tree in Jena, LA. It was my first time seeing her and she definitely lived up to all the hype I had been hearing about her over the years.

Next up was Tamar-kali who was giving us Burlesque Ringmistress love. She twirled a cane, played guitar, bellydanced, did this amazing interpretation of Labelle’s funky Space Children that featured an accordionist, all while maintaining the illest décolletage. Now that's a real woman for ya! Here she is before the show talking about her personal style, Labelle, and bellydancing:

(and if you want to know the answer to the last question of this interview stay tuned for the relaunch of theHotness.com)

And last but certainly not least, Joi strutted out on stage to what has now become her literal cat-call. With every meow moaned by her two backup singers, the excitement in the room intensified. I think the last time Joi performed in NYC was in 2002 so this was a long-awaited homecoming of sorts. And she wasted no time giving her peeps a taste of what they had been yearning for all night, if not a half a decade. She jump-started her seductive prowl tease with Tennessee Slim-- a fun, yet smoldering ditty that showcases the Star Kitty's country cat persona-- a brown liquor drinking, hammocked collards cookin, no mess taking single mama. From there she served up Ameoeba Cleansing Syndrome classics like "You Turn Me On" and "If I'm in Luck I Might Just Get Picked Up," which were both initially rooted in the deep murky back waters of Labelle, Betty Davis and Bootsy Collins. Clearly this was more than a tribute for Joi as her set list and indeed her professional discography prove. She’s got Patti's in your face machisma and flamboyance and for kicks she's got Funkadelic all up under her skin just to show off her knowledge of the music and the movement. When she sang You Turn Me On, which she used to sing with her recently deceased sista-friend and mentor Whyld Peach, it was apparent this "wings and feathers" jawn was more than a gig for Joi. She respects and misses her musical roots. Nina Simone is as much family for her as Whyld Peach. There is a palpable connection to the ancestors when she performs and she acknowledges the angels around her by donning her own wings. I couldn't help but get totally misty eyed. Fo sho' Ms. Gillium gives multiple meanings to the notion of getting moist. Holla and Aché to dat!

The Queen's Daughters

2008-05-06T18:01:00.008-04:00

I can't wait for Saturday! Joi (aka Star Kitty, aka Tennessee Slim aka the grrrl that gave us "Sunshine & The Rain"), Tamar-kali (who I've raved about at least a zillion times in the past), and Shelley Nicole's blaKbushe all on one bill?!? All under under one roof?!? Yep, bananas, mangos... whut? It's going to be nuts! This Saturday marks the debut of The Queen's Daughters: Celebrating Women Who Rock with a Touch of Soul: Honoring the Musical Legacy of Labelle. Thanks to Kim Knox and the folks at Ubiquita we can spend Mother's Day weekend celebrating LaBelle-- some of the funkiest, most exciting and groundbreaking muthas in music. Check the show details below and get your tix in advance b/c they will be double the price at the door:

You are cordially invited to be part of a historic evening bridging past, present and future for women of color in music. THE QUEEN’S DAUGHTERS will feature stellar performances by 3 of the hottest women in independent music today as they pay tribute to the musical legacy of the incomparable LABELLE. Mother's Day Weekend will never be the same. Featuring live performances by Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe, Tamar-Kali, and JOI. Sounds provided by THE LADIES OF UBIQUITA DJ’s Reborn, Selly & shErOck. Tickets available through Ticketmaster or by calling the Manhattan Center: 212-279-7740. Ask to speak to Mia, Lena, or DeVasha. Use the ticket codes below for discount.

Doors open @ 6:45pm for VIP pre-show reception
7:45pm for General Admission
Show starts @ 8:30pm
$30 VIP Ticket Code: VQD777 | $20 GA Ticket Code: QD777
The Grand Ballroom at The Manhattan Center
311 West 34th Street, Corner of 8th Avenue

Santogold (& Lil Mama) @ Virgin Megastore

2008-04-30T18:26:00.025-04:00

(Santi & friend Angela Yee)
I couldn't wait to get downtown yesterday to finally see Santogold (aka Santi White) do her thing live. I've seen her perform before and actually produced and hosted a Hot Grrrls Cool Music showcase that featured her when she used to front Stiffed so I already knew homegrrrl had the goods, I was just curious to see how she was gonna gift wrap it this time out the box.

And of course as things would have it, I didn't even get out of my office until 7:15 so I was only able to catch the last two songs of her performance-- Unstoppable and Creator. And of course that totally sucked as, I later found out, fresh from her late night stint on Conan O'Brien, Sant did a full set of new music from her debut joint that dropped the same day. The seven songs she unleashed on the massive crowd were:
1. You'll Find A Way (the remix)
2. LES Artistes
3. Say Aha
4. Shove It
5. Anne
6. Unstoppable
7. Creator

"Unstoppable" with its moody riffs and taunting chants put the crowd right in the palm of her hands as they cheered her on affirming their love and belief that Santogold will indeed rock on and on and on. The cheers of her fans, her friends and fellow bandmates got Sant's usually tough, wise cracking, goofy guise all moist and through tears and a cracking voice she thanked everyone for their support. It was a moment y'all. But as soon as the DJ dropped the track for Creator and those distinctive yelps resonated across the small stage, the tears quickly dried and the windows got even steamier. Folks were jumping up and down and cheering the grrrl Spin hails as "the next big thing." I felt proud-- like I was witnessing the evolution of something special, historic even.

So after mad hugs and kisses-- I saw Jayson Jackson who now manages Santogold (as well as Mos Def), Angela Yee who's now an on-air personality for Eminem’s Sirius Satellite station, Shade 45 and Darryl Philips (of NTZ & Blow! Mag fame) I headed into Virgin to see what was poppin with their $10 sale. I picked up Purple Rain (finally) and the DreamGirls DVDs. Scooped the new Radiohead joint when some dude was like "you need to get that Lil Mama joint too.” Then the chick by his side was like “yeah it just dropped today." Before I could even hide the shmirk on my face, I turn around only to discover it's the lip gloss poppin shawty herself. Talk about your street promotions!

Yep Lil mama was (strongly) urging folk to lay down their $15.99 and cop her CD. I give her mad props for having the mad hustle. I also liked her on that dance competition on MTV and told her as much. I didn't get the CD even though I do like Lip Gloss and the new single that's out. Maybe next time when it's $10.

Check my video of Sant ripping Creator (it's a lil wobbly cause your grrrl was standing on steps!)

BLK JKS in BK @ Harriet's Alter Ego

2008-04-27T23:33:00.022-04:00

(Laini Madhubuti, Nicole Mason, Nneka Bennett, Kissa Thompson)

I just got back from Brooklyn. Harriet's Alter Ego to be specific. The small boutique was overflowing with all sorta bohemes trying to catch a whiff of this South African funk that’s got everyone from The Fader to Time Out NY runny nosed and wanting more. My mom (bless her heart) hooked me up with a ride all the way from her place up in the Boogie down to Prospect Heights. I just had to see if the hype surrounding BLK JKS was really that deep.

I got there around 5:15PM and at first the scene was cool and tranquil. The bartender had just started mixing her firewater concoction and there were a few folks milling around out back. Word had it that over 500 heads had rsvp’d and if anyone knows Harriet's, y'all know that joint holds bout 200...snuggly. And sho nuff at 6pm, right on CP Time, heads just started rolling in like cattle to fresh green pastures.

By 6:30 myself and about 50 other people had already made our way to the front of the store to secure our spots by the sound equipment.

By 7pm the DJ was moving from ATCQ to Radiohead to Jimi Hendrix. The crowd, like the music, was growing restless and frenzied. When the heck were these cats going to finally show us what they got? Everyone was asking around: "So have you heard them perform before?" Have you ever seen them live?" "Have you heard their single Lakeside?" No, No, No. It was crazy. Everyone was crammed in booty to body. Funky armpits up against racks of cotton fresh new t-shirts and pretty summer halters. Everyone had swallowed the hype and now we were rubbing our aching bloated bellies praying for satisfaction. I heard Happy Land mentioned. I felt uneasy. Queasy even. Soon some folks were grabbing their belongings and walking out the door. It was too hot to just stand around and listen to old school records. That's why we have iPods!

7:25PM – Knox Robinson, the group's manager and hype-man extraordinaire finally got on the mic to introduce the band. Oh no wait, first they are going to play newly recorded tracks fresh from Electric Ladyland’s studios. Okay, so couldn't we have listened to them 30 minutes ago? Needless to say there was no applause after the selections played.

7:40PM — The DJ, or was it Knox, got back on the mic only to announce that they needed 10 more minutes to sound check. WTF?!? Folks sighed, sucked their teeth and many simply surrendered to their hunger for real food, for air and for activity and left. The DJ put on Nirvana's "Feel Like Teen Spirit." Ha, well it did two hours ago!

Finally I think it was almost 8PM and BLK JKS started strumming their guitars and singing beautiful melodies, saying all kinds of wonderfulness. Redemption was now finding its place in the air. Folks quieted themselves and things were cool again. If I hadn’t been so hot and mangled up in between folks and microphones and their cameras and bags for so long, I could be more descriptive. But check my video below and catch the flavors for yourself. I will say this though, their music is simple and in their simplicity they have found the key. Their songs are about the music, the pureness of music and that kinda made it worth the sweat and pain.

Shock & Awe

2008-04-25T16:39:00.014-04:00

Even though I had just showered and it was cool outside, I sat in front of my television feeling the sweaty moistness move from the palms of my hands to the pits under my arms. It was 9AM. Where was the verdict? They said they would announce the verdict at 9AM! Now I knew in my heart of hearts that these cops were wrong. No return fire. No probable cause. 50 bullets? One dead man? You can’t even reason that away or find an excuse good enough. Or so I thought. I’m sure Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper thought so too and that is why they never took the stand. But I also know this is America. This is the country that when a Black man runs for President they say he is successful because he is Black. And that he is lucky to be Black. And this is a country that sent the owners of Studio 54 (where everyone including the Feds knew the snow was deep) to jail for a year for tax evasion, but sentences a Black man to jail for 3 years for the same crime. And I know this is New York City where a Black man gets shots to death for taking his keys out to open his front door or in this case has a bachelor party at a strip joint with his boys only to face a hail of gunfire killing him before he can even make it to the altar later that same day. Some luck. So I wasn’t expecting the judge to throw the book at these cops, but I did expect some sort of discipline. Some measure of intolerance to be voiced. But there was none and yes, I was surprised. Momentarily shocked. NYPD shows their as$ once again and yet we are reminded that their dirty, smelly blue behinds are still above the law and they matter more than any other booty that walks these streets. Was it just me or were you suprised too? Here are some comments about the verdict from today's NY Times readers:

The real question is why so many detectives were deployed from other precincts to go undercover in pursuit of perpetrators of victimless crimes. No good can come when armed officers are instructed to consume alcohol and pretend to be interested in the services of prostitutes. It is so problematic–as was demonstrated in this tragedy–that the practice should be forbidden.

— Posted by Rey Olsen

Well, I guess it's a good thing that the detectives are thanking God for getting a pass in the fatal shooting of unarmed black man in the hours before his wedding. But I have a feeling that higherups in the NYPD and higher courts will temper one judge's notion of mercy with justice.

— Posted by hedda

I am pretty pro-police, but I really was unsure as to how I wanted this trial to go. While I truly believe that the police did not intend to kill an unarmed man, I am not 100% sure that they should have been totally exonerated all all charged. But, again, I don’t want to see them lose their jobs/pensions/freedom. Lastly, why do people still listen to Al Sharpton. He never apologized for the Tawana Brawley mess, as I recall.

— Posted by MetMom

I'm a black professional man. This verdict is another step back for the black man in America. America is in trouble and look around and see what’s happening. Not just in NY but all over. Gay rights, Animal right, Women rights... but no rights for the man. Wake up and look around you.

— Posted by Robert

These reckless cowards never took the stand and were acquitted. they never had to defend their actions. they didn't take a blood alcohol test. they didn't even give a statement until days after the killing. so we’ll never know about the "inconsistencies" of their stories.

— Posted by freedome

The truth is the car was not a deadly machine, but the guys were just trying to escape a rain of bullets. It's easy to identify that the police acted wrong. All these is language confussion, drawing lines in whats criminal and whats wrong. Even if you like/support cops, it will be fair for them to go to jail. That will be justice. The rest is…call it what u want.

— Posted by chuto

To all of you who didn't understand why Reverend Whyte said "God Damn America!" Well, this is one reason why he said that... OK?

— Posted by Carlton

The timing for Colson Whitehead's editorial in yesterday's NY Times could not have been better timed. The piece is called Visible Man (an obvious reference to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man). So apropos. It seems that the racism that once obliterated us to the margins of society through back doors and to back seats has now profiled us to the bull’s-eye center point of ready, aim fire. Black men are both target and tagline.

He opens:

Before the primary in Pennsylvania this week, Bill Clinton was doing magic tricks — now you see the race card, now you don’t. Geraldine Ferraro and Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, have been complaining that Barack Obama is leading in the Democratic presidential campaign only because of his skin color. Multimillionaire TV pundits are lecturing “the common man” on how outraged they should be about Mr. Obama's elitism.

Colson's got a great since of humor as the piece throughout drips with the wryness and wit he's known to accentuate throughout his books. Lines like this had me hollering... on the inside of course:

Guns? I wish I had a gun! Ever run out of truffle oil before a dinner party and have to go to Whole Foods on a weekend? It’ll make you want to spread a little buckshot around, that’s for sure.

and

For all this jibber-jabber about how I don’t understand a working man’s problems, you should take a look at my medical chart. I have carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, miner’s lung, scapegoat rash and vintner’s dropsy, and just last week I burned my thumb making horseshoes. The funny thing is, I didn’t want to be a blacksmith. But I heard they had an opening and I couldn’t help myself.

He ends though as he began-- right back to the ironic political point at hand, which at the end really isn't that funny:

It makes the head spin, this talk of who’s elitist and who’s not. I’m confused, myself. For years, they said you can’t have this because you’re black, and then when you get something the same people say you got that only because you’re black. I mean, here I am, The Guy Who Got Where He Is Only Because He’s Black, and yet the higher up you go in an organization, the less you see of me.

It’s as if Someone Out to Prevent Me From Getting What I Worked For is preventing me from getting what I worked for. If only there were something — a lapel pin or other sartorial accessory — that would reassure people that I can do the job.

Some people say Barack Obama and I get everything handed to us on a silver platter. But we don’t let it bother us. We’re taking those silver platters and making them our canoes.

The Aries Woman

2008-04-14T15:38:00.010-04:00

I think someone emailed this Aries description to me or maybe I just saw it on someone's site. I can't remember, but I do love what it says cause as an Aries woman it's got me pegged to an absolute T, especially the line about us not being insecure, but confident enough to know that we should be number one in our lover's eyes and when we aren't how this tends to get us shook.

So this post is for all of my Aries grrrls out there. If you can't figure out why you are feeling uneasy, angry and dissatisfied just maybe your significant other is not giving you Top Model status. Well tell em this is the season of the Ram and how it doesn't have to be about you all of the time (just most of it) and then to befuddle them into submission talk about how Saturn will not return to Aries for 28 years and how we are living out the best of our years and how that can only make whomever we are with that much better.

Happy Birthday Joanne, Vinita, Vanessa, Lisa, Barbara, AV, and Sena!

Aries: The Amorous Nature

If you fall in love with an Aries woman, you'll never lack for excitement. But are you the kind of man who can handle a full-blooded independent, forceful female? Because that's what Aries woman is.

This passionate, intense creature can't give a tepid response. She's a fully stocked fireplace, with logs, kindling, and paper, waiting for the touch of a match to set her on fire.

In her relations with men she is domineering. You can either accept it or leave. If you stay, you've made the first concession on a long road. At the end, you're likely to find you've been molded and shaped to fit her image of what her love should be.

What Aries woman wants, she gets. When a man meets an irresistible force like her, he tends to become a highly movable object.

She needs love and gets more than her share, but no man becomes her lord and master. She meets a man on equal terms. If he offers loyalty, she repays him in kind. If he is untrustworthy, she also repays him in kind.

In love she will be faithful, but she expects total fidelity in return. Her jealousy is rooted in possessiveness. She doesn't want a lover who has too many other interests. She wants all of him—or nothing at all.

There is an important distinction to make about her jealousy that may be useful in helping to understand her fundamental character. She isn't jealous because of a feeling of insecurity (the root cause of most jealousy, but because she has to be number one.

The Aries woman finds happiness in a long term relationship. She enjoys sharing everything with a lover and she is highly affectionate, even sentimental. She will be your staunchest ally, fight side by side with you, believe in you, encourage you. She's a marvelous companion for a man on the way up or fighting to stay at the top because she'll give him all the strength and determination she has. She's definitely ambitious.

When she does not feel she is loved she can become shrill and demanding. Above all, she won't tolerate being ignored or neglected. The straight road to perdition is a relationship with an unhappy Aries woman.

She wants to be understood and appreciated for her unique qualities. If you handle her with tact and give her the admiration she needs, this vivacious, active, mischievous, sensual, fascinating woman will do anything you ask.

Good Time, Good Wine-- Kedar Massenburg & Mondovino

2008-04-02T13:47:00.016-04:00

I love wine. And thanks to an ex, now I've become a bit of a connoisseur. For many, many years I was a devout red wine sipper. It didn't matter if I was having salmon, fried chicken or beef Teriyaki I was drinking red. Merlots mainly. And then that wonderfully rude, but oh so smart comedy, Sideways, came out and made us Merlot drinkers look like the Budweiser badunka-dunks of wine and I just couldn't have that so I began experimenting with some Cabs, Pinot Noirs and what quickly became a fave, Aussie Shirazes. Trying to be cool and non-confrontational one past date night I decided to go with the flow and have a glass of Chardonnay. He said that Russian Rivers were the ish-- rich and buttery. And I must say that is one of the few times I've gone white and it felt just right! Now I'm even into some of the more citrusy varieties of Chardonnay and this past summer, I was surprised by how satisfying Domaine Ott (THE summer wine!) and other brands of Rośe were to me-- the former 'Red' head!

So of course I was delighted to attend a mixer this past Monday night hosted by NV Magazine that was being sponsored by K'orus-- the brand of wine developed by former Motown head honcho, Kedar Massenburg. Needless to say I was skeptical when I first heard the news. I mean who goes from being a record maker (and breaker) to a (good) winemaker. As soon as I spotted Kedar I walked up to him and asked him if his name was just tied-in for brand recognition or was he really about the grapes. Stunned he was like "No, this is not a Ciroc kind of affair. I picked the grapes. I'm for real." So I tried the Chardonnay and I have to admit, it is good. It's gotta nice crisp citrus bite.

I told him about my love for wine and about this documentary that I saw one night on pay-per-view that opened me up to the madness, money, discrimination and power that defines the business of wine production in France, Argentina, Italy and of course the US. Mondovino is about the commodification of wine and how, like the commodification of hiphip, wine making has lost much of its authenticity over the years. Watching this film I was captivated by the artistry, if you will, that goes into making a good bottle of vino and how like everything else nowadays it's more about the loot and getting a high rating than about family honor and most importantly "terroir". It's an absolutely fascinating film that I would recommend to anyone who has ever uncorked a bottle (or I guess it's now unscrew).

I'm always interested in trying new wines so please list your favorites below. Right now I'm digging Meerlust (South African/ Merlot), Cutrer (Russian River,CA/ Chardonnay), Pomelo (Lake County, CA/ Sauvignon Blanc), and Isole e Olena (Italy/Chianti).

Beyonce's Dreams & Jhumpa's Reality

2008-03-31T16:38:00.015-04:00

Okay I have to admit that when I first heard that Beyonce was doing a straight-up dance record with house music as the overarching theme I was not amused. But clearly someone got it wrong if Beautiful Nightmare is any indication. This gem "leaked" late last week and I can't stop playing it. It's a wonderful hypnotic mash of 80's new wave groove rock and afro punk funk. And if this song does not sound like the pop version of Tamar Kali's Ocean then this year's presential campaign has nothing to do with race! Check it and tell me what you think?

While Beyonce is caught up in her dreams, writer Jhumpa Lahiri is all about the realness in her new book The Unaccustomed Earth. Earth like Jhumpa's previous works, especially Interpreter of Maladies, dives into the lives of its characters giving readers a very raw and honest perspective of middle class South Asian life. What I love about Jhumpa is that she's not hokey. She's all about the real world madness, sadness, successes and challenges of everyday life. In this week's NY Mag she responds to criticism about her Bengali-American centered subject matter:

‘Is that all you've got in there?’ I get asked the question all the time. It baffles me. Does John Updike get asked this question? Does Alice Munro? It's the ethnic thing, that's what it is. And my answer is always, yes, I will continue to write about this world, because it inspires me to write, and there’s nothing more important than that.

This book will surely make my summer reading list and I will try to catch one of her upcoming readings in the city. Check her out, that is if you are interested in keeping it real too.

Sex For A Green Card

2008-03-25T23:53:00.010-04:00

Did you see last Friday's NY Times article : An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex ? In it reporter Nina Bernstein describes a conversation between a young immigrant woman with her agent from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. What’s the big deal, you ask? Well the conversation went a little something like this:

“I want sex,” he said on the recording. “One or two times. That’s all. You get your green card. You won’t have to see me anymore.”

She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex “now,” to “know that you’re serious.” And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.

Nina adds:

And it raises broader questions about the system’s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man’s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law’s protection.

This begs the question then, how often do these types of situations occur and what happens to the women, emotionally and psychologically, who generally speaking, do not record these types of illicit and illegal conversations and cannot prove their abuse?

And how different are these sexual offenses from those that happen everyday to women and girls (with citizenship) in exchange for better grades; in exchange for a raise at work; in exchange for the lead role in a music video? And how do you think we can better build coalitions between all of these women? Because at the end of the day sexual abuse is sexual abuse, green card or not!

Black Magic

2008-03-17T16:46:00.004-04:00

I am so happy that on Sunday night I was able to catch part one of ESPN’s documentary Black Magic, which gives an in depth absolutely mesmerizing account of how historically black college basketball players struggled to get respect, recognition and dang how they struggled just for the chance to compete. I mean the doc starts by giving the details of a secret match between North Carolina’s College for Negroes and some random cats from Duke’s Medical School. The game was done behind close doors in secret with nary a seat filled. It had to be this way b/c in 1944 Blacks, err Negroes were not allowed to play with whites. Later to hear cats like Earl "The Pearl" Monroe tell it, you really get an idea of the isolation and the frustration they experienced. Earl’s story of how he went away to college and how the coach (the phenomenal Clarence Gaines) would work him so hard on the court but didn’t give him the play he felt he deserved was humorous, heartfelt and crazy poignant. Of course he went on to play for the NBA and became a legend. (Earl, I know you read this here blog and I have to say it publicly how grateful I am to now know your story!)

If you can, please check this documentary. As a matter of fact buy it if it ever goes to market. It will definitely educate you about civil rights and professional sports (The Negro Baseball League wasn’t the only entity that was affected). It is simply remarkable how these brothers changed the game, which shouldn’t come as a surprise after seeing how Tiger has rocked golf and even Venus and Serena in Tennis. Before Blacks b-balled white boys would just stroll up and down the court with a slow dribble and pass three-step. When brothers were allowed to compete they were running up and down the court like the Klan was on their as*. I really hope every current slick talkin, blinged-out NBA player sees Black Magic. Maybe they will be inspired to play harder, hit the hardwood and fight for the ball and play like it’s an opportunity of a lifetime. Because it is really is.

Weekend Washout: The Wire

2008-03-10T15:46:00.006-04:00

As if the rain wasn't bad enough, it was so, so sad to see The Wire go bye-bye. As I mentioned here before The Wire was one of those shows that had that crunky trifecta for great tv —superb writing, outstanding, gritty acting and some serious directing. Personally I loved seeing so many of my homies from round the way make their mark and give HBO some more color, some more shine and some more edge, and of course it was gratifying knowing their hard work was finally paying off and they were getting paid. Andre Royo, who deserves an Emmy for his work this season, has paid mad dues (he played a dude named Fruity Pebblez in Big Bank Take Little Bank-- need I say more). I met him while working with Mums in this wonderful production he did for the Hip Hop Theater festival many moons ago and always thought he was as intriguing on screen as off. And of course Sonia Sohn, who I met sometime in the 90's when she was down with the amazingly tight spoken word cipher of the time. She always had that thing and would hit us with her crazy sexy cerebral flow. I remember one of her most popular poems was about sex and I can’t even remember anything more specific other than the reaction of deep guttural whoas and frenzied screams she would get every time by everyone within earshot. It was seductive, heart stabbing hard, and full of passionate angst. Now that I think about it, that poem sounds a lot like her Detective Shakima Greggs. I bet Sonia laced David Simon's eardrums with that joint and got the part just like that. I wouldn’t be surprised. Anyway I loved so many of the characters on the Wire especially the ladies and thanks to Maxwell (yep that one, now that The Wire is done he promises to finish his album... lol) he's posted all of their pics in an homage of sorts.

Uptown Magazine Goes Green

2008-03-03T11:18:00.012-05:00

Last Thursday night I went to a panel discussion at the New York Society for Ethical Culture entitled "People of Color Don't Care About the Environment." Sponsored by Uptown Mag, the panel was moderated by this fly sister Simran Sethi of the Sundance Channel's The Green. She was on point with her questions and comments ~~especially her criticism of Vanity Fair's recent mostly-whites-featured Green issue~~. Even though I haven't seen the latest issue of Uptown I think this month's jawn is their urban (read Black) spin on the environment and going Green. Anyway the discussion was ambitious and well intentioned, it's just that afterwards you just couldn't help but have this keep it real feeling reverberating in your mind that the hood ain't going green anytime soon. At least I don't think so. And by the many heads I saw nodding when the woman asked how do we do connect recycling and beautifying the earth with folk who are struggling to pay their rent and make ends meet, I'm gathering I'm not the only one with that sentiment. There just seems to be so many other issues going on in this country that I just don't think people of color feel, unfortunately so, that the environment-- the greening of the world at large is relevant. I live in a building that is mixed with working class, middle class and upper class educated colored (and white) folk and do you think we recycle? Nope. Not a blue bag or bin on the premises. Right now one of our concerns is that Columbia keeps their gentrifying hands off of our apartments. And then when I walk outside and I see the chicken bones thrown about the sidewalks and the synthetic hair blowing pass storefronts, I'm disgusted and know that folks in my hood are very far away from thinking about nature and land preservation. So many of them don’t even respect their own walk-ups and elevators as the ubiquitous, penetrating smell of piss will undoubtedly confirm. Is it just me and my cynicism or do we need to get hiphop on board the Green boat before we can expect to see change in our urban areas. And it cannot simply be a few (Russell Simmons, Erykah Badu and dead prez), but it’s gotta be infused in the culture as a whole. And what's going on in our public schools? I don't have children so I have no idea if eco-friendly ideals are being taught and discussed.

On a positive note there are quite a few heads in NYC (esp in the BX-- oh yeah!)taking charge and doing their part to save our earth like Jarid Manos (who was on the panel) and who has written a very intriguing book called Ghetto Plainsman.

There's also Zena Nelson's South Bronx Food Cooperative that's getting people hooked on eating organic and at very reasonable prices.

I gotta give propos to the folks behind The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook!

And of course there is Majora Carter, also in the South Bronx, who won a MacArthur Genius award for her work "greening the ghetto." (her talk @TED conference)

UPDATE CORRECTION: Simran Sethi was not critical of Vanity Fair's Green Issue. She was instead "proud and grateful (to be) featured - as a woman of color and as a person who cares deeply about these issues." Read more of her remarks in the comments section. Sorry Simran about the confusion!

Mid-week Musings: Biggie, Project Runway, & Mediabistro

2008-02-28T18:27:00.009-05:00

So it seems like the screenplay written by Cheo Hodari Coker for the much hyped Notorious BIG movie is a BIG bore (NY Mag's Vulture).

Mediabistro, a site that I check damn near everyday for freelance gigs and cool media news is a having their first media conference (Mediabistro Circus) to discuss and mull over the latest interactive strategies and tech platforms. Too bad in 2008 we are voting for what could be the first Black prez of the US but for their first conference MB can't find any Black bloggers or tech heads to discuss online media. What the hell?

Next week Project Runway may actually have a real contest between the three final designers. Christian, who I initially thought was going to just kill it at the end, was very disappointing last night. His looks definitely need to be edited as Tim so politely declared, when we all know he wanted to say Christian get a grip on reality and make something that ~~a buyer~~ Michael Kors can realistically consider assimilating. You are not in England anymore! Rami and especially Jillian's clothing looked great!

Proud Michelle!

2008-02-21T17:31:00.017-05:00

I can't believe people are losing sleep, getting red in the face and blogging like mad about Michelle Obama's recent comment. The one where she said:

For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change.

Many, many folks are outraged-- saying she should have been proud of America a long time ago and not just because Obama is kicking Hill's behind. Many Americans feel that she should be darn proud of the red, white and blue because for starters she and her husband are able to live the 'American Dream'. They are successful lawyers that attended Harvard for pete's sake and they make tons of money and can send their daughters to the best schools. Look at what America has bestowed upon them or better yet, the mindset is, look at how far America has allowed these Negroes to rise. How dare Michelle not be proud of America? Needless to say, I'm not in agreement. The Obamas are successful lawyers because they worked their butts off; Because of the sacrifices of their parents; Because of the movements created by Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. If it was up to "America" the Obamas would probably be packing bags at Walmart or nannying someone's kids or better yet in prison were "America" likes to see their Blacks. America is (still) corrupt, racist, and sexist. Proud Yankees built their marketplace on the back of Blacks (and now Mexicans). They are using war as a front to make billions through the oil trade. Yes, I am sure Michelle was proud before and in her exuberance was just expressing that she is prouder than ever now in the political process. But let's not forget there is a long list of reasons why Mrs. Obama should not be proud. Katrina. Darfur. Eleanor Bumpers. Abner Louima. Jena 6. Give me a break! Proud indeed... of Michelle speaking her God-given American mind. Aren't you?

A Change Is Gonna Come or Simply PMSing

2008-02-19T16:55:00.009-05:00

Well I've been thinking about this blog a lot lately and am currently behind the scenes making changes. I'm trying to expand and appeal to a younger, more national and international (read less New York City-centric), blogorific audience. I must say MySpace is helping me meet those ends and soon a few other bells and whistles will hopefully help catapult me into new waters. So often I feel like I'm blogging in the dark and no one is here, but other indicators say that isn’t so. Yesterday's NY Times article on blogging said blogs like mine (essaylike, personal, & fresh) are especially popular and cool. Alrighty then, so maybe I've outgrown my audience or maybe they've outgrown me and leaving comments are now just an afterthought. And when did I start lusting after comments so much? Jeesh! Oh just the thoughts running through my head today. I'm feeling cranky, bloated and irritable so maybe I'm over dramatizing this Hotness Grrrl slump I'm feeling. Maybe. When I get some RSS Feeds and find a cool subscription service I will have a better handle on traffic and interactivity. Until then I will just pop some Advil, get one of those Starbucks double chocolate cupcakes and make do with the blahs. Throughout, know that I'm always strategizing, plotting and trying to figure out how to be bigger and better-- for me; for y’all. Bitches still gotta brew even though it's that time of the month. Say word. No better yet, leave a damn comment!(ha, ha) Thanks B. Mansur, M. Gonzales, T. Franklin, (Very) Rev. Ace Clemmons, I. Bey and others of you who I don’t even know who have posted comments in this here cipher.

Happy V-Day: My Top 7 Raves

2008-02-14T14:36:00.009-05:00

Okay after last year's personal post and all of the feedback and fallout, I'ma still keep it real this Valentine's Day, but in a simpler form. Back in the day my girl Bilqis and I used to have these list we would call "Our Raves" that we would create every now and then as a way of reminding ourselves of our own turn-ons, but also as a way of paying homage to all the simple goodness in life. So on this day of love I'm bringing it back. It always made us feel good and tingly after we would read them to each other. Try it. What 5 things truly make you happy and blissed out? Post them below:

1. Christian Louboutin shoes

2. The sweet hotness of Trader Joe's Spiced Mango

3. Archipelago candles (Bergamot Tobacco scent)

4. Warm Chocolate Cake from Pastis.

5.. Thé Pour un Eté my new fave scent by L'Artisan Parfumeur.

6. The smell of Thé Pour un Eté on your shirt after we cuddle.

7. The smell of you on my sheets.

The Best Thing About The Grammys

2008-02-11T13:50:00.004-05:00

Ironically, the best thing about the Grammies last night didn't even happen in the Staples Center. It was over the pond and through the woods to Amy's (Wine)house. Amy's performance at, the otherwise mega yawn of an award show, was everything we held out for-- unpredictable, uneasy, spontaneous and authentic. All the qualities diluted in today's bling-blonde-bland music industry. Her phrasing was off the cuff and very often reminiscent of Ella. And her melodies were off the chain-- reminiscent of Lauryn. The 50th anniversary of "the biggest night in music" was quite reflective of these post-iPod times. There were a lot of pyrotechnics and very, very dark performances (Kanye); a ton of collabos, but nothing that sparked (Tina should have performed solo and Morris Day & The Time didn't need Rihanna up in their mix! Janet maybe? Prince definitely? Umbrella –ella-ella... not!) Oh well, thank God for You Tube. Check Amy's performance out below:

Kara Walker

2008-02-08T13:13:00.009-05:00

As the elevators opened and I walked out onto the second floor of the Whitney Museum, I was confronted by this humungous black and white mural that featured a number of different images and scenes. The one that is pretty much the most shocking (and that’s saying a lot within this context) is that of a pickaninnied black girl giving head to lil ole Huck Finn. As if someone had just walked by me and snatched my gold chain, I seized up and held my chest. Shook and shaken, I was traumatized. But this is why I came here. This is what I wanted to experience, the kind of horror I needed to bring me back to center. And clearly so did most of NYC. This was last Sunday and it was the final day that Kara Walker's "My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love" would be here. I kept running into so many people I knew and recognized from BK and Harlem. The gallery was packed like it was a club opening, not an exhibit closing. Never mind it was Superbowl Sunday and the weather outside was sunny and spring like, everyone was curious, if not anxious to understand how race, racism, slavery and gender bias could work its way into the imagination in such a way to create not only brilliantly beautiful reinterpretations of the worse of our society, but also works that, in their unsettling horror, educated and empowered. Surveying Kara's black and white silhouettes and her letters, notes and sketches especially from "Notes From a Negress," all I could do to keep from crying, to keep from choking the life out of some innocent Caucasoid was shake my head and write in my journal.

Looking at a blog The Whitney created around this exhibit and browsing online and in my inbox, I found a number of interesting quotes about art, agency, resistance and power. Check it:

It's interesting that as soon as you start telling the story of racism, you start reliving the story. You keep creating a monster that swallows you. But as long as there’s a Darfur, as long as there are people saying 'Hey, you don't belong here' to others, it only seems realistic to continue investigating the terrain of racism. --Kara Walker

In Walker's work, slavery is a nightmare from which no American has awakened: bondage, ownership, the selling of bodies for power and cash have made twisted figures of black and whites alike, leaving us al scarred, hateful, hated, and diminished. --Hilton Als

I felt the work of Kara Walker was sort of revolting and negative and a form of betrayal to the slaves, particularly women and children; that it was basically for the amusement and the investment of the white art establishment. --Betye Saar

It is harder to speak truth to power than one might think. I spent the day visiting the show. i thought it was absolutely outrageous. i am trying to collect my thoughts. As somebody who has become an avid follower of the work of Kara Walker, I am amazed that so little has happened in terms of the black response to it. The films were so provocatively elliptical, the amount of material devoted to... Betye Saar's critique of her so disproportionate. I was shocked again and again by the obsessiveness of it and total lack of what I see as an adequate response. --Michele Wallace

As a 26yo African-American man, my personal reaction to Kara Walker's work is one of absolute disgust. I personally believe Kara's work carefully situates itself within the post-Civil Rights backlash against racial equality. It's a trickbag, occasionally adopting the rhetoric of "exposing" stereotypes for the sake of social justice, while at the same time further perverting these stereotypes for the tacit amusement of the predominantly white art establishment. Art can be a form of resistence but Kara's work is anything but. --Christopher

Some find Walker's hypersexual and hyperviolent slavery fantasias offensive because they resurrect and mimic not one but two offensive programs--the aristocratic illusions of insane hillbilly cotton farmers and the coonification samboification pickannyification and thingification of a people whose enslavement rendered the Bill of Rights a scrap of lies from the get-go. Walker's critics sometimes do seem to have forgotten something she apparently hasn't-- that her work can never be more disgusting, awful or cruelly creative than whatever the real thing was. The real problem people have with Walker's work may not be what's in it-- the real problem is that we really don’t want to see a 'behind the music' version of the heroic runaway slave narrative, one complete with all the hidden, historical and hideously un imaginable visuals that duly underscore why the heroic narrative is actually so damn heroic. --Greg Tate

Rock On Barack!

2008-02-06T14:34:00.000-05:00

The one thing I know for sure is the power of inspiration is real. And unlike matters of passion and spirituality, I think politics is one of those dubious arenas in which to heed and harness inspiration. Do I think we need it in politics? Oh yeah! But I am so careful to note how it is spun. How it is packaged. I have to admit when Obama first hit the campaign scene, immediately I was drawn into his aura. His message for change caressed my eardrums and indeed my weary spirit. His words had me moist before I even had a chance to do my usual research and background check into homeboy's platform and his history in the Senate. Needless to say, I discovered many a thing about brother Barack. Mostly good. And so now I finally feel I can allow myself to be swayed by his brilliant gift for oratory (his speechwriter is a monster with those metaphors!). And just as his zeal takes a hold of my cynical attitude, Barack done busted out with a music video... and like his speeches, it too has got that magic to morph and move. And will.i.am, what can I say? This brother's game is so tight, and not because he's got MiJac on his sack, but because he's got Barack's victory speech from South Carolina rivaling the soulful urgency of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" Say word.

A Raisin In The Sun

2008-02-05T15:05:00.000-05:00

Last night I took my spiritual god mama out to the screening/ panel discussion of the upcoming made for TV movie version of A Raisin In The Sun at the new Times Center building. With Phylicia Rashad, Diddy, Audra McDonald and Kenny Leon all on the panel it was, of course, a sold out affair. The movie itself is quite good. I really, really liked being able to see and to get a wonderful sense for what it was like living on the south side of Chicago in the 1950's from a Black perspective. The backdrop of the landscape and the people and seeing Mama Lena and Walter Lee's work environments just gave the play that much more body and soul.

Not to give anything away but the ending is slightly different from the book and the play, which gives the overall theme of this historic play a slightly new twist or nuance if you will. Just as I was about to ask Kenny and company about this change the dang host announced the event was over and the lights came up and my mic was silenced. Let me tell you they run this Times Center stage like a unioned Broadway production—started right on time and ended exactly when they said they would. Sucks for me though! This is like the third time this has happened to me recently. I've got a really strong question and I don't get to ask it because the Ashlee Simpson looking chick in front of me is talking about how she is a revolutionary for change and voting, yada, yada, yada. Ugh! And the chick in front of her in her red satin spaghetti strapped cocktail dress gushed about her new book of poetry and how she dedicated it to Ms. Rashad blah, blah, blah. That kind of crap should have happened after the show in the waiting wings by the exit door. Oh well. It is what it is. I'll get my Q&A moment eventually!

I'm a fan and wannabe student of theatre. I go every year and sometimes two and three times a year depending on what's out and how phat my pockets may be. I'm looking forward to Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. What about you? How many of you go to see theater and do you think adding pop celebs like Diddy, Fantasia and now Terrence Howard (in Cat) to the cast make a production more popular and therefore more successful? Check the trailer for Raisin below and check it out when it hits your boob tube on February 25th at 8pm on ABC.

Raisin>
In The Sun

RingShout Launch Party

2008-02-04T14:48:00.010-05:00

"Rain be damned, I'm getting my swerve on," had to be the preeminent thought of at least 125 folks that attended the inaugural event of ringShout on Friday night at Random House. Even though it was a monsoon outside and I was tired, I was even more curious about this ringShout event. ringShout, a consortium of Black writers, editors, and publishing heads was established in response to the lack of exposure, shelf space and buzz for African-American writers. The organization's founders—authors Martha Southgate (who got the proverbial Movement started with her piece in the NY Times magazine), Eisa Nefertari Ulen, Bridgett Davis, Cave Canems Alison Myers and Random House editor Chris Jackson say that ringShout is dedicated to "recognizing, reclaiming and celebrating literary fiction and non fiction by black writers." Personally I think this group was/is sorely needed whether Street Lit was trouncing literary types or not. Im not mad at Zane, or for that matter, feel that she is nabbing would be readers of Edwidge Danticat or Shay Youngblood. Two different audiences altogether, but there definitely is a need for Black writers and publishers to build coalitions by and for authors and aspiring writers. Needless to say I guess I wasn't alone in this presumption as there was a buzz in the room and it wasn’t from sipping all that wine! This was hands-down the best networking event Ive attended in years! Folks were anxious to give out their business cards, offer editorial advice, give insider info on new projects and freelance opportunities. It was a homecoming long overdue. I can't wait for the next gathering.

ringShout Co-founders Bridgett, Eisa, & Martha

Writer/Author Michael Gonzales, Vibe Editor-in-Chief Danyel Smith, & Sandra Jamison

Uptown Magazine Online Editor Sekou Writes, CosmoGirl Senior Editor Tara Roberts, Martha, and Blogger/Publicist Rob Fields

What Do Goddesses Do When Blue?

2008-01-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had such a wonderful day! A day spent reaffirming myself, my sense of purpose and my personal goals for prosperity all in the company of a very powerful sisterhood. Our gathering was extraordinary in its depth of knowledge, passion, and reverence for the ancestors and for its respect for current sisterhood. As much as I write about the importance of having your grrrls and repping for women's issues, I, theHotness Grrrl had even forgotten how good just a simple hug of encouragement from a sister you don't know can make you feel. In NYC, like every other metropolis city I have ever worked or lived in, there is almost a cut-throat competitiveness amongst women, and the competition is that much fiercer between women of color, specifically Black girls. Whether you're looking for a job, a husband or even a fly pair of shoes, so often I am confronted with jealousy, secrecy and a myriad of non-supportive gestures from many Black and Latina women I encounter. And I would be skrate lying if I said that after awhile this didn't start to harden a sister up like a chewy piece of caramel left out of of its wrapper for too long.

There is this email my grrrl sent to me about 5 years ago and I read it from time to time when I start feeling my edges hardening. She wrote:

What do goddesses do when they get lonely? There are times when my hurt consumes me so much that I can't even remember the goddess in me. I want to honor her and myself. I want to find my creative healer spirit again and this is my process. I need these answers to help find something really real. Those very still truths found in conversations with your grandmother when she was just cooking, pressing hair or telling you something she knew your butt would need later.

And my response, which I need to heed more often:

Girl everything you need, you already have (read The Alchemist)! Use the time spent alone figuring out what makes you happy instead of dwelling on why you are sad. I'm saying this because I'm just coming out of one of the MOST difficult times of my life. I know about being lonely and waking up sad only after crying myself to sleep. But my ~~lonely~~ alone time has made me so much more independent and mindful and focused. So yeah I'm still dealing with pangs of sadness and loneliness but I try to find ways that I can consistently move through that ish. I have this line in one of my rhymes that goes, "that's what sistas do, we bitches brew when sh*t gets hot..." So what are you gonna start brewing? That's what you have to ask yourself. Clearly you have the talent, so cry your tears and get it out and then work on you-- create, think, rest, and build your foundation.

Yesterday just reminded me that piecing together that foundation has to begin with me, but that does not mean I must work alone. If there is strength in numbers, (and there is), then certainly there is a lil' sweet softening in the midst sisterhood.

Janelle Monae

2008-01-19T14:46:00.008-05:00

Okay I know I'm mad late with this here proclamation, but better late than never: Janelle Monae is futuristic old school truth! Blade Runner spliced with Killer of Sheep. Her style is sophisticated polished punk. The love child of Bjork and Andre 3000, her performances are already legendary. I'm talking mega You Tube classics, baby. Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, she was first featured on the Purple Ribbon All-Star's Compilation, Got Purp Volume 2, in 2005 and her song, "Lettin' Go," became an underground cult hit. If Erykah claims to be an analog girl in a digital world, then like Agent Smith in The Matrix, Ms. Monae is the virus that is spreading wildly through both analog and digital ciphers. She exudes edge and individuality and speaks of real life ish with the clarity of someone twice her age. As a result, “Violet Stars Happy Hunting” and "Sincerely Jane," songs off her independently released debut EP Metropolis-Suite I: The Chase, are spreading faster than influenza, making her a real mp3 wunderkind. Of course now that she is poised to blow mad wigs back she signs with Bad Boy Records. I can only hope that this sci-fi thriller keeps flying back to the future, even in Diddy waters, and doesn't face the same maddening fate as Smith did in Revolutions.

theHotness Top 7 in the '07

2008-01-08T17:04:00.001-05:00

Why seven you ask? Well why not? Seven is a wonderful mystical number, at least in my head-- the seven deadly sins, seven days for God to create the world, seven virtues, seven wonders of the world, the seven seas, Yemaya's number and I could go on and on. So in the spirit of all things inspiring, magical, dynamic, creative and unique I've decided to compile a list of grrrl's or things produced by grrrls that reflect and emanate these attributes. Here's my list. Please share with me who made your Top 7 and you will have a chance to win theHotness 7 CD and your list may also appear in an upcoming issue of theHotness ezine:

7. Maya Azucena - for still keeping it real independent and fly with her independently distributed 2007 sophmore release Junkyard Jewel, which was described by Billboard as "soulful and soaring." Not a newcomer to the scene, this Brooklyn native has been featured on BET and last year blew wigs back with her performance on Washington DC's Great Mall at the Save Darfur Rally. She has made a choice to continue her independent ventures even in the face of mainstream popularity and excess, showing her professional hotness all the way!

6. "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse - This CD was a breath of fresh air—exhilarating, cathartic, mesmerizing and beautiful. Amy, on the other hand, not so much. No doubt we had been waiting for a record that spoke about vulnerability, love and hurt with this kind of authenticity and rawness for quite awhile (like Questlove so infamously remarked-- this was the album Lauryn was supposed to make) Hopefully Amy will get it together because it doesn't look like Ms. Hill is coming around anytime soon.

5. The Namesake: Directed by Mira Nair and based on the best selling novel by Jumpha Lahiri, this movie gracefully yet fiercely delved into themes of immigration, family, identity and tradition offering up dilemmas that, in its wake, demanded deep thought and contemplation over simple resolution.

4. Jessica care Moore - For founding Moore Black Press a staunch publishing house for poets that celebrated its 10th year anniversary in 2007. MBP has released a number of top selling, critically acclaimed books by such literary luminaries as Danny Simmons, Asha Bandele and Saul Williams to name a few. Looking ahead, Jessica, who recently welcomed a son to her family, will be adding music to her mix, making her a living, breathing reflection of everything she expressed in her poem "Black Girl Juice" that blew heads back in ’95 and led to her infamous 5-weeks of domination on "It’s Showtime at the Apollo."

3. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama - For holding it down at home as a mom to her two girls, in the office as Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals, and on the road as confidante, campaign advisor and supporter to hubby Barack, for being highly educated and civic minded, for being graceful under fire, and humble when she could easily be over the top. For all this and more.

2. Black Rock Grrrls like Santogold, Janelle Monae, MeShell NdegeOcello, & Shingai Shoniwa of The Noisettes for really bringing the noise and taking afropunking to anotha level. The Creator EP, Metropolis Suite 1: The Chase, The World Has Made Me The Man of My Dreams, and What's The Time Mister Wolf respectively and sonically were the bright shining, hardcore heavenly stars of music in 2007.

1. KARA WALKER & her exhibit:
My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love

From whitney.org: "Drawing her inspiration from sources as varied as the antebellum South, testimonial slave narratives, historical novels, and minstrel shows, Walker has invented a repertoire of powerful narratives in which she conflates fact and fiction to uncover the living roots of racial and gender bias. The intricacy of her imagination and her diligent command of art history have caused her silhouettes to cast shadows on conventional thinking about race representation in the context of discrimination, exclusion, sexual desire, and love. 'It's interesting that as soon as you start telling the story of racism, you start reliving the story,' Walker says. "You keep creating a monster that swallows you. But as long as there's a Darfur, as long as there are people saying ‘Hey, you don’t belong here’ to others, it only seems realistic to continue investigating the terrain of racism.”

Michelle Obama & her man

2008-01-07T15:26:00.001-05:00

So how you like ‘em now? While folks where getting caught up in the superfluous, like how Oprah's outfits complemented Barack's ties during their mega campaign tour or how Michelle Obama's dark skin makes her so not the typical wife of a successful/accomplished Black man, or even Whoopi wondering what if Barack were married to a white woman, the Baracks were winning heads over in Iowa (and around the country) with their political movement for change. No doubt I was surprised by the results in Iowa and was just beaming at the eloquence, sophistication and power of his victory speech. His words and how he commanded the mic were straight monstrous—brother's definitely on some Rakim ish. Hillary not so much. Her speech was painful to hear-- like she had more time than words to speak. Girlfriend was tap dancing her way out of Iowa.

On the other hand I love watching Michelle speak. She seems to handle every question with such realness and grace. I've seen her speak on everything from getting her husband to quit smoking to her thoughts around his possible assassination. Michelle is tough and classy; crazy intelligent and still totally down to earth. And if I must dip into the waters of superficiality then please let me say this, with all the hair woes of sisters on the Hill and in the House, it's such a relief to have Michelle whose coif is always tight and right. Maybe now we can all focus on what really matters... cleaning House!

Media Madness: The Wire, The Voice & Essence Mag

2008-01-03T17:49:00.001-05:00

Last night as I was preparing for bed, I decided to flip to HBO to see what was popping and ended up catching the First Look for the upcoming last season of The Wire. Whoa, that joint was so fascinating that I ended up watching the entire segment! Featuring interviews with cast members about their roles and intertwining that with interviews with real life folk on whose lives these cast members base their characters and then juxtaposing all that against the real-city life of Baltimore it was very insightful and even a tad bit riveting. It totally resonated with me because this upcoming season, if you haven't heard, revolves around the media, The Baltimore Sun, in particular and how the media can distort, challenge and define what is considered factual, especially in criminal investigations and most especially when they involve Black folk, specifically Black men. Catch my drift?

Never mind that it's edgy plots, hard core portrayal of drug slinging and raw characterizations rendered Denzel's American Gangster into nothing more than Ken Burns fodder for me, The Wire ironically and simply is a testament to great screenwriting and amazing journalistic depth.

And I had no idea who or what would be exacted in executive producer David Simon's scope this season so this was a pleasant surprise especially after just griping that afternoon about the absolute booty crust attempt at writing record reviews in this week's Village Voice. Print advertising is down and newspapers are especially shook with corporate buyouts left and right and so I'm guessing editors just don't give a fluck about dope styles, personal voice, description, knowledge of subject matter and general literacy because what I read about Cassidy and Gucci Mane and the rest of dem rappers was most definitely fluckless. I felt like I was reading someone's blog, a scraggly one at that-- run on thoughts tapped out in the middle of the night in a drunken haze of overambition and idiocy. I can't believe this is the same paper that has published gems by writers like Greg Tate, Michael Gonzales, Joan Morgan and Nelson George. Not only did /do I value my work experience at The Voice, but I give soooo much credit to becoming a good writer from reading, writing and inhaling The Voice back in the 90's! Reading that review really hurt me and my sensibilities.

My other beef, no I'll say, utter confoundment, is with Essence Magazine. Can someone (and I know there are folks reading this that know) please explain to me why the January issue was only 170 pages? Either do a year-end double issue like most mags or publish a real full-bodied issue. That joint was so thin... my Pathmark circular is thicker. I knew it had to be a joke especially since Juanita Bynum is on the cover, especially since she was just featured in the previous issue, especially since the feature is based on the same interview from the previous issue. I could not believe they recycled info that was just used. Like I would have forgotten that I just read that mofo four weeks ago. Huh? Before I could even ask what da hell is going on over there, I get hit up by Miles Marshall Lewis about Susan Taylor leaving Essence. What?!? But she is Essence. Yeah something is going on over there. First of all she exits during the holiday break when everything is quiet and closed and then the Times article doesn't even feature quotes from current staff members about her exit. Can someone please hit me up about what’s really going on. You can post anonymously.

And even though this is kinda old, since I'm on the topic of exits and publishing mayhem. Here's some news about Len Burnett and other folk bouncing from Vibe.

R.I.P. - Benazir Bhutto

2007-12-28T23:32:00.001-05:00

Somehow I thought something like this would happen, but I guess deep down inside I didn't really believe it would happen as I am suprised, and deeply saddened by Benazir Bhutto's assasination. Here is one of her last interviews. May she rest in peace.

Cipher Space: FaceBook, LinkedIn, MySpace

2007-12-17T12:36:00.001-05:00

I spent an inordinate amount of time yesterday on Facebook. I became obsessed looking for old colleagues, international buddies and fellow college classmates. Seriously, I was on there for more than three hours... on a Sunday. When I should have been mopping, writing holiday cards or paying bills I was instead trying to find folks that I hung out with in South Africa and folks that graduated from Williams College. Fo' real peeps I was having an online meltdown. Everyone keeps telling me Facebook is The Ish, and that Myspace is dead and Linked-In is so 2005, but for all of their hootin and hollerin, I could only find one person from my graduating class on FB.This was even more distressful because we have a major reunion coming up in June and I really want Black folks to show up and get our Berkshire swerve on. But how can we get together in the boonies, when I can't even find folk on supposedly one of the hottest and most popular online networks there is. Now I found plenty of my white compadres that I worked with and schooled with, but I was really surprised by the high frequency of times I got "Name Not Found" when I searched for one of the many faces of color I used to know.

And for the record, I'm still not ready, set, go on believing in the power of online networking-- virtual or otherwise, I'm still doubtful. But even in the midst of my doubt, it seems like every month or so I get convinced, errr suckered, to join a new network, post my pic and rule the world (wide web) or at least have enough friends to do so together.

First there was MySpace: my man Greg was on me like toffee to join and I did and initially was thrilled and of course obsessed in my mission to "get friends." MySpace was hot! I discovered so many new artists and cool blogs and got updates on when my favorite artists would be performing. And of course I made friends-- 711 and counting. But what I discovered is the more “friends” you have, the more likely you are to get spammed with stupid messages about free gift certificates from Macy's or even worse, the easier it is for you to get hacked and lose your entire identity, um I mean profile. At the very least, having so many "friends" makes it harder for you to find the comments and bulletins from the folks you really care about and know... your real friends. Kinda like real life, huh, with all our technology and lack of intimacy? So Myspace isn't dead for me cause I still use it to promote this here blog and to connect with artists like Imani and Alice, but it's just not the space for me.

Next there was LinkedIn and my girl Melinda hood-linked me into joining this cipher. After investing so much into Myspace though I was a bit more cautious this time out and asked her several questions on what this community was all about and of course how it could best serve me knowing that I was already down with Tom and his crew. She convinced me that LinkedIn was the more mature version of MySpace and that it was great for professional wheelings and dealings. Well alrighty then, I thought! This sounds like a community I need to be a part of and in the beginning I was psyched, finding people I used to work with and even a few fellow alumni. And although I was linking-up left and right, I was still wondering about those elusive deals and new found business ventures I was supposed to be getting. I quickly realized that LinkedIn was going to require me to do a lot more footwork. The same kinda footwork that I do offline would have to be done here. That's just smurfy! And yeah I know, through my "CONNECTIONS" I'm like hooked-up to 4,000 people, but in order to get to those folk I have to get introduced by a friend or try to email them cold. And please the 3rd degree? Yeah I have 250,000 connections, but I can't even access them unless I upgrade my account and handover my Visa digits. Instead of martinis at the Four Seasons, a night out at Scores or some form of payola, it's Paypal. Either way it takes money to have real connections and make real deals. Huh, just like the real world again.

And last but not least, the motherland of matrix mash-ups-- FaceBook. I wasn't even going to mess with FB because by now I was feeling like I was a member of more social networks than a Jack & Jill swingin, Delta stepping, praying Deaconess. But when I went to South Africa (which I'm going to blog extensively about over the holidays) EVERYONE was down with FB and scoffed at me when I mentioned hooking up through MySpace. You would have thought I was asking my JoBurg homies to use Morse Code. So now that I'm down with FB I must say it is on and popping with all of their super walls and graffiti. I have 'poked' a ton of folks from my past and am hooked up with all of my international buddies. I'm finding it's a really useful way to stay in touch with friends and associates who do not live in NYC and I've been a bit more personal on FB than the other platforms.

So for now I'm totally content with my online hood. But recognize yo, at the end of the day nothing makes me happier than receiving a good ole fashion, handwritten letter in my mailbox. I love sending out and receiving Christmas cards and just bought a box of cute notecards from Papyrus. Online networking and texting is cool, but a note that says 'I love you' or an 'I'm just thinking of you' postcard from a far off locale or coffee with one of my mentors or a fried fish dinner with my mom... priceless!

Perfect Holiday, I Am Legend & Erykah Badu

2007-12-14T12:24:00.001-05:00

Okay, so is it me or does it seem like Perfect Holiday is just like that other x-mas flick that came out last month? And damn isn't Gabrielle Union in that one too? Maybe I'm wrong. The movies are just so similar that I can't begin to wonder who in da hell thought we needed another movie like this. Two of a kind can be sweet, but give me a break with the whole waiting-to-exhale-chocolate-covered-As The World Turns soul-on-lukewarm-collard greens-drama! I understand that Tyler Perry's vehicle is a money generator but enough already! And last night when I was watching this special preview on BET (I guess this is what I get for watching BET... no offense Alvin & Thembisa!), Gabs Union had the nerve to say the chararcter that Charlie Murphy portrays is similar to some of our music moguls of today and that she's sure Jay-Z and Puffy can relate. Are you fricking kidding me?! Just in case y'all don't know, Gabby plays a divorcee mother of three to Charlie Murphy (who is a famous music exec) and she meets her love (Morris Chestnut, of course) in a mall cause his occupation is part-time Santy Clause. As if Kim Porter (mother of three) would even step foot in a mall and you know she ain't even checking for no man that has a part-time gig wearing a big red costume! And that goes for Tracy Edmonds too. Sheeeit even in real life Morris ain't banking loot like Eddie, not even by a long shot, which is what this movie is-- a long shot into the non-imaginative mind of someone I thought had way more skills on the music side of this here entertainment business... oh well. I know Hollywood doesn't have a clue but c'mon Black folks are so varied, so different, so freaking multi-culti that everytime I look at what's coming down the pike in terms of movies that feature Black folk I throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Well on the upside, all of the flimsiness out there has actually started to make "I Am Legend" look good to me now. I just peeped this trailer and might have to check it out:

I also just peeped this infomercial on Erykah Badu's new single Honey and liked what she said so much that I'd thought I share it with you.

Honey

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If only we had someone in Hollywood, greenlighting projects as freeminded, witty and as Black as Erykah then I'm sure I would have seen this on the big screen and not on my laptop. Have a good weekend!

Finding Inspiration: Aileys' "Revelations," Ayo's "Joyful," & Felicia Pride's The Message

2007-12-10T13:55:00.001-05:00

As a writer, an artist, I am constantly searching for inspiration. Mama needs her muses. And more often than not, the more I look, even here in this metropolis of theatrics, edge and delights known as NYC, the less inspired I become. To be honest I never find inspiration, inspiration finds me.

And last Thursday night was one of those moments when inspiration kissed me on the back of my neck. I was just totally caught off guard by Alvin Ailey's Dance Theater and their performances of Night Creature (see above photo), Pas De Duke, The River and my all time fave, Revelations. For many, many years my mom and I went practically every December but I haven't been in about 3 years and I guess I forgot how absolutely invigorating, awesome and lovely the AA dancers and choreography can be. Specifically with Alvin Ailey it’s the music that gets me. Night Creature and Pas De Duke both showcased the romantic, lyrically seductive compositions of Duke Ellington. And Revelations, wow Revelations just grabs me and drenches me in hope, passion and fortitude. By the time Rocka My Soul starts playing and the women start waving their yellow fans, I’m on my feet—exhilarated and proud.

Still feeling the glow, my soul was rocked again last night when I had the opportunity to see singer Ayo open for Babyface at the Nokia Theater. If you don’t know of her now, believe me you will! Born in Germany and raised in Paris and New York she has a really interesting sound that is part Corinne Bailey Rae, part Tracy Chapman, part Miriam Makeba. When she sang "On My Knees" you could hear a pin drop and when she finished the crowd erupted into cheers and screams of “We love you Ayo.” Check out her video for Help Is On The Way and see why I’m still lifted.

Over the weekend I also had a chance to check out Felicia (of The Backlist) Pride's new book The Message. I have to admit I was doubtful about an “inspirational” book of hiphop lyrics cause here lately I just haven’t thought of hiphop as being inspirational. But Felicia really did a supa fly job at picking lyrics that resonate on a historical, err nostalgic level, but by using personal anecdotes as a backdrop she also creates these mini “life lessons” that reminded me of the importance of partnership (“It Takes Two”) and self-esteem (“Brown Skin Lady”). The Message is sorta like Chicken Soup for The Soul but it bounces and sways. More like the chicken noodle soup dance for your booty.

Shop N' Mingle & Najwa Moses Rock Harlem

2007-12-03T13:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I attended Shop N' Mingle, an event produced by BK hotspot Harriet's Alter Ego. Usually held at Turning Heads Salon, this year Ngozi and crew moved their shopping bazaar to The National Black Theater and that made a hell of a difference (forget shop til you drop, last year was sweat til you're sopping wet). The new space was cool and gave vendors a real space in which to hawk their wares and for DJ Lynee Denise to spin. Folks were even able to get their 2-step, drop and bounce on when she played the JB's Girl I'll House You.

Unfortunately the snow definitely did a number on the numbers cause it wasn't packed like usual and I think this year they were expecting something like 600 people. And with all that they were offering-- an open bar, makeovers, complimentary desserts and a free gift bag with purchase I know they would have surely pulled at least that many folk, if not more. And talking about gift bags, I really feel like by now I'm an expert as I've scooped more than 200 or so bags in my ever enriched event hopping career and I must say the one distributes at this event is consistently in my Top 10 of best gift bags ever, up there with my Time Out and MTVN gift bags. There had to be at least $75 worth of goodies in the bag-- everything from Vitamin Water to Miss Jessie's Rapid Recovery Treatment.

In line with stepping up their vending game, SNM was hosted by Najwa Moses, founder of the bold and eclectic Styleaholics. Miss Najwa was ready-set-go even at 5pm when I arrived, still looking fresh to def and totally excited about her new line of handmade leather earrings. I scooped up a beautiful pair with gold links and ice blue leather. She even has a fabulous style that she's named The Blogger, which come in either bronze, blue or black leather and feature tiny diamond and circular shaped cut-outs.

** As a way of showing her love for theHotness, Najwa is giving away a pair of the Blogger style earrings to the first person who posts below (in the comments section) the name of the major shopping event she launched in 2001 and in 2005 attracted over 1000 attendees (check her website for answer). **

Along with the earrings, I also nabbed a fresh Tuff Like Iron T-shirt that features a turquoise silhouetted image of a Rwandan woman and the flyest belt bag designed by Harriet's. And to think a year ago I was sweating that Gucci version which has been so bootlegged that now I see 9-year old girls rocking them with their Dora jeans and grandmama's using them to carry their laundry money and Bingo chips. Even though I still got a thang for Gucci, more often than not, I find that the most stylish ish is being produced by independent designers around the way.

And this leaves me with my only gripe, which is why SNM is billed as "Uptown's Premier Shopping Event," when in fact most of the designers and vendors are from Brooklyn? It just makes me curious as to why they don’t attract more vendors from Harlem. I know someone reading this has to have the answers so please post them below and let me know what's up. And don't think that I'm hatin on Brooklyn cause y'all know from posts like these that I have mad love and would really just hate to have to start trekking over the bridge to experience this event. I'm just trying to wrangle up that Uptown flava whenever and wherever I can before it's all gone.

African American Women: Where They Stand

2007-11-27T23:57:00.002-05:00

On Monday, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams kicked off their series African American Women: Where They Stand, a five-part series exploring some of the issues facing African American women. Veteran reporter, Brian Williams opened the segment by introducing the critical issue of education and the large disparity in achievement between African-American men and women graduating from college. Knowing that I was not going to catch the first segment, I asked my friend and fellow writer Renee Cole to check it out and let me know what she thought. Below is her review:

Rehema Ellis, an African American NBC General News Correspondent began by featuring Mia Jackson, a 39-year old single mother from Maryland, who graduated from Stanford University and currently owns a successful marketing business.

A Black woman that graduated from one of the top schools in the U.S. and owns a successful business is hardly stereotypical, but when Ellis comments that Jackson "likes being in charge," and then adds, "it is the reason she left the corporate world,” one can’t help but wonder if she is suggesting that that is the same reason Ms. Jackson is single. And therein lies the stereotype: Black women want to run stuff. They like to be in charge and society (read white people) can’t deal with an assertive Black woman.

The report continued by highlighting the huge disparity between Black women and Black men as being 'rooted in education.' Ellis stated 64% of college graduates are women outnumbering men at college campuses 7:1. She mentions the reasons for the disparities are complicated alluding to the fact that there are other implications regarding the social status of African American men. She goes on to say, "Some people blame schools that often give up on African American males at the elementary level."

After a short portion of the video for the rap song, In Da Club by 50-Cent plays in the background, Ellis says, "In a society that celebrates bad boy images Black males get the idea that dropping out of school is better than staying in."

Without going into too many details the subliminal message here is young Black men are too busy getting caught up thinking that living a thug life and surviving long enough to rap about it can lead to success faster and easier than attending school and graduating.

The segment was short-- about 2 minutes in length, but unlike other mainstream features about African Americans, I feel it was fair, balanced and consistent. Ellis presented the reality that Black women like Mia Jackson are using education to make great economic strides controlling their own destiny and yes, in charge! Ms. Jackson hopes that her daughter, a sophomore at Stanford, continues to promote the advancement of African American women.

The point is Black women are using education to make power moves, do the damn thing and make it happen. You can believe Black women stand high and mighty when it comes to education and economic achievement, but Black women often stand alone. If Black women are excelling while Black men are lagging behind, falling prey to social injustices and a pervasive subculture called hip hop, what will be the overall impact on African Americans? That is something that should be addressed, but in all fairness to Ms. Ellis, the segment was about Black women.

When Is A Noose, Not A Noose?

2007-10-26T18:55:00.001-04:00

Well it would seem that after reading this story that a noose ain't a noose when it's a lasso. Folks in Jena, Louisiana, (read Black folk) and throughout this country have had it all wrong. Here we are thinking that those students were making a racially defamatory statement when all along they were playing cowboy.

An investigation by school officials, police, and an FBI agent revealed the true motivation behind the placing of two nooses in the tree the day after the assembly. According to the expulsion committee, the crudely constructed nooses were not aimed at black students. Instead, they were understood to be a prank by three white students aimed at their fellow white friends, members of the school rodeo team. (The students apparently got the idea from watching episodes of "Lonesome Dove.")

This is crazy and so very insulting! When will this madness be called out for what it is... by everyone Black, White, Asian, etc? I'm wondering now, is this a result of some Black folk saying it's okay to use the n-word because it's seen as a term of affection? So now they can say we didn't know nooses were bad and offensive, we just thought they were used for catching cattle. And what about Isiah saying it's okay for Black men to call Black women b*tches? It's got me wondering how many of these perceptions and actions are by-products and the results of some of our own ignorance? If you gain weight from eating poorly, what the hell is gonna happen when a community thinks of themselves so poorly for so long?

Out of Fashion: The Absence of Color

2007-10-16T14:21:00.004-04:00

Last night's discussion led by former model and agency owner, Bethann Hardison was in many ways like a long overdue family reunion. There were photos to be taken, dirty laundry needed to be aired and points had to be made, but mostly it was time to strengthen 'the ties that bind.'

"One of the first steps toward change is by pricking," said Bethann in her opening remarks, her hand motioning as if pinching at some indiscriminate matter. "Tonight we are here to continue the discussion and begin the process for change." And so it was that so many folks, mostly from the fashion industry, gathered at the NY Public Library to talk about the ever decreasing numbers of Black models appearing on runways and in major editorial spreads. I walked in with Beverly Smith (formerly of Vibe), IMG model Quiana Grant and Harriette Cole from Ebony magazine and as we were led through what had to be a 15-minute labyrinth of twists, turns and ramps and two elevator rides, the excitement became that much more palpable. Although this was my first time meeting Beverly and Quiana, I felt an immediate sense of sisterhood, which living in NYC, is something quite rare. Our rapport was warm and humorous like it should be between homegirls. And even though Quiana was the only model in our mix, Bev, Harriette and I knew that we were there because the dilemma, that thing that needed to be pricked, affected us all.

The event was sold-out and it was standing room only. No surprise after the article in Sunday's NY Times and the hoopla Vivienne Westwood made in Sunday's London's Telegraph. After taking my seat and looking around I noticed so many familiar faces in the crowd including Iman, Tia Williams, Claude Grunitzky, and Barron Claiborne all sitting in the front row. Also in the house were: Beverly Smith, Yaya DaCosta, Vera Wang, Michaela angela Davis, Beverly Bond, Marc Baptiste, Memsor Kamara, and Jaunel Mckenzie and so many more whose names escape me right now.

The night got off to a rather fiery start when former model and current agent, David Ralph spoke about the kind of Black models that are usually booked. Using Liya Kebede (think Estee lauder campaign) he asserted that the reason she is booked more frequently than an Alek Wek is that her features are "smaller and finer" and therefore more accessable (read European) in character than African. The straw that broke the camel's back though or should I say got under Iman's skin, was when he said that he knows these women are thought of as white women "dipped in chocolate." Immediately shooting from the hip Iman blasted back, "I take offense when people say to me I look like a white woman dipped in chocolate. I am African and I look like an African!" She put him on blast and everyone knew what she felt like saying was "That's bullsh*t," but Sister Iman, as I referred to her later that night in my comments, is a lady. She spoke, no she challenged Mr. Ralph on these notions and for her five minutes on the mic she never relented. It was so dang refreshing to see her, in particular, show just how personal, hurtful, rude and repercussive this kind of thinking can be. Too often we sit with our legs crossed and talk politely, intellectually, about racism and the weight it bears on our professional and personal lives, but every now and then we need someone to shout and show just how pissed off we are. I really wish I'd had gotten video of her and some of the other conversationalists, which included designer Tracy Reese, casting agent James Scully and stylist Lori Goldstein.

After an extensive Q&A that touched on a number of topics from why Black models wear weaves to a suggestion that we no longer support (ie. buy) goods from labels like Prada that do not hire Black models (that idea was immediately shot down b/c on an international level there just isn't enough of us that Prada would even care never mind be affected by our ban), Bethann wrapped up the night's activities by speaking about designers not liking models anymore and not developing relationships with girls and the consequences of no longer having models with personalities and its visual effect on the runways in terms of overwhelming blandness and subdued racism.

Glamour Mess, Black Girls "Out of Fashion" & Trace Mag

2007-10-11T23:06:00.003-04:00

So this Glamour mess is still a brewing just stinking up an already racist publishing industry (don't believe me find out how many Black models have graced the cover of Vogue-- more on this later). On this site they delve into the issue by featuring a post entitled How Does a Black Woman Feel About the Glamour Controversy? The writer, Dodai Stewart, says some things that got me nodding in agreement but then she said quite a few things that had me saying aloud 'Oh hell to the no!' Like she questions what qualifies as racism at least two or three times throughout the piece. Are we still unsure... even in 2007? She says:

I believe that plenty of well-intentioned people make ignorant, misinformed, undereducated statements all the time. Does that make them racists?

I say 'Yeah, damn skippy it does!' That's like the comment I read online the other night when someone had the audacity to say that hanging a noose on a tree where Black students hangout or on the door of a Black ivy league professor isn't the same as actually hanging someone from a noose. Oh so now we gotta wait until the bodies are dangling? Until we hear the n-word shouted? Until the strange fruit blows stinking in the wind?!? Please people work with me. What she said is racist and yes that makes her racist. And no that doesn't mean I think she has a white hooded robe hanging in her closet next to her Nicole Miller sundress. There are many faces and degrees of racism. But it's all connected and it all stems from and is racism.

She then asks:

Would Beyoncé be the star she is now if her skin were darker, like her Destiny's Child cohorts?

Um yeah she would be! Bey is just way more talented (and driven) and no one can deny that. If Michelle were the lightest girl in the group she would NOT have been the star. I'm not saying the music industry is free of racism because we all know that's not true, but unlike the fashion and movie industries, there seems to be a bit more latitude. Look at Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Meshell Ndegeocello & Lauryn Hill. Sometimes nappy headed, dark skin sisters do make it through. And I'm sure this is largely because music unlike fashion and film is more of a visceral experience than visual. Even in the face of MTV it still matters more what you sound like than what you look like. Just ask Cassie or Britney! You will be hard press to find the same percentage of sisters like this in Hollywood and even more so in Fashion and I'm talking high-fashion not the Ebony Fashion Shows or Upscale magazine covers. I'm talking Gucci & Prada shows, Vogue covers, et. al. And because so many Black women purchase and rock Gucci and Prada that situation is that much more complicated. Even the usually comedic Miss J from America's Next Top Model had to speak out on the lack of diversity.

On that note, Bethann Hardison is back on the case-- focusing attention on the growing trend of not booking Black models for major cover and advertorial shoots and for fashion weeks here in the States and also in Milan and Paris. She created the, currently dormant, Black Girls Coalition in 1988 and it really seems like there is a need for that organization now more than ever. She had a forum in September that was attended by what seemed like all the top Black girls in the biz including Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede and Iman. She continues the conversation this Monday October 15th. Please come out and support this important cause. From the aforementioned controversy there couldn't be a more apt time.

And finally, on the upside of Blackness in the media, I finally, finally got my Black Girls Rule issue of Trace mag. I know I'm mad late with this one, but I have been eagerly awaiting what y'all know is my favorite issue of this mag and one of my favorites of any mag. It seems like I can only find the issue on 23rd or 14th streets, but thanks to Carol at Susan Blond she hooked me up. And the issue was definitely worth waiting for cause Iman guest edits this time ‘round. The Unsung feature about all these cool sisters doing great community work should have been much bigger. I wanted to know more about these extraordinary women. The bi-racial story was well done and the Black models featured were on point (although I felt like I was looking at the same 3 wigs over the course of a 31-page spread. It would have been nice to see more variety-- hair that had some texture would have been hot and ideal right about now). Anyway if you can find it and check it out.

VH1's Hip Hop Honors

2007-10-09T12:52:00.002-04:00

Well last night VH1 unfurled and hurled at us one of their most notorious, most popular and probably most successful shows, their "VH1's Hip Hop Honors." It was something that I was actually looking forward to especially after not participating or attending one of the many events held in NYC in conjunction with this highly feted event.

I heard that Dougie Fresh performed at Plumm last Thursday night. On Friday there was some panel with the unfortunate, lame as$, oh so tired title "Does Hip Hop Hate Women" (hip hop is a culture first of all; and can we stop just looking at rap and look at our communities, at education, at family life... shoot the more interesting topic would be does the public educational system hate black children or does US Healthcare hate Black women and if so how do these dilemmas affect the shape and contours of Black (self) love). This panel was produced ironically by this hip organization with the crazy cool name Black Girls Rock! that on the following night, kicked it up 50 notches with an awards ceremony that honored women of color in the hip hop game like Missy Elliott, music industry prez Sylvia Rhone and designer Tracy Reese. If the weather wasn't so dang amazing this past weekend I would've love to have attended the awards ceremony, which I think is an absolutely wonderful and most needed exercise in these days when sisters are still overlooked for their many accomplishments. I was also invited to my very first 'gifting lounge' like the kind they have at the Oscars but alas the ocean was calling my name and I couldn't resist Her sweet whisper and so I headed to Sag where I went swimming, sunning and even attempted to fish with a rickety rod. I was totally, incredibly blissed out!

So last night back in the city I wanted to get my taste of Hip Hop Honors and see what I had missed. These are my thoughts. Please tell me what you thought:

The Best:
The tributes to Tribe and Wild Style (seeing Grandmaster Caz, KRS-One and Busy Bee, backed by Grandwizard Theodore on one stage gave me goosebumps) were top-notch but the best moment of the night for me was seeing Whodini on stage. They looked like they were having fun and when the guys started battle dancing and freestyling it instantly took me back to the days when rap music was pure fun and brothas used to dance and act silly all the while keepin it funky fresh. The fact they ended their set by literally pulling Grandmaster Dee of of the turntables was also special because everyone knows hip hop, back in the day, was all about the dj and so that was a very symbolic end to a hot performance.

The Worse:
There's nothing more excruciating than T-Pain w/o his vocoder or voice synthesizer. He can't sing a lick and tarnished the entire New Jack swing set. I know Andre Harrell was pissed!

The Most Inexplicable Guest:
Harvey Keitel

The Least Recognizable Guest:
Phife - man has he aged but he's been sick struggling with diabetes and from I've heard needs a kidney transplant so that I guess would also explain the bloating

Pepa – what's up with her Latoya Jackson nose job. And you can tell she obviously had the surgery after her VH1 loot came through because in previews of her and Salt's show she's got, what Paul Mooney would call, her Black nose. She unlike Phife has NO excuse!

Most Fun Moments:
Hearing the honorees talk about their genesis and evolution especially Snoop, Andre & Whodini!

Dead Air:
After awhile Tracy Morgan's taxi hip hop escapades got a bit redundant and stupid.

Overall it was cool. I am a big fan of Tribe and Snoop; I've had Wild Style on VHS since the early 90's; used to sweat out my press & curl dancing to Whodini's Friends and The Freaks Come out at Night; and I still have my Teddy Riley – Marley Marl 'New Jack Swing' mix tape that I recorded straight off the radio waaaay back in the day.

I'm not sure how it is that Missy who I LOVE got inducted before Queen Latifah. I just don't feel like she has the history or is a legend like that quite yet. Her all grrrl tribute though was nice and I must say I was most impressed by Nelly Furtado. Her tone, cadence and inflection of melody is stupid fresh never mind that fly Black dress she rocked. Does anyone know if she wrote her verse in the remix to Get Ur Freak ON? Yo she may need to start rhyming and if she can flow as tightly in Spanish and sing.. she could really do some damage.
It was good to see Tweet although I couldn't really see her for the mop on her head but you know what I mean. And after last night performance I look forward to finally hearing Tip's solo record. Has anyone seen him on tour with Common? It seems like he still has a lot of fire up in those bones and his vocal chords are still nice and chiseled with that quirky uniquely cute voice of his. What did you think of the show?

And what is up with women in hip hop? We weren't well represented last night but then again half of the ladies are going to jail or just got out-- Foxy, Remy, Lil Kim and Eve. A couple are alleged looney tunes Lauryn Hill and Da Brat. And the rest are simply MIA—Rage, Miss Melody, Rah Digga, Yo-Yo.

What other women in hip hop could/ should VH1 honor? Check out one of my faves> And someone please tell me where I can get a Wild Style t-shirt? Holllaaaa!

Dis-sing: Disgust, Disillusionment and Discovery

2007-10-08T18:36:00.002-04:00

It's Monday. Columbus "Discoverus Americus Post-Africanus" Day at that. Y'all do know that long before the Santa Maria ever hit the shore of this here "New World," West Africans were all up in this piece trading tools, gold and boats and frying okra. Anyway it's one of those days that I feel a lil' on edge. The activist in me resents that I have to work and this beautiful weather is just not making the situation any easier. I really can't believe I was swimming in Sag Harbor just two days ago in October! So in light of my discomfort and disgust, I feel a rant is in order.

Marion Jones-- a heartbreaker. And does her apology make her act any less vile? Nope. Should the entire 4x400 relay team be forced to return their medals for indiscretion? Hell no! I really hope they do not strip the entire team. Besides being shamed and possibly imprisoned, Marion will get her booty kicked if LaTasha Colander-Richardson has to return her gold medal.

Taking "the clear" and thinking it was flaxseed oil was stupid. I mean in 2000 I was so dang happy cause Black grrrls were killin it at the Olympic Games and I considered Marion to be one of the greatest athletes of my time. Her lack of judgement and poor management is really what I find so disheartening.

And speaking of stupid, asinine behavior... no I'm not going to bring up OJ that's just too obvious and too stupid. It looks like former Glamour fashion editor-- Ashley Baker, who told a room full of lawyers at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton about the (Black hair) dos and don'ts of the workplace got the boot last week and is making headlines today.

According to American Lawyer magazine, the editor showed a slide of an African-American female wearing an afro. "A real no-no, announced the Glamour editor to the 40 or so lawyers in the room. As for dreadlocks: How truly dreadful! The style maven said it was 'shocking' that some people still think it 'appropriate' to wear those hairstyles at the office. 'No offense,' she sniffed, but those 'political' hairstyles really have to go."

I wasn't sure if this was still newsworthy, but according to Gawker and today's Post I guess it is, which is ironic cause just last Tuesday night my stylist who is a sister didn't think it was still relevant. "Old news," she stated. And she added that if you have "messy locks and a big fro out to here," she extended her arms a foot above her head to make her point, "then that is unacceptable in corporate America and these young people do need to know." Needless to say we got into a debate about that that extended throughout my entire time under the steamer. I disagreed about her assumption that young Black women, specifically in this case, young obviously educated, Black attorneys, not knowing what is acceptable 'hair-code' and wondered why when we talk about fros and locks, the extreme position is assumed about our hair. It's gotta be big, unkempt, nappy, knotted and crazy. I mean of course that's unacceptable in a major law firm, but if Gabrielle Union never combed her weave and it was tangled, knotted and smelled, I'm sure she wouldn't have been invited to the set of "Daddy's Little Girls" either. But then again we rarely talk about relaxed her being unkempt, radical and outrageous. It's the political hairdos that get us sisters into a pot of lye every time.

And this whole situation stinks (like a pot of lye). Just like I don't believe for one second that Marion Jones thought that flaxseed was given her all of that strength and speed and muscle tone. (Dang every now and then I get a flaxseed booster in my smoothie and I'll be damned if I'm not huffing and puffing after I running for the 6-train, but I digress). I don't believe that Glamour's Editrix Cindy Leive had no knowledge of lil' Miss Baker's speaking engagement when it was posted on their site the day the presentation went down.

Secondly all of this talk about homegirl not being a racist just needs to cease. Her comments were ignorant and based on bias and therefore racist notto mention supa dupa dumb in light of what just happened to Imus. People often think that being a racist must mean you are guilty of calling someone the n-word or hanging nooses on trees under which Black students hangout. Although the folks in Jena don't think they are racists either, but often racism is more complicated and subtle. I remember my first job outta college was at Smith Barney Shearson and I was working in HR. The Friday before I was to have my relaxed hair cut into a short twisted natural, I approached the VP of my dept and told her that on Monday I would be sporting a short coif. I did it out of fear that I my new look may cause a rumble in the office. On Monday after seeing my lil twists, my boss exclaimed how wonderful my new hairstyle was and that it really showed off my beautiful features. A month later I was rocking an afro and got my first promotion. I'm not going to say that Black folk aren't professionally maligned because they decided to rock dreadlocks or a fro but for a lot of us that marginalization happens first in our minds and we seldom take the chance to show off our natural-ness. I feel like if more of us did then Ashley may have thought twice about saying what she did. Anyhoo she's resigned/ terminated from Glamour and can now spend her time looking for a new gig instead of trying to school lawyers on style. That in and of itself seems so absurd. What law firm has that kinda time(eh- hem besides Gottlieb that is)? In all of my years working, I've never had some type of company sponsored lecture on style. Sometimes I look around and wish we had one at my workplace, but then for the most part I feel like if you gotta work on a nonsense holiday in 80-degree weather then we should be able to wear whateva the frack we wanna wear.

My Black Grrrl Matrix

2007-09-27T15:17:00.001-04:00

Damn I know it's been a minute. Okay six months, but who's counting! I had to take a time-out and unplug from this crazy, super desensitizing, often confusing, often exhausting, manic matrix in which we live and work.

As many of you know or have heard my dad passed away. Cornelius "Kurt" Moore-- my hero and inspiration transitioned in March of this year. I felt his loss in everything I did or saw. Tasted it in everything I consumed and breathed. It was beyond hard and so I took the advice of so many of my friends who told me to, "be gentle with yourself and be still."

Back in April though, around my birthday, I thought it was high time I resume my life. Get back to what I was doing before ish hit the fan-- blogging, marketing, hanging, dating, but thangs had changed. I had changed and it hit me like a fire hydrant that is suddenly opened. Intense yet invigorating. I gotta find my way all over again. A new way. Around that time I discovered this wonderful quote by Rilke:

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves...
Don't search for the answers,
which could not be given to you now,
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it,
live your way into the answer.

And so now I'm living the questions of my life. The unanswerables around death. The inexplicables of the US healthcare system. The whys of a failed, yet most heartfelt relationship. It's hard at first not to search for the answers, but in the end it is much easier.

So for 6 months I cocooned myself in a Black Grrrl Matrix of relaxation, solitude, sisterhood and communion. Now it may sound like I was all up under the covers but I hung out... well sometimes.

Like in March I went to Vibe/ Vibe Vixen's supa dupa big issue party at Cipriani's in Chelsea and like many "industry" parties nowadays it was overbooked and I spent a good 30 minutes at the rope trying to get in. But this was my first time being behind the rope with the likes of Def Jammers Kevin Liles, Lyor Cohen, Baby Phat publicist BJ Coleman, Rocsi from 106 & Park, Zab Judah and two NY Knickerbockers. It was ghetto... err urban pandemonium out there. BJ was threatening to punch several key Vibe editorial & sales execs in the mouth if he didn't get in at once. He screamed, "Baby Phat pays for Vixen. If it weren't for Baby Phat there would be no Vixen. Our ads are why you can afford to have this party"... yada, yada, yada. Everyone in the know, figured that BJ ain't said nothing but a word. There were some pounds and an occasional, "You betta work BJ" hollered out. Meanwhile those folks at Cipriani's just looked at us like we were monkeys in the zoo fighting over a fruit loop. At one point they even closed their big gold and black iron doors right in our faces, but minutes later they were reopened to let Lyor, Kevin and I think that was Dougie Fresh inside. I can't believe how much I remember of this evening. I guess I do cause of all the high-class drama and how I regretted for weeks not taking out my phone and videoing it for all y'all to see. Next time. For the record, BJ got in and no one got smacked; Rocsi went in for like 2 minutes and came stomping out w/ mad tude because they wouldn't allow her plus one in (and that was her co-host Terence); Zab and the Knick playas never got in and yeah I never got in either. Me and my girl Alison had a drink at sorry as$ 40/40. I mean there were only like 3 other people in the spot. Yikes, Oh what a night!

On April 10th, my birthday, before having sushi with the grrrls I actually went to audition for Essence's 30 Dates in 30 Days. Unfortunately I had to break out though before my one-on-one interview. What I remember though most about that experience is how freaking taken aback I was to see sooooooo many fly single sisters. I mean there were hundreds of young Black women there filling out applications and taking polaroids and they were serious too. High heels, sequins, and the weaves were crazy tight, of course! I had on my red Nikes and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Clearly I wasn't ready. Well I was, that's me, but I guess I wasn't ready to take that whole process of auditioning for a date so seriously. I even saw a sister up in there with her very young daughter! But hey clearly she was on a mission and probably couldn't find childcare so she did what she had to do. It was a scene no doubt with Maxwell's "Urban Hang Suite" playing in the background and everything! Now that I see what this was all about I am so glad I opted for spicy tuna rolls over discussing what I would wear on a first date. Having the date broadcast online and having the essence dotcom community choose the man, the location and the "outfit" for my date(um, I stopped wearing outfits when I outgrew the pre-teen dept at Gimbels) is more than a notion. It takes the pressure off? Yeah right. Now you gotta worry about the haters outfitting you in some hootchie gear for a date on some Circle Line cruise. Now that's stressful.

Music, Music, Music. Music was all up in the Black Grrrl Matrix. I listened to so much Imani Uzuri especially Love Story, Sun Moon Child and her cover of Nina Simone's Fodder. When I finally got a chance to see her live in August at Smooch Cafe it was nothing less than amazing! When she started singing You Are The One I couldn't hold it in and cried the tears I was too angry to cry back in the spring. What a release. We had church that night for sure. Imani was calling folks on stage to sing with her-- Mikel, Eisa and damn everyone could sing too! I love the power of good music when it takes you there.

I also went to see Meshell NdegeOcello at the Highline Ballroom. That was a weird show. Not one of my favorites. I heard that she had just played Atlanta and somewhere else and had some issues with audience members taking flash photos (she has epilepsy) and throwing water bottles on stage. I guess she was still dealing with the backlash from all that and just gave us what she could. Of course back at home, in my Matrix, her Bitter and Plantation Lullabies was on continuously on blast. I haven't heard her new record yet but I should have something to say about it by next week.

In May I gotta chance to check out Lorna Simpson's exhibit at the Whitney. I've seen a lot of various pieces in a number of settings but this was the first time seeing so much of her body of work in one setting. I especially love her work that fuses words and phrases with images. My fave is probably "Waterbearer." It's like her visual riff on society and race and gender. Definitely feeling her works that feature wigs, weaves and other types of Black hair pieces and extensions. They are witty, funny, and moving. Oh yeah her cityscapes especially of Madison Square Park is totally different than anything I've ever seen her do, but still provocative like her other works but in a more cerebral soft way. I wish I could remember more (I do however remember not liking her video installations too much) but alas it was 4 months ago. It's so sad that I can remember the details of BJ going berserk but I can't remember more of Lorna's brilliance. MTV is frying my brain! Sorry.

I have so much more tell you. There's the trip I just took to South Africa, Botswana and France. There are these cool organizations for young Black women that I've been checking out (WEEN & My Sister's Keeper). And oh yeah there is crazy Black Grrrl music to review and discuss (MeShell, Jill Scott, Latifah, Keyshia Cole, Chaka Khan, Santogold-- who just opened for Bjork at Madison Square Garden this past Monday!).

So yeah I'm back. Plugged-in and ready to write, to explore, to see what's happening outside my cocoon. Ready to realize some more dreams, to be a mentor, to be more of an activist. To be an editor, an author, a mother and a lover. I'm ready y'all. So let's go!

theHottentot-ness Grrrl

2007-03-08T16:42:00.004-05:00

This past Monday I was invited to a benefit reading of Venus a new work by Suzan-Lori Parks (Top Dog Underdog; Getting Mother's Body). Having done a ton of research on Hottentot Venus, the artist formerly known as Saartjie Baartman, I knew the back story but even with that knowledge in my pocket I was still left mesmerized and deeply moved by Suzan's interpretation and intensity. Yeah I know she got a MacArthur Genius Grant but seriously she is so crazy fricking smart b/c she knows how to connect history and make it relevant to not only current events but to our human psyche and spirit and that's eternal and that why her writing always resonates so crunkly for me. For info on Hottentot Venus check this site out and of course Wikipedia and I really liked this online art project on her too! The woman who played Saartjie (Bridgit Antoinette Evans) was incredibly entrancing. I felt her pain, and sometimes even, figured her pain was somehow mixed-in with Saartjie's. Her tears were real. And her portrayal had to be honest and complex cause Parks's depiction of this Hottentot Venus was not simply as a victim, but as this sister who could flow in French, liked chocolates and so desperately just wanted to be more than the other woman-- she wanted to be truly loved by the doctor who had bought/ rescued her from the circus (literal and symbolic) of her life. So much so that according to Parks' dramatization, she was a bit complicit in her own exploitation. That part had me bugging because in all of my undergrad theorization of the Hottentot Venus phenom, I NEVER saw her as being a hustler, but in this presentation it worked and reminded me of how girls nowadays get caught up whether it be the video chick or the girl around the way who wants some man's attention. It was deep y'all.

Talking about Black women's bodies. It looks like the controversy over Idol pics and whose naked image gets her tossed and whose image gets her fan sympathy continues to boil. Go get em Frenchie!

A President's Day Quickie

2007-02-19T14:04:00.002-05:00

Okay so I'm running out the door but I just stumbled on this editorial by author Trey Ellis. He's commenting on Blackness and politics and therefore on Obama:
I bit my tongue for as long as I could, reading essay after essay about Obama and his "blackness" that were about as insightful as if they'd been written in the era of Flip Wilson. Geez! Doesn't anybody watch the Disney Channel these days? The complexion of America has changed in the last thirty years.

His comments are interesting if not controversial as he takes his 1989 theory on The New Black Aesthetic and remixes it for a discussion on what he calls cultural mulattos:

A genetic mulatto is a black person of mixed parents who often can get along fine with his white grandparents, a cultural mulatto, educated by a multi-racial mix of cultures, can also navigate easily in the white world.

I hear Trey on the prevalence of cultural mulatto-ing. I mean my girl Nae and I have a whole run down on the pros and cons of attending Hunter High School for six years and how our real education came not so much from the literature we studied or the mathematical equations we solved but from our social interactions with boys and girls of all ethnicities, shades and financial backgrounds. We learned things about race that no book can teach and use those same lessons to this day in Corporate America. The whole theory on why do all the Black kids eat at the same lunch table just gets flipped to why do all the Black girls go out for drinks together after work? Do we straddle the fence of being in a Black and White world yeah I guess so. But does that straddling come into conflict with our Blackness. Nope not for us personally and not really for the white or Black folks we deal with. A few things about Trey editorial that I don't understand or agree with:

About Colin Powell-- truth is all my peeps whether they are born in Jamaica or born in England or born here will still say they are Jamaican because that is their culture and their family’s homeland. I don't ever hear any of them say they are Black American and furthermore I don't see what’s the big deal. Maybe I'm missing something here. Please y’all help me out!

This sentence here about Denise, Sandra, Vanessa and Rudy Huxtable:

The culturally mulatto Cosby girls are equally as black as a black teenage welfare mother.

I kinda disagree with him here because of the role class plays in how they rolled in their Blackness and therefore what they were exposed to and how that was played out. I mean the girls never talked about their hair and how different that was from their white friends. What Black girl in all white or in mixed environments never thinks about their hair or their skin complexion especially in the 80’s? (Of course this gets really complicated when we look at Sandra and Denise who in real life are both biracial and looked very much like the genetic mulattas they really were in spite of being cast as the children of two very brown-skinned parents!) In terms of Black culture it is still hard for me to say that the Huxtables were the quintessential Black fam. Just as I have a hard time swallowing that James, Florida and the rest of the Evans crew were the ultimate Black family. I know Trey would ask me was one fam more Black than the other and I guess in theory I would have to say no. It’s just in 2007 it still seems like these types of conversations in the first place do so much to stifle, contort and constrict definitions of all that Black folks are. Do Asians have these same conversations?

And then although I think Trey’s essay is engaging and definitely a good convo for the water cooler I do feel like his last sentence just simplifies everything. But maybe like me he was tight on time and didn't have a chance to say more so I won’t be mad. Alright I gotta bounce there's some President's Day sales I need to check out.

Later.

bell hooks & Sonia Sanchez @Hue-Man TONIGHT!

2007-02-15T01:51:00.002-05:00

Sonia Sanchez and bell hooks come to Harlem: (from website)

bell hooks and Sonia Sanchez have continued to provide the public with exquisite works such as When Angels Speak Of Love, Like Singing Coming Off A Drum, and Shake Loose My Skin. Share this “celebration of love” with Hue-Man and receive first-hand advice from these pioneers of prose.

Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe
2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd
Between 124th and 125th Streets
@6:30-8:30PM

Please Don't Give Me Roses!

2007-02-14T15:12:00.003-05:00

Did you know that the roses you buy from that corner store or shi-shi florist don't even have a scent? Yep they are bred to not smell like a rose or anything for that matter. Allegedly fragrant roses die faster. I discovered this little fact while watching CBS Sunday Morning this past Sunday. So how ironic is it that the one flower most sought out, bought, wrapped and sent to thousands, shoot millions of women on this day has no smell and furthermore will die faster in environments over 60 degrees... of course that would be most places in which humans can thrive especially in the middle of February during snow and sleet storms. But who cares about any of that? As long as they get their long stems on Valentine's Day all these semantics can go to pot, which btw is where those long green thornless stems will be by February 18. Oh yes by February 18th, if not before, all this hype about love, commitment and romance will go back to where it once lived-- in the imagination and desires of women (and men) looking for love in all the wrong places. Frankly I learned at a very young age that Valentines Day is just like Easter (and later to my horror, like Santa-centered Christmases) in that it's a capitalist ideal to commodify love, romance and friendship.

My first Valentine's Day memories are of my dad every February 14th coming home from work with two small red satin hearts filled with Brach's chocolates for my sister and I and one huge box for my mommy that was filled with all kinds of crème filled delights. Getting these gifts didn't show or prove my father's love for me but if anything it was a reminder of the love he had for us—his three ladies. Frankly at least once or twice every week my dad would bring home a treat for us whether it was a pack of lifesavers or some lanyard to make our butterfly key chains-- every week was like Valentine’s for us and no matter how big or small the gift we always acted like we just got a fricking dollhouse or a new bike. We were overjoyed because we liked knowing that even at work we were still foremost on his mind and plus we were greedy girls too!

For whatever strange, cosmic reasons I am usually single on Valentine’s Day and usually, especially this year, quite forgetful that the 14th of February is Cupid’s moment to get his swerve on. That is until I'm out and about. For like three years straight I found myself hanging out with my good friend T on February 14th. At the time we worked together and would always be out and about drinking beer, watching basketball and so it was business as usual for us until we hit the lounges or the bars. There would always be throngs of women at tables talking loud, wearing either red or pink and drinking like nobody’s business. This would seem off because at the locales we would hang, there would never be large groups of women (or even men for that matter) and surely not so many in pink sweaters. I remember one year we went to this spot in SOHO that no one really knew about to get a drink and upon entering we saw like damn near every table filled with women and they were talking loud about not needing a man to be happy and taking shots of tequila to wash down their obvious joy at being ~~single~~ independent. I looked at T and we both laughed and toasted to not being sucked into the lunacy of what this day came to mean for so many women and men.

In 1996 I was dating this dude and I remember asking him what he wanted to do for Valentine’s Day and he said “nothing.” I looked at him like damn could you be a little more specific. But he quickly asked me, “Isn’t everyday you’re with me Valentine’s Day? Don’t I give you flowers and sweets every week? Did I not give you a massage and run a hot aromatherapy bath for you last week? Didn’t I make you a love mixtape for you last month and aren’t we going away to a Connecticut B&B next month? Do we really need to do something on Valentine’s Day when the prices have been jacked up for everything? I was shocked not by the bluntness of his words but how honestly and consistently he had infused love, intimacy and romance into our love life almost daily. And I tell you, that Valentine's Day he cooked dinner for me and we watched TV and listened to jungle music all night and it was great. Ever since then I have been upfront with the men that I date and told them that I really don't care about V-day, but how I expect our relationship to embody all that ish that Valentine's Day promotes for one day everyday. And it's worked out just wonderfully.

Some men get it. Some men don't. This year has been particularly insightful for me because I think I have been more open about my needs to certain suitors and even to my male friends just because as I get older, I'm learning that being vulnerable ain't half bad. Although that can be misconstrued too like when this ex, who after flaking on me three times when I needed his help during a crisis, asked for my help to sell the engagement ring he got his ex-fiance. Or when I asked Mr. J to come over to cuddle and he emailed me back that he would have to pass (as if we were playing poker or something) and then ended up blogging the next day about how he wants to give me more but couldn’t. I swear technology is taking over as the roses of the future—quick, easy and detached.

Seriously, at the end of the day not only do I not want roses, I don’t even like them-- such a boring cliché. I mean what is passion without the scent of sweat, of flowers, of perfume, of a homecooked meal? What is love without ardor? At the end of the day, and the beginning too, I want intimacy, honesty, support, comfort and I want to laugh. I want to hear your voice on the end of the line, I want to feel your breath on the back of my neck, I want you to act on your thoughts and not be afraid.

Shout out to Bill, Greg, Kiani and Karen G. who have all requested that I write more personal posts about life, love and myself. So here’s the first one. Tell me what you think.

Vibe Vixen, Uptown, UNleashed & Giant Mags

2007-02-13T11:46:00.001-05:00

This may be old news for some but I just found out a few weeks ago that Harriette Cole, the former Editorial Director of Uptown, was recently named Creative Director of Ebony.

Cole’s focus in her new position is to try to strengthen the fashion and beauty coverage in Ebony in order to attract younger readers. She is also responsible for the overall look and design of Ebony, which last underwent a redesign in 2003.

That means major staff changes at Uptown as I hear she also nabbed their Art Director, Corinne Walker, before taking flight from their 1-2-5 offices. Erickka Sy Savane, their Editor at Large, the seat I once filled, has also jumped ship. Staying behind and holding it down are original players Sekou "Writes" and Melissa Kramer. Former Vibe Vixen editor, Ayanna Byrd will take the helm as Uptown's new EIC. I hope the Black muckety-muck mag continues to improve cause the current issue with John Legend on the cover is great and surely their best issue yet! (blogger's note: thanks for finally putting JL on the cover it is a good look)

Speaking of Vixen I hear from a very credible source that former Honey EIC and Essence exec, Michaela angela Davis is front runner for that EIC slot. And while I’m mentioning Michaela let me offer a retraction to something I said earlier about Honey that got her a lil riled up. When I said I wasn’t feeling the “last issues” of Honey I didn’t literally mean the last four that were published while she was rocking the top of the masthead. I just meant I wasn’t feeling the direction-- the overall content, the look of the mag after Joicelyn and Kierna left. I remember seeing only one of the issues that Michaela edited but did not see the other three. I did, however, see the 13 or so issues that were published under the two Ms. A’s that helmed the mag before Michaela and I thought they pretty much sucked!

The only thing that probably sucks over at Giant is that big ole vacuum Smokey is pushing to collect the revenue that that mag must be generating with its fantastic ads and the sweet deal they just closed with Radio One. And let’s not forget they had Jennifer Hudson on their cover before both Vogue and Essence.

And about that Vogue cover I was shocked to hear that Jennifer was the first Af-Am singer to grace its cover. I just knew Beyonce had a hold on that record but I guess my grrrl Jen done came in first again.

And oh my Lord, did y’all hear that allegedly Ron Samuel the former Publisher of the very hot looking mag UNleashedwas indicted on money laundering and is now serving time in a Californian jail. Not sure how true that story is but it is one that I’ve heard on more than one occasion. Does anyone know if there’s anything popping at Essence with either the staff or the direction of the mag? And what’s up with the Source and that other new HipHop Weekly publication that Joicelyn and I think Kierna are both working on with Dave Mays? I haven’t even seen it yet? Have you? C’mon gimme the scoop!

Grammy Night

2007-02-12T16:07:00.001-05:00

I missed the first 40 minutes but here's my run-down on last night's show:
1: Mary J. Blige's performance was outstanding! She looked stunning and sophisticated in her silver-white gown (got rid of that diamond tooth). And the whole opera-inspired set was one bit over the top cause MJB was giving us mad royal-flav, divaesque divinations and Kathleen Battle hair. I'm not even one of those chicks that's just crazy about Mary just cause. Honestly I think half the time when she sings her off pitch shrill is not cool. But last night her vocals were strong and sweet like Jamaican coffee on a breezy morning. When she came out later in that red jumpsuit I was floored. Mary looked and sounded better than ever! Last night was ladies night and our grrrl just made us all so proud!

2. On the flip side what the heck was Corinne Bailey Rae doing on stage last night? I kinda like her and her boheme booty but she sat there and strummed all of three notes last night and sang like she was in her bathtub. Does she even know how to play the guitar? Or better yet does she have a pulse?

3. Cee-lo has got the most beautifullest teeth and smile!

4. The audience gave Justin Timberlake a standing ovation, but not Ornette Coleman What the frack?

5. Common is too cute. Is he still single?

6. Was Smokey wearing a Black lace shirt or was my cable just screwed up and didn't he look bug-eyed like he had just seen a ghost or maybe he just made eye contact with Imogen Heap?

7. And why is Lionel Ritchie still the ishniz! I mean I was singing Hello and thinking about that song and how in 2007 it's still fresh and hot like cornbread and warm maple syrup.

8. Christina Aguillera singing It's a Man's World?!? Damn I really wanted to be mad at this Latina/Europhile for thinking she can sing a song so connected to Black Male Power and Identity, but she kinda killed it. Okay she murdered it! Did you see Jamie Foxx's expression afterwards? Honestly I don't think he would have been able to pull it off (I think he knows it too and so that's why he had to give CA a nod up). The same holds true for R. Kelly and Prince although I think their versions would be interesting, they may not really be fitting tributes to the Godfather of Soul. And I'm so glad they didn’t have what seems like the new progenitors of soul and R&B—Justin Timberlake or Robin Thicke—perform it. Grrrls like Alicia Keys and even MJB would have given it a nice try, but that’s about it. Yeah Christina did JB justice, but I still wish a brother sang that joint. Corey Glover, D'Angelo or even Anthony Hamilton would have surely turned that mutha out.

9. Okay I didn't realize how many legends in music we had lost in the past year-- Ahmet Ertegun, James Brown, Billy Preston, Ruth Brown, Arif Mardin, Gerald Levert...

10. Did Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" somehow inspire Tribe’s "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo"?

11. I don't care what anybody says Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" was the song of the year. That joint was played everywhere and loved by so many and the thought that they may have been snuffed because they turned down an offer by McDonalds which would have made "Crazy" soar into Golden Arch ubiquity should be counted as a win and not a loss.

12. The end of the show couldn't have been more anti-climatic. I like the Chili Peppers but they didn't get it up. Maybe that's what happens when they don't rock in their socks.

She Shootin' Photography Opening

2007-02-08T02:28:00.001-05:00

The She Shootin' Photography Collective presents:
A Drum Beats in Brooklyn:
A Photography Exhibition Celebrating the Drum-Based and African Influenced Traditions of Brooklyn

On View: February 14 through May 13, 2007
OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, February 15, 5:30 - 7:30pm

A Drum Beats in Brooklyn offers a panoramic view of traditions such as J'ouvert, Drummers Grove, Tribute to the Ancestors of the Middle Passage among others and show how they are uniquely Brooklyn. From the intimate gesture to the grand declaration, the She Shootin' Photography Collective document these celebrations that bring spectator and performer together and highlight the timeless magic of the drum.

Location:
Brooklyn Historical Society
128 Pierrepont Street - Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 222-4111
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m.
M, R to Court Street; 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall

Curated by the She Shootin' Photography Collective-- Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Delphine Fawundu-Buford, Ava Griffiths, Kerika Fields and Nsenga Knight. Five of Brooklyn's emerging women photographers invite us into their worlds through glimpses into their growing bodies of work. From candid portraiture to street photography, the images included in A Drum Beats in Brooklyn marks personal stations of these women's photographic journeys.

Hot Grrrls Cool Music: Santogold is Stupid Fresh!

2007-02-07T15:26:00.002-05:00

Santogold is the new evolution or should say revolution of Stiffed. It's Santi White remixed and renewed and right on time.

I've known Sant for awhile now-- atleast 10 years. We even lived together for a minute in '96 and during that time, especially on weekends when we were both around, I really got to know and love her. She's mad ambitious and passionate and always has a ton of things on her plate. Authentic, outspoken and mad funny, this Philly grrrl loves hard, but will also waste no time in letting you know when you have effed up. Just ask some of her homies or a certain rapper/actor ex.

When I heard she was writing songs for Res I wasn't surprised. She's always had a gift for telling great stories and is always following her mind and intuition like during the Internet Boom of the 90's when she launched an online store filled with the flyest goodies and wears. Then sensing, errr.... knowing that she could rock the mic just as fiercely as the singers she was writing for she decided to put a band together and like that Stiffed was born. I guess in dealing with the death of her father and finding true love and then moving back to BK she got that itch again and now she’s blowing wigs back as Santogold-- her solo persona non grata. Last week when I got the bulletin that she had posted a new song "Creator" on her myspace page I immediately went to check it out and have been playing that joint non-stop ever since. I love the sultry, playful, boasting attitude she emits in her vocals. It's stupid fresh!

And while on the subject of indie music gone good. Finally the NY Times writes a piece about young Black folk, rock-n-roll and skateboarding. Not only are they late (damn I remember Ninety-9, Beans and Sascha rocking with Yauch of the Beasties and skateboarding in the Village and that was back in '94. Not too mention James Spooner's Afro Punk done been out and he's now on his second flick. I guess I should just be happy that folks are finally getting some shine!

Will Y'all Get Off Of Tyra's Muffin Already?

2007-02-06T16:14:00.002-05:00

"I don't want to sit in front of you and be soap-boxy and fake and say, 'I love myself, I'm beautiful, it's great,'" says Banks, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall (and reportedly weighs 161 pounds). "I still feel hot, but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say, 'Damn!'"

I mean don't folks have better things to analyze and dissect other than Tyra's weight gain. Yeah she doesn't have that stupid-crazy body she had when she was on the cover of Sport's Illustrated-- during her Super-Modeling Days, but grrrlfriend still looks good-- if anything she's got more of a typical Black grrrl's booty... err body! And I know for a fact that all those editors at People and at US would be happy to get a nibble at that same muffin that they have "reported" as being fat and overweight. Gimme a break and get a life and go back to wondering why Britney refuses to wear undies or why Lindsay's alcohol rehab program at Wonderland involves her partying at clubs (isn't she underage). Or better yet go and Supersize your fricking McDonalds snack wrap with fries and maybe then you will realize that Tyra is not modeling anymore. And although I like Naomi's modeling and personal style better, at least Tyra ain't throwing Blackberrys at the help. As a matter of fact she's doing a pretty good job at being a talk show host and we all know that there are more than a few talk show hosts who weigh more than 161 pounds!

NETworking

2007-02-02T14:32:00.001-05:00

The night before last I decided to take a break from my usual routine and instead of heading to the BX I headed downtown to get my geek on at two writer-centric events. The first event was put on by The New York Times and was held at their headquarters on 43rd street. The invitation read:

This panel discussion with three Times journalists (Sewell Chan, Andrea Elliott and David Gonzalez, each featured in The Times's new brand advertising campaign) discussing their beats and how racial and ethnic trends impact the stories they cover.

My Beat: The Impact of Diversity on a Story was the really hip name they christened this panel that featured some really not so hip writers (excluding David Gonzalez who was charismatic, really open and had more personality in his big toe than the other two writers combined). Now don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a big yawn, but when one hears the word "beat" ya can’t help but think music, culture or enlivened, witty and impassioned discussions and this it, well, wasn't. I knew going into this it was going to be a night filled with irony and weird, errr… staged juxtapositioning if that makes any sense just because the event was sponsored by their Human Resources Dept. (ie. The NY Times is looking for writers of color or at least they want us to believe that they are at least committed to da rainbow coalition!)

As I got off the elevator and walked down this long winding hallway I had to laugh. This hall featured about 50 framed photographs of, I believe, writers who have worked at The Times and as I walked to this diversity event I realized this long a$s hall had only two photos of Black women. I recognized Isabel Wilkerson in one shot but didn’t know who the other woman was. It’s so remarkable to me that every time I walk the hallowed halls of so many (old) institutions (like my college’s alumni club for example), I have to deal with seeing old white men or as MeShell NdegeOcello once told me “we are confronted with the ancestral history of The Man every day damn near every minute here in America.”

Anyway I digress. The panel was pretty interesting because the work of the writers featured especially David and Andrea was really insightful and unique. Hearing how they get people to open up about their very personal lives and how authenticity played apart in their goals as journalist was very inspiring for me. The other thing that I found totally inspiring was their dope spread—open bar, shrimp, sushi, Kobe beef satay, curry chicken tartes. Never mind that my questions about gender and about passion & objectivity were also a bit hit, so much so that I was asked by two Times execs to send them my resume and writing samples.

My next stop: Rockefeller Plaza to NBC Studios for their first ever NYC Blogger Summit. I got there a lil late and missed the reception, but heads were still complaining about there not being any liquor, especially beer. This issue was actually brought up at least three or four times throughout the night. I’m gathering I’m not the only blogger who likes to get her drink on. I think the final count for attendees was 129 and I was probably1 of only 3 Black folks there. But on the upside the Conan O’Brien studio where the Summit was held had a good look on blog-grrrls in the mix. The ladies were definitely in the house repping a number of sites ranging from big dot coms like Mediabistro and Gothamist to All Cupcakes and of course theHotness Grrrl.

This Summit was groundbreaking in that a mainstream (not to mention VERY major) news source was basically fessing up that they need us. WNBC, at least, wants to partner with us on delivering news. Initially most bloggers were doubtful of this “partnership” and really had to think about the value of what we would get in return—basically credit, hyperlinks and TV exposure. No loot. I think most folks were like me and more interested in hearing the stories of various bloggers and how they developed their audience and their particular blogging styles. The folks at NBC didn’t really have a lot to say. The highlight for me was meeting Anil Dash the cat that created TypePad, Movable Type and other blogging software and services. We spoke for a good minute about hiphop and the Web, successful (i.e. revenue generating) blogs & sites related to urban culture, Questlove’s blog and OkayPlayer. We had a great convo and are supposed to hangout real soon. A good night overall that ended with me on the 11pm news coverage of the Blogger Summit. Thanks Lynne for noticing my two seconds of fame. Real recognizing real!

Love and Basketball

2007-01-22T13:10:00.001-05:00

Last Friday night my girl and I went to see the Knicks play the Nets at the Garden. Ever since the Nuggets spanked that Knickerflopper booty last month, the Knicks have actually been playing ball like they want to win; like they want to make the playoffs, like they want some respect. Even though they lost, the game was aight. It wasn't a blowout and so we didn't have to breakout in the 3rd quarter like we did last time we went to a game. And besides they lost to our favorite team. Tish loves Jason Kidd and well Vince Carter can do no wrong in my hoop book.

Every time I go to a Knicks game I'm reminded of three past moments. I think of the time when I worked for the late, great LeBaron Taylor, former Sr. VP at Sony/ CBS Records who was just one of a handful of Black men that really laid the foundation and groundwork for Black Music departments in this music biz mess of an industry. He always said I was an okay assistant but that I was a brilliant mover and shaker and so he would always give me his tix to different events and charity dinners which was so unbelievably thoughtful (I can't tell you how much I learned and how in his own subtle way LeBaron was grooming me for bigger and better things and for that, I am eternally grateful!). Anyway as often as I got tix for events, it was truly once in a blue moon when I would ever get his tix for the Knicks. You see LeBaron loved himself some basketball and would very rarely miss a game that he had tickets for. But I'll never forget the first time he gave me his tickets. I called my basketball bud at the time, Erika, to meet me. Even though it was the last minute she was there and how fricking blown away were we to find out that our seats were on the floor!. Yo, we were seating 3 seats over from Spike. It was UNBELIEVABLE! And hear me when I tell you there is NOTHING like having seats on the floor for a basketball game at The Garden. It's like flying first class. Sweet! I just remember sitting there and Larry "Grandma-ma" Johnson, while waiting for the inbound pass, looking over at us and winking, then waving at us (as if we didn't see his big behind flirting with us). We were like umm you need to be watching the ball. Needless to say the Knicks blew their 17-point lead and ended up losing the game. It was still the best pro-basketball game I ever attended.

Every time I see the Knicks, especially in their recent 6-year slump, I am reminded of the night I can last remember seeing the Knicks in their prime-- when I was a proud fan of the blue and orange. It was 1994 and the Knicks were playing the Houston Rockets for the NBA championship. They were smashing red and white jerseys up and down the court. Ewing was still ill in the gully sense and not in the injured sense that defined his final years in the NBA. The crew had gathered at Drew's, in Chelsea I think, and we were eating great takeout, pouring cocktails and watching the game while Loose End's Zagora played softly in the background. The Knicks were up and Drew and her then R&B boo were reconciling in the bedroom. It was a good night. A night of indulgence, love and basketball. Right in the middle of our fricking high and right in the final minutes of the best game ever, the news interrupts with OJ Simpson on the run in his white bronco. As riveting as that scene was, we were all pissed that we were missing-- the world was missing-- the biggest NYC basketball moment we had had in a long time... definitely in our 20-something lifetime! What a night?! And how ironic that I should hear from Drew last week (through theHotness no less) after being out of touch for like 5 years now.

The last thing I think of when I go to a Knicks game is the second time LeBaron gave me his tickets. This time he gave them to me a couple of days before the game so I was able to invite my dad and we went together. As much as my dad loves basketball and the Knicks and how he single handedly just made me the sports head that I am today, he had never gone to a game before. To be able to take my dad to see the Knicks (and have great seats) is one of the most gratifying moments of my life-- up there with graduating from college and introducing both my mom and dad to Isaac Hayes (which was also because I worked for LeBaron Taylor). And funny enough, in typical form the Knicks blew another 15-point lead and lost that game too in the final minutes. Because my dad is now ill I'm totally getting choked up thinking about that night. I cherish that moment deeply, eternally.

theHotness Grrrl MySpace Page

2007-01-19T10:57:00.001-05:00

Even though I copped the page last October, I decided in this new year that I would really strive on bringing theHotness community together and so on January 1st I added a lil content and started looking for my peeps. Please stop by and give me a shout. Click here for my profile and add me as a friend. Thanks.

Have a good weekend!

theHotness Grrrl Thinks Very Deeply... Sorta

2007-01-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

How fly is Oprah? The Academy she opened in South Africa is amazing? And what's up with all the backlash she's getting about spending HER money in Africa. Some haters are wondering why she didn't give it to public schools here in America? Or my favorite quip: how the school is "too lavish and grand" for such a small number of attendees (152 to start and 450 when all grades are fully enrolled). If it was Barbara Walters opening a school in Milan for aspiring artists and it featured art studios and spas no one would say anything. But a Black woman can't open a 40 million dollar school in rural Africa without folks thinking it's too much. Yeah it's always too much for Black girls to be taking yoga and violin lessons when they should be focusing on their fundamentals like double-dutch and domesticity. Just give them darkies a jump rope and a mop and they'll be aight, seems to be what this backlash is implying. Well now I hope folks like Bill Cosby, Bob Johnson and Jennifer Lopez will show their support and their middle finger by opening up other similar institutions in places like Ghana and Puerto Rico. You rock Oprah! And if you are looking for instructors? I'm so down!

Why are all the guys on I Love New York gay? Is this some down-low reality love ish? And how flavorless is New York? Where is Flavor Flav when you need some really god-awful ebonics and craziness to watch?

What's PM Dawn up to these days? And how good does it feel to know that at one time urban radio (and MTV) was not so caught up in image and payola to spin a song like Set Adrift on Memory Bliss?

Black folks and Mexicans really did their thing last year in film and television (as seen by the noms and wins at this year's Golden Globes). Forest Whittaker as Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland was spectacular. He truly absorbed his character. He's actually now acting as the voice for Where The Wild Things Are (one of my most memorable children's books), which is supposed to be released sometime 2008. Then there's our Dream Girls cast where Eddie, Jennifer and Anika acted their ashes off. And finally Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga got recognized for their wonderful contributions to film (for Babel specifically; they also did 21 Grams and one of my absolute most favorite films Amores Perros). Salma Hayek and America Ferrara showed that Ugly is the new hotness and I'm sure Salma had to freaking stand her ground and take a lot of basura for creating a show based on a telenovella. I haven't seen Pursuit of Happyness yet but I hear from everyone including Karen Good who is not a big Will Smith fan that he is totally believable and so worth the $10.75 ticket. I really hope to get a chance to see Volver this weekend because I hear that Penelope Cruz is fantastic in this comedy and I really want to see her in something that shops me she's got all around acting skills.

Why can't magazines created for Black women (and women of color in general) survive in the publishing marketplace (i.e. Honey, Suede, Rebelle, Wink, err maybe even... Vibe Vixen?) Latina is a great mag that is doing well, so why can't the other joints get it together and compete?

Latina as a mag is doing well but why does seem like there is dearth of Latina women out here making (good) music? J. Lo can't be the only Boriqua who can sing? (Big-up to Carol C., Vinia Mojica, La Bruja, Sophia Ramos and Maya Azucena for doing their thing on the underground but dang why can't they get a deal!)

Was I the only one cringing when reading this article in last month's Esquire?

And are Black, umm... urban folks afraid of posting comments on blogs? I've talked to other Black bloggers and we know we have mad traffic but for some reason heads rarely post comments (BitterVibes' blog excluded)? Is this a cultural difference that needs to be analyzed? Like when the Web first came about and White folks would surf the Web while Black said we cruised it?

Hummph, just some thoughts I had today.

Thanks to KJ for using his subtle jedi hijinks to inspire the competitive spirit in me to blog more frequently. His blog is quite nice and surely something worth checking out!

Alice Coltrane: 1937-2007 to Eternity

2007-01-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

On Monday morning I laid in the bed listening to WBLS I think it was. They played this part of a speech by Martin Luther King that I had never heard before, which is really surprising because I've spent so much of my undergrad time studying him and his speeches in one capacity or another. Maybe I just forgot it or something but it was the part of the speech he made the day before he was assassinated that talked about him being stabbed and if he had sneezed how the blade would have punctured his heart, which he then used as a metaphor to talk about the civil rights struggle. I felt so invigorated after hearing it.

As it ended and I made my way to the kitchen I heard the announcer saying he regrets to announce that Alice Coltrane has passed. I was stunned. I went straight from feeling fresh to feeling troubled. My friends that know me know how so very much I love this woman and her music. Todd will tell you how I became totally obsessed with Ebay and getting her albums (A Monastic Trio & Eternity-- this is before Impulse! reissued them as cd's) and how I frantically would try to outbid everyone like it was some crazy Sotheby's auction. Or Imani will tell you about the day she came to my house and how excited I was to receive in the mail-- World Galaxy-- that I had won of course on ebay. As I slid the vinyl on my turntables and Alice's harp played I just sat there on the floor with nothing but the light of candles surrounding me while meditating on life and love. Imani proceeded to sleep for like 2 hours having what she says was one of her best naps ever cause all she heard in her dreams was that beautiful harp. So I am sad. Especially when I look at today's landscape of alleged musical wunderkinds. I'm sorry Ciara, Alicia Keys and Beyonce don't even come close to matching the artistry of Alice Coltrane. And with every passing of Black Music's brightest-- James Brown, Barry White, etc it makes me weary. It has taken me all of three days just to post about this. If you don't know much about her check this site and this one is also really good.

I still have to get Lord of Lords, Universal Consciousness and Ptah the El Daoud (with Ron Carter on bass & Joe Henderson on flute...CRAZY!!!) I must say though that I feel good, fulfilled in the sense that I did get a chance to see Ms.Coltrane live at Joe's Pub in 2002. It was an unforgettable experience to be in such an intimate space with someone so wonderfully awesome. She didn't say much but she didn't need to. The piano spoke for her and when her and Ravi performed Love Supreme together it was truly an outer worldly experience. Rest in peace.

Winter Heat

2007-01-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

Usually when I think about heat in January I think about the crazy Mozambiquen-like heat that burns from the radiators in my apartment or I think about how I feel cozied up on my cranberry colored couch under my angora throw while watching Sex and The City. But I do not think about getting a vanilla-chocolate twist cone from the Mister Softee truck on 69th and Bway. Nor have I ever been asked if I wanted an indoor or outdoor table for brunch, but that was the flow of my day. Whether you attribute today’s ridiculously warm weather to global warming, the impending rapture or to the death of the Godfather of Soul, y’all have to admit this ish is crazy! Brothers were in Union Square wearing Nike dunks, chanting and handing out booklets on yoga. Weird, but fly! I wanted to go to the Coffee Shop for a Caiprinha but it was just a sea of folks posing and pandering and that was just the outdoor wait staff! So I skipped the cocktail and went to Sharaku’s for sushi and the spicy tuna rolls were huge and the tuna was like butta baby. I had a great day and although I was totally freaked out by this balmy heat, I loved every minute of it, but have to admit that deep down inside a lil snow would make feel a tad bit more chill about Mother Nature and whatever trip she is on.

Black Body Radiation

2006-12-19T23:51:00.002-05:00

Black Body Radiation is the cinematic brainchild and debut of Women in Love founder, Burnt Sugar lead conductor, guitarist and notorious "Lesbian in Me" scribe, Greg Tate. And like it's writer and director, this short is complicated, imaginative, erratic, enigmatic, spirited, confusing at times and totally ambitious. I caught a screening of it this past Sunday at Danny Simmons Gallery in Clinton Hill with about 80 other heads and must admit I really dug this flick's other worldliness.

Radiation is 35 minutes of sci-fi drama, knee-deep in post-apocalyptic scheming and provocative Black love that splices and dices Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and remixes it with Octavia's Butler's oeuvre. Even though the action takes place in a futuristic Brooklyn, Tate cleverly, keeps it grounded by using current in the hood sub-themes like baby daddy dilemmas, housing issues, fly Black grrrls going crazy, and dudes who want relations with more women than they can handle. The casting is superb physically and technically speaking. Karen Good as Kulu, this fierce priestess leader, is a wonder to watch and when she offers her guests tea and then grits with a steady eye and a smile that is part smirk part sneer you see that girlfriend not only has a gift for writing but also for acting. She told me her role is akin to that of The Oracle from the Matrix and sho nuff, she gives the film a nice balance of energy and edge that both sticks and moves. Brianna Hyneman is also wonderful as Naima this warrior goddess. She looks amazing on screen and delivers her lines with just enough tude to give her character depth without making her a stereotype. Her scenes with her husband reminded me of the nuanced moments between the couple in one of my favorite movies Killer of Sheep.

Check the film's myspace page for dates when it will screen again. It's a movie heads should check for a number of reasons, but, like most folks who saw it with me would probably say, mainly because it's one of the few times you will see Black folk in such an imaginative context without there being any pale faces in the mix to mess with, taint or otherwise distort our crazy genius. It's a beautiful Black mind f*ck if nothing else!

Dream Girls

2006-12-13T23:02:00.002-05:00

I've heard all the hype. Read the rumors about jealous girls and bitter women. And finally, last Thursday, I saw THE movie of '06-- Dream Girls.

It was everything I knew it would be flashy, fabulous and yes, fantastic! Having seen the play and been touched literally and figuratively by both former Effies-- the original Jennifer Holiday and the oft forgotten Lilias White, I have to admit I am a bonafide Dream Girl's Grrrl. I still have my original Playbill and I still get all misty-eyed when I think back to I guess it was '88 or '89 when I waited by the back stage exit for Ms. White. I needed to testify and tell her just how much Dream Girls had changed my life and that I knew now I had no choice but to follow my dreams to be an actress-singing sister too. Well Ms. White came out, I confessed and laid it all out on the line (tears and all) and she signed my Playbill and took me out to dinner and believe me I have never been the same since that night! Anyway back to the flick.

I know Jennifer Holliday wanted to be recast as Effie, which is totally bananas. Ummm, hello she is like 20 years too old for the part! It's so sad to see that this sister cannot let go of this role. For what it's worth in a way I can see why she is so bound to Effie Melody White. As much as she made and embodied that role, that character ended up making her and defining not only her career but her life. I mean who knows that Nell Carter was the original Effie before leaving to go to Hollywood for Gime A Break? And believe me no one even mentions so much as a peep about Lilias. I hear Holliday even fell madly in love with the director Michael Bennett and of course that love never blossomed because he was gay and so, in so many ways her life became Effie’s-- no love, no major recording success, etc.

On the other hand, I don't foresee Jennifer Hudson having those same issues. No doubt she sparkles and simmers on screen and when she sings it’s crazy how her voice just leaps off the screen and leaves the audience shook. You woulda thought she was on stage the way folks were hollering and clapping. It was mad emotional up in Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and I was in a theater full of journalists no less. But Ms. Hudson gots that thang that transports you right to the belly of her pain, her determination, her ish. She ain’t no Jennifer Holiday and frankly I'm glad. This gives Hudson the room to create her own path wherein Effie remains a character and doesn't eat her whole. Beyonce looks good and sounds good too. She did was she was supposed to do as Deena—look glamorous and sound sweet. Anika Noni Rose however is stunning! Definitely the best actor of the bunch she gives so much in her facial expressions-- in her eyes. Because of the never-ending Beyonce/ Jennifer drama everyone is missing this Tony-award winning actress who gives a performance that is touching, fiery and delicate all at once.

Definitely see this movie and let me know what you think. On my way out that night I bumped into Oprah's galpal Gayle and she said that this was her third time seeing it and she thought the crowd was a bit subdued in comparison to the other screenings she had attended. Anyway I'm just glad that a positive movie with a Black cast is going to make so much money and has folk excited the way I was almost 18 years ago. You know Magic Johnson Theaters across the nation are going to be off the chain on Christmas. I gotta see it again and this time at the MJT in Harlem just to see the popcorn and chicken tenders fly-up in the air when folks hear And I Am Telling You!

9 Things I'm Thankful For

2006-12-12T23:03:00.000-05:00

During this holiday season I can't help but look back on my life and on a year that is quickly coming to an end and be thankful for a few things.. well okay, 9 things:

1. I'm thankful that Nicole Ritchie was either honest enough or high enough to admit she was on drugs when recently arrested for DUI. It gives me hope that maybe she'll finally fess up to having an eating disorder and Im not talking about that nutritional conundrum that is allegedly keeping her from gaining weight cause we all saw the photos of her pre-Simple Life and that badunka-dunk was quite full of junka-junk. "Yes I smoke weed and yes I only eat the pickles when I order Big Macs." C'mon girl you can say it!

2. Thankful that Rupert Murdoch had sense enough to shut down OJ's If I Hadda Done It publicity stunt. Talk about a real dummy!

3. Thankful that that 3-ring circus of a wedding by Tomkat is finally over. Maybe I can hear some real news for a change. Like hello there is a war and yeah police are still shooting elderly Black women and unarmed Black men... 50 times no less.

4. I am eternally grateful that there will be no more Flavor of Love episodes. Which means no more booty-shaking (now I can simply rely on BET for all of that), spitting, sneaker-throwing and oh we just can't forget all the other sh*t that went down! And I specifically mean the feces going down that chick's leg who thought it prudent to crap on herself just to make sure she got a clock. (Although the premiere for I Love New York is right around the corner I am predicting this will flop and not leave the kind of nasty imprint as its predecessor).

5. I saw Terrence Howard yesterday and as he was checking me out, I returned the love. Can't say I spotted his ubiquitous man-purse, which I am actually so thankful for (hated it!), but I think he was with his moms and so maybe she was carrying his stash in her bag.

6. Thank you Lordy for no more America’s Next Top Model too. See number 4 for why I'm glad to see this boob tube bore end its season run (i.e. the stereotypes). Just substitute the contestant crapping on herself for that chick who faked peeing in the bed. What the hell is up with these sisters and bodily functions that should be taking place in the privacy of their bathrooms and not on national TV. Besides I'm still reeling from Nnenna not winning season 6. Even the special guests photographers and modeling reps were like she has the potential to be the biggest ANTM winner and that was like in the third episode, but yet Danielle wins. Like I said I'm flabbergasted and no, that ain't something I can just deal with in the bathroom.

7. For TMZ.com. Because of them rarely is there any instance or event that goes unrecorded. Thanks to them we are able to see in living color how one of America's funny men from one of America's most beloved comedies flips the N-word again and again and again. Can we say comedy of errors?

8. Maxwell's return!

9. And finally I'm thankful for this blog being so fresh (yeah I'm patting myself on the back) that NY MAG is bitin our rhymes and Gawker is reporting on fabulous folk that we done talked about almost a year ago. Now that's why we're theHotness and they're just not!

High Society, Japan Society, & Harlem's Café Society

2006-12-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

Ever since I declared my self-imposed Harlem Hiatus way back in February of this year, I've been out and about exploring new frontiers. From my voyages to Brooklyn to my escapes out East, I've enjoyed meeting new peeps and seeing wonderful new thangs. Last week was mostly about exploring the other side of 96th Street and moving beyond the temple of my familiar.

Tuesday night I had a function to attend that related to my 9-5. I had to meet and greet multi-millionaire philanthropists and the young, brilliant recipients of all their loot. Let me stress that these people were wealthy which is like being rich squared to the highest power people and I was one of only three Black faces in the joint. It soon became apparent to me that most of the folks there rarely interface with people of color especially women (that is unless you are counting their nannies and I'm not). For all of my cross cultural hobnobbing I found myself feeling nervous, overwhelmed, anxious and uber confident all at once. I did my thing, which was basically proving to these folks why I was socializing and not carrying a silver tray in my hand, all while rocking my olive green Diane Von Furstenberg dress. These cats didn't know what to make of me. I kid you not. Someone actually said to me "ooh you are exquisite," which I might have taken as a compliment if they didn't say it in such a way that made it sound as if they were gawking over a rare Faberge egg.

I had never heard of Japan Society before visiting there on Wednesday night where Mediabistro was having a reception for freelance writers. I was totally amped because I love so many aspects of Japanese culture-- the food, the language, their customs and even the popular Tokyo street fashion of the Harajuku district that Gwen Stefani has appropriated to death. (In this book there is this wonderful essay--The Black Asianphile in Me by Latasha Natasha Diggs that really gets into Black folks' fascination [and adoration] with Asian culture that I think is brilliant. She talks about everything from the local Chinese food spot in Harlem to Taimak to how brothers used to weild Nunchakus like they do PSP's today.) The purpose of the reception was not just to meet and greet other freelance writers but it was also to celebrate the Society's 100th anniversary. It was very cool. The champagne, the duck, the sushi. Yummy! But the real hotness were the clay pieces currently on exhibit. You see The Japan Society is more than a group of people but it also represents the building or should I say art gallery that houses the organization. Aesthetically it will blow your mind! The actual art gallery resembles a traditional Japanese structure-- low ceilings, lots of bamboo and shoji screens. And then you have the clay. There was one piece that was blow torched into a black cracking molt of clay and then was turned inside out and put in a kiln. The result is this piece that looks like it was shot out of Vesuvias. It was totally black and charred with red over tones and simply exquisite. I had a great time but honestly I didn't meet any freelance writers. I did however discover the delicious wonders of Cava and for those of you who know me know that I was just as pleased if not more so to discover a new libation.

Last stop of the week was on Thursday where I actually went to an event in Harlem. While on my way to a Harlem World mag reception at a relatively new spot—Tribal Spears Gallery, I was astonished at how 8th Avenue (from 110th-118th) in particular has just exploded into this urban oasis of cafes. There's Saurin Parke on 110th, Zapo on 113th and then Society Café on 114th, Tribal Spears on 117th and Les Ambassades on 118th. Dang, on every corner there's a bodega and now on every other one there is a café. Now I can get a $4 latte and a 25-cent bag of UTZ anytime I want! And who said Harlem wasn't on the come-up?!?

Check out this event tonight at Mcnally Robinson:

In the Black Female Literary Tradition:
Three Contemporary Authors on Black Women's Books
With Bridgett Davis, Martha Southgate and Eisa Nefertari Ulen

5-7PM

52 Prince St.
(between Lafayette and Mulberry)
212.274.1160

http://www.mcnallyrobinsonnyc.com/

Alice Smith Arrives In Wonderland

2006-11-30T23:43:00.000-05:00

Last night after getting my swerve on at Japan Society (more on that in another post), I headed over to the Nokia Theater to catch Alice Smith and Citizen Cope. As you know I just love her CD as it seems everyone else who has also heard it. I was especially interested in seeing Alice because she's been on tour for the last three months and I wanted to see what, if anything, did the road teach her about performing live. Well I am too happy to report that homegrrrl has picked up and mastered some very important lessons and tricks. Seeing her belt out songs and relate to the audience with such immediacy and warmth and humility and just be so in sync with her tight as$ band just made me think about something Chaka Khan said to me many, many years ago at Tramps when I had the privilege of hanging with her backstage. I had just interviewed The Brothers Johnson (her opening act) and was sharing with her one of the Brother’s realizations about their current musical status and how it was by and large defined by their stage show and touring. They didn't have videos or any new cd's coming out. She replied how she knew how to sing before she toured but she cut her teeth on the road and became Chaka Khan on the road and how it was again becoming her bread and butter both financially and artistically speaking. Then in total Ms. Khan mode she threw everyone out her dressing room-- "All you bitches have got to go." She then pointed to me and said, "Except you. You’re a good bitch." And there began the first of two of the most memorable nights of my life hanging with Chaka backstage and in her dressing room. I digress.

Anyway I've heard the same thing from Amel Larriuex too and just seeing Alice last night brought it all home for me in many ways. I’ve been watching Alice perform for about 4 years now, maybe more. From Burnt Sugar to Jolie Fuego to performing solo it’s been a real ride watching her extend and contract with every twist and turn. I must say in every band she brought a different kind of sound to the table but she always brought that voice which is sexy and quirky, commanding and playful. Now under the tutelage of Citizen Cope (who’s performance was also dope) her singing is richer, stronger and more embraceable than ever. When she was finishing up her set I was so caught up that tears welled up in my eyes and Lord knows I had to fight hard to keep them from spilling over and moistening my cheeks. I imagine it was like watching your child graduate from school. It was pride and fulfillment in a dream you didn’t even realize was so much your own. The last two songs of her set (and actually of her tour) were Love Endeavor and Desert Song.

In Love Endeavor she danced and then wailed, “This love endeavor don’t have to last forever/ c'mon and share whatever you want with me/ Don’t want to mislead you/ Just come on over,” and couldn’t help but wonder if this had become a mantra for her especially now that she has signed a major deal with Sony Music. Well if it hasn’t, it better be because that deal may come with exposure on MTV and some nice dollars, but it doesn't guarantee fame or even the love and loyalty of fans. Having worked at Sony for three years I know that their track record with women of color who sing the alternative joints is inconsistent at best and totally effed up at worst. Cree Summer, Amel Larrieux, Macy Gray, Jeni Fujita, Sophia Ramos and Dionne Farris are just a few of their former artists that come to mind. The last song of the night, which is my favorite on the album (along with Dream) was Desert Song. All I know is when she grabbed the mic and leaned back and sang or should I say testified, “My momma said life is for living and if you aren’t happy, honey go out and reinvent yourself (cause) the desert is good,” I thought folks were going to bumrush the stage. It was just that momentous up in that joint. The crowd-- a mosh of college students and effervescent 20-somethings knew about the desert it seemed and at that moment we all knew Margie (Alice's mom) ain’t say no lie. It was a coming home like I don’t think she’s ever had and I for one am proud to say I was a witness.

NBA Wives Posting Up & Making Moves

2006-11-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

Here lately the women married to pro-basketball players are making just as much press as their high-profile counterparts. There was Vanessa clutching the hand of her weeping, fornicating hubby Kobe. Then there's the other Vanessa (the former Miss America), who got on The Wendy Williams Show and said that if she ever caught her husband in a situation like Kobe's she would not be as sympathetic. I think she used the term "beatdown" to describe how it would play out and as we all know as soon as the current co-star of Ugly Betty saw those photos of Rick Fox hugged up on some other chick their marriage was a wrap. (BTW have you seen the recent photos of Vanessa & her 29-year old boytoy, errr boyfriend-- I ain't mad at you grrrl!) Oh and we can't forget Kendra Davis who got in an altercation with a fan while in Chicago at a Bulls-Knicks game. Mrs. Davis from the video I saw totally showed her arse—neck rolling, teeth sucking, finger-pointing and cursing all while the fan sat there in shock and awe. Of course that led to her hubby rushing the stands and then being suspended for five games and subsequently traded to the Raptors to never be heard from again!

And recently I stumbled on an article in a mag that will remain nameless for now because I am so disgusted by their current cover story (can you guess which one) about Doug Christie and his wife Jackie. From the short Q&A and from the press release promoting their new show Committed, Jackie sounds like a total loon-- insanely insecure, jealous, controlling and demanding. If nothing else, and I do mean nothing else, her adoring qualities make for a great reality show, at least that's what the folks at BET are hoping. But check it, the press release states:

The Christies are a committed couple with a loving relationship that transcends the household. Jackie travels with Doug for the team’s away games; prohibits Doug from granting interviews to female reporters without her presence and the couple has had a re-commitment ceremony in each of the ten years since their marriage.

As if this is something healthy or aspirational or even normal!

Well I guess the rest of the NBA wives are tired of the few bad apples that keep spoiling their Pradaesqued profile so besides the ones that double as authors (Crystal McCrary Anthony) and book store owners (Rita Ewing & Celeste Johnson) there's the quaint, and very aspirational crew who actively form Behind The Bench. Last night I attended a BTB benefit at Audemars Piguet on East 57th Street. I was invited by Morris Reid of Westin Rinehart (he's the dude that has the very fabulous benefit [w/his wife] for VH-1 every summer in the Hamptons-- maybe this means next year I'll get an invitation). Needless to say I wasn't sure what to expect especially since my perception of NBA wives have no doubt been tainted by the aforementioned and more of what I've seen personally at industry parties and All-Star Weekend events. But since my neighbor, Marita, who is married to Earl "The Pearl" Monroe is one of the most down-to-earth peeps I know, I was hopeful. As soon I got there I saw Marita and her daughter Maya. I grabbed a glass of Moet and looked around, talked to a couple of people and looked at more watches (I absolutely love watches so I was totally content).

The party itself could have been a benefit given by anybody for anything meaning that there really wasn't an overt or obvious NBA slant to it except for when Shaquille showed up (and get this he turned down Charisse Jordan's request to take a photograph with her because Shaunie his wifey would not be obliged and Charisse, please know, is the President of BTB and is married to a coach-- kinda reeked of that crazy NBA wifey paranoia, huh). The music was banging courtesy of Damon DeGraff and even the President of Audemars, NA-- Francois-Henry Bennahmias was getting down to Rick James' Give It To Me Baby-- and let me tell you Franco's got mad rhythm. So I guess you can say it was all good as I think I also saw a couple of folks buying watches and the money that they are raising from these events (the next one will be in Vegas during All Star Weekend) will go to charities like various Boys and Girls Clubs around the country. If nothing else, BTB does something in the way of raising the profile of NBA wives. And it's definitely gotta be a better use of ones energy than sitting next to your man in a stinky locker room while he is being interviewed by Ananda Lewis.

BK Grrrls - Wangechi, Mickalene, Aissata & co.

2006-11-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

If I were to believe Biggie or even the now defunct NRG Magazine, Brooklyn girls supposedly got it going on. And if last night's sojourn from the Heights to Bed Stuy proved anything it was just that—that like the sprawling terrain itself, the grrrls too are mad deep. First stop was this Stoop Series co-presented by BRIC's Rotunda Gallery, which I had never heard of and NY Magazine. I've been on NY Mag's guest list for events for almost two years now and I don't remember them ever doing anything in Brooklyn and surely nothing that centered around the work of not one, but two Black women. So needless to say I was looking forward to this event that featured a conversation with artists Wangechi Mutu and Mickalene Thomas. I met Wangechi a year ago at a birthday party and ever since I've been hearing things (mostly good) about her seemingly everywhere so I was especially amped to see if she lived up to the hype. I has seen her work up close at this reception given for the President of Liberia at the Nubian Heritage and though it was aight. Honestly I wasn't really moved by her work until last night when this Kenyan homegrrrl started breaking down the symbolism and metaphors that define her collage. I was totally in awe as she talked about her creative process and how that is fueled by African history, sexism and sexuality, race and politics. She was saying things like:

When I am in my studio there is no white or black—(there's) no race. Nothing can stop me from what (I) have to do.

and...

I started to think what does it mean to change these images of Black women? And how do we define beauty. In a way I guess I violate these images. It's a critique though-- the hacking and the cutting and that happens within beauty. I don't believe in purity. My cutting, and hacking is actually who we are.

True dat!

Mickalene who was inspired by photographer Adrian Piper was less garrulous, but made interesting points nonetheless:

People usually associate eroticism with pornography and for me those are two different things. For me eroticism is a creative energy of empowerment—our history, our language, where we are from.

This was a very cool event with free Brooklyn lagers to boot-- definitely worth the trek over the bridge! While there I caught up with Knox Robinson formerly of this mag. He was telling me about this group, Hypnotic, he was co-managing who I had just seen perform at the Union Square subway station. These cats, who are all blood brothers, are The Truth yo! They are a hiphop brass ensemble that just kills! Look out for them as they are on the come-up for shizzy.

I finally met Laylah Barrayn for the first time face-to-face after emailing each other for about 2 years. She's another BK girl doing wonderful work in photography. And talking about a sister doing big thangs... right before leaving I met Isolde Brielmaier who is the Director and Chief Curator at the Rotunda. This grrrl has lectured on international art damn near everywhere from Harlem to Australia and doesn't look like she's even blown out 35 b-day candles yet!

Next stop was Bed Stuy for a Scorpio birthday party for my comrade, artist Aissata Pinto da Costa and her friend Cindy Blackman who is a great musician in her own right, but is popularly known for drumming with Lenny Kravitz's band. Folks were mainly chillin talking about music, movies and politics. The fish was great and I think it came from this Bed Stuy joint called Dakar. Got a chance to see Koki again and she tells me that she is designing and styling for Prince’s new muse, Tamar, and a bunch of other artists who will be performing at his new Vegas spot. She's going out there next week and so hope fully I will get the scoop from her soon. Took a cab back home and it really seemed like uptown was another galaxy away.

A Brand New Heavied Halloween

2006-11-01T13:24:00.000-05:00

There was a time not so long ago when I dared not venture out the house on Halloween. I would stay home from work, munching on all that Halloween candy I had bought for Trick or Treaters who, I somehow knew, would never show. This year though I went in to the office and actually enjoyed being out and about in this crazy, yet wonderful springtime weather with all the kids in costume frolicking about all giddy for candy corn. It was a sorta idyllic now that I think about it, but then again I work on the Upper East Side, so in a way it's to be expected. On my way uptown things slowly changed and I was reminded of the Halloweens of my youth when boys and girls would fill balloons with Nair and launch them at girls with long hair. I'll never forget walking home from Girl Scouts and seeing this girl screaming with blood dripping from her cheek. The shell of an egg that was aimed right for her face had cut her eyeball. Her classmate had clearly hit his mark. The thrill of trick-or-treating came to an abrupt end when sometime in the early 80’s razors and pins kept turning up in the Milky Way and Snickers bars. And I won't even tell you how much I've always hated bobbing for apples. Even at 9 years old I knew that tub of water had to be mixed with all sorts of spittle and snot. If I wasn't the first to bob then I wasn't bobbing. Simple as that. So last night as I got to 116th and 3rd it was cool to see all the Latina mamis with their children out about getting goodies and laughing, but it was also disheartening to see the teenage boys lurking on the corner with their crates of eggs, wearing Skeletor masks or my favorite, the old man in the bodega who turned to me after playing his numbers and snarled "trick or treat baby" in my ear as I purchased my Guinness.

But I must say this Halloween was not at all bad because I had tix to see The Brand New Heavies at The Apollo and they were off the chain. Unfortunately I missed most of the opening act-- Amel Larrieux, who I absolutely love and respect. I heard the last two songs of her set—Get Up and Tell Me (from her Groove Theory days) and was so mad that I wasn't able to get there earlier to hear her entire set. Back in the day I worked with Amel as her publicist and can honestly say I never grew tired of seeing her live. She really puts every fiber of her being into singing each lyric. At the end of her set, her two daughters Sky and Sanji Rei came on stage. I tell you time really goes by so quickly. I feel like it was just yesterday that we were on the road and her girls were probably like 4 and 6 at the time and they were so shy. Well last night night dressed in Geisha Girl costumes they came out and sang the hook on Tell Me. It could not have been cuter!

The Heavies hit the stage around 10pm and did the damn thing. Yo, that N'Dea Davenport knows how to work an audience and make us crazy. She was whirling around, shimmying, and jumping up and down all while cocooned in this black patent leather cat suit outfit that she eventually ripped when bending over for her tambourine. She was fierce and no doubt had to be hot. At first I don't think the Apollo crowd was ready to get down and jam the way the Heavies are accustomed to, but by the time they did their current single "I Don’t Know Why" everyone was off their feet and literally dancing in the aisles. I didn't realized how much I missed that beautiful sweaty, funkdafied vibe you get from a really good live band. It is really a moment from an era on its way out the doors and outta NYC. With CB's closing last week and places like The Cooler, Tramps and Wetlands now but a memory it makes me sad knowing that the time I had last night-- feeding off the energy of a high energy funk soul band is something totally foreign to a whole generation of folk. Needless to say, when guitarist Simon Bartholomew handed me his yellow guitar pick as I stood right in front of the stage and said, "here's something to remember a cool Halloween night at The Apollo," I was feeling sorta like a groupie, but then I mostly felt nostalgic and inspired.

Flavor of Love

2006-10-31T14:58:00.001-05:00

I don't know what it was that got me out of my writer's block/ creative funk, but I'm so glad that moment has passed. I would say that maybe the planets are all in alignment and Mars is in Scorpio or some other totally fly lunar ish was going down, but on Saturday Mercury went retrograde so that can’t be why I've got my jism back. Well maybe it was the wonderful brunch I had at Kitchenette on Sunday with my "god-mother" and those almond pear pancakes or finally finishing The Four Agreements and realizing how much better my relationships will be in life cause I know now not to take everything so dang personally and not to make assumptions about folk and situations. Yeah that book has definitely has had a wonderful effect on my outlook on life. But when it comes down to it, seeing Deelishis, New York, Buckwild and Bootz the night before last all gully and ghetto-- cursing, yelling threats and throwing sneakers at each other all over a middle-aged, former hype man with at least three baby mommas and a series of law infractions which has led him to Rikers at least once and let me not forget homey ain't hardly easy on the eyes either! Oh yeah… that in all honesty is probably what shook me from my woe-is-me snooze and got me feeling all inspired to be better, to be at least more than what VH-1 and Flavor of Love has me pegged for as a Black woman. From the few episodes I caught I always thought this reality show was a guilty pleasure gone AWOL. I'm thinking these chicks must be getting union scale wages to do this, I mean they can't really be showing their as$ literally and figuratively for Flavor Flav. But sho' nuff it was all that and a bag of hot crap.

Lola Ogunnaike's article in the Times earlier this month echoes those same sentiments:

Occasionally, the women even trade blows. This season's premiere began with two women brawling over a bed and ended with one contestant defecating on the floor as she raced to the bathroom after a meal that didn't agree with her. To Michael Hirschorn, the executive vice president for original programming at VH1, the reasons millions of viewers tune in every Sunday night are clear. "The accidental appeal of the show was the play between 'Are these women for real or not? Are these women there for him or are they there because any fame is completely intoxicating?'" he said. "Instead of covering that part of the show up, we decided to make it integral."

The article also quotes another blogger who makes a really valid point:

It's about time we as black people quit letting Flavor Flav and the rest of these clowns bojangle for dollars.

Yep, bojanglin' for dollars that seems to be our M.O. here lately. From Jay-Z's latest video with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Steve Harvey's cooning the Country News segment on his syndicated radio show, I've had enough. It all reminds me of the comedian I saw on Def Comedy Jam over the weekend who said God is really breaking his heart by taking legends like Luther Vandross, Johnny Cochran & Barry White and leaving us to deal with clowns like Bobby Brown, O.J. and 50 Cent. I totally agree. To lose Richard Pryor and end-up with Flav I feel like a sucka. Dealing with this type of reality will either leave you invigorated or beleaguered, I guess it depends on which side of the flying Adidas you're on.

Revenge of the HipHop Publishing Outcasts

2006-09-21T20:20:00.000-04:00

Title of this post courtesy of Greg Tate.

From Tuesday's AdAge.com.

New music title slated to debut next month
by Nat Ives

The ousted owners of The Source and Vibe's recently fired editor in chief
are launching newwstand-only Hip Hop Weekly.

The ousted owners of The Source and Vibe's recently fired editor in chief
are launching a newsstand-only music title.

Hip Hop Weekly is slated to debut on Oct. 16 with a guaranteed paid
circulation of 100,000.

David Mays and Ray "Benzino" Scott, who started The Source in 1988, were
forced out last January amid allegations of tax evasion and a sexual
harassment suit filed by two former staffers. Mimi Valdes was booted from
Vibe after a change in ownership last summer.

Ms. Valdes, now the editor in chief at Hip Hop Weekly, said the magazine
will try to get in on the celebrity-weekly action, particularly through
columns by radio veterans Wendy Williams and Star & Buc Wild.

"The rest of the magazine is really about trying to offer some insight,
reflection and criticism on hip-hop as it influences everything," she said.

The weekly format will also make the title more competitive with monthly
music books, whose long lead times make it harder to present
up-to-the-minute news and photos.

Hip Hop Global Media, the holding company backing Hip Hop Weekly, will price
the first issue at $2.99 and subsequent issues at $3.99.

That's more expensive than OK magazine and Bauer Publishing's In Touch and
Life & Style Weekly, which sell for $1.99, and even Wenner Media's Us Weekly
and Time Inc.'s People, which sell for $3.49.

Maybe The Greatest Show On Earth

2006-09-20T15:23:00.003-04:00

So Ringlin thinks he's got the greatest show on earth? Well after last night's spectacular offering by Imani Uzuri at Joe's Pub to celebrate the release of her long-awaited debut record, Her Holy Water: A Black Girl's Rock Opera, I'm not sure if the clowns still have it. This was the best show I've seen by far this year! EVERYBODY in that muhfuh was in total agreement with me. Just ask Todd Wilson, Greg Tate, Freedome Bradley, Kim Knox, DJ Rehka, Melissa Thornton or the 70 or so other heads there.

Imani started singing the title song "Her Holy Water" from behind the curtain and hit the stage singing like her very life depended on each melody. She didn't waste time riffing and wailing and giving over-the-top American Idol styled endings, instead she told you stories about her grandma in North Carolina where it was about church, family and making the best outta the lil bit you had; and also how she thought she was so ugly after cutting her hair into a short natural fro until these sisters exclaimed how she was giving them Grace Jones and how that was the day she knew she was a diva. Her sense of humor was dead-on. The band's timing was ill, sick, infirmed, whatever the heck you wanna call it, they killed!

I know I've said it before, but Imani has a beautiful, throaty deep alto that rises into this incandescent soprano shrill and make no mistake she knows how to use every bit of her God-given talent . At one point last night, Imani, dressed in hot pink, was on her knees singing Ishi (pron. E-She)-- a song about a Native American who died and whose bones were assumed by a US museum and how his people, his tribe had to fight for his bones. She chanted Ishii over and over again-- Iiii-shiiii, Iiiiiii-shi-- going from a mournful lament to a high pitched battle cry. It was goose-bump riveting. My comrade Todd looked over at me and said "whoa, she's taken it to different level tonight." And indeed she did. And just when you thought it was all about revolution, politics and God, homegrrrl starts bluesily singing "wet cootchie" and goes into a raunchy, crazy humorous riff about the power of the punany. Well I guess now that I think about it, I've never heard anyone at Joe's Pub or any NYC venue sing so reverently about wet cootchie. Although we wouldn't mind, Maxwell never treads that deeply or explicitly and since we are talking reverently R. Kelly and all of hiphop is eliminated. So I guess that is pretty revolutionary and yeah God was all up in there in that joint. From beginning to end, the show last night was 70 minutes of unadulterated Black grrrl fire-water. It burned, but it healed and we loved every minute of it. Like Greg Tate says in the liner notes of her CD (which we all got copies of): "Dig: the only way you're ever going to figure out Imani Uzuri's music is if you surrender to her beckon and call, her weep and wail, her songs and screams, her tears and dreams, her melodies and metamorphosis. You'll likely turn into some hella-fierce and lovely kind of Other thang yourself."

5 Things To Do This Weekend & Beyond

2006-08-17T11:58:00.000-04:00

Yikes! Summer is quickly coming to an end. It just hit me like a ton of bricks this past weekend and I immediately got the blues. I love the summer and it always just seems so short. It made me want to analyze why I really, really loved the summer so much. Yes, I love that the weather is great but that wasn’t the only reason. When I pondered the situation I thought that the summer time, unlike the fall and spring when the weather is still nice enough, the summer is the only time I feel like I can use my Get Outta Jail Card. It’s a time where I can frolic in flip flops and be fancy free. In high school we would earn something called an excused cut and as you advanced you would earn more cuts –from one for the entire year as a freshman to like three a semester for seniors. It was great because of the obvious—we could cut class without any repercussions or stress of avoiding being caught. It was also a lovely system because of the greater, less obvious benefits. By giving us the choice to go to class or to hang out made us valuate our leisure time and become better managers of our fun time. (Don't you think so Kysha, Tahana and Chris?) Yes we often sat around completing papers for other classes during those breaks but me and my grrrls would also go to Orva’s, or go to Central Park, catch a flick or grab a burger a Rambo’s and talk about boys, college, music and other classmates. It was summer break for an afternoon. Now that I’m older I think my mind has been conditioned to see summer as my only chance to use my excused cut. Even though the Whitney, Lincoln Center, and the Public are open year round, it seems like it's only in the summer that I make time to check them out. And how wrong is that? Talk about mind games. It’s crazy how after Labor Day I, and a number of my peeps, get into this back to school grind, which has become synonymous with this crazy work ethic that is devoid of culture and fun. So with this realization comes change, no? In my attempt to consistently invest in Leisure, here are five things I hope to do even after I retire my white capris.

1. Have a drink and/ or break bread with a friend or two or five every week (especially with my grrrls!): Yesterday I had drinks with a compadre I used to work with and we had so much fun just laughing about old times in the office and our new career plans. As we licked the tequila from our lips we both declared-- almost at the same time-- how we should do this more often. Yeah, yeah I say this all the time but from now on I am going to make more time for cocktails and calamari even if only for an hour. Last month my four friends and I had a Grrrls Night Out and I know all them will back me up when I say it was Gnarls Barkley crazy fun! They dang near had to kick us out of Ocean Grill or did they? We are surely not going to wait until next summer for Part 2.

NOTE:
- See Heading South with the ladies this weekend.
- Schedule our next Grrrls Night Out around the premiere of Dreamgirls in December (I LOVE Dreamgirls-- saw it on Bway and like a real groupie waited to meet Lilias White afterwards who took pity of my wannabe-an-actress booty and treated me to dinner; then there's Cathy & I playing "And I Am Telling You" over and over in our dorm rooms like we were on Effie crack; singing "I Am Changing" as my audition song for gospel choir-- that was funny now that I look back and consider the lyrics I was singing to be an alto for a Christian chorus--LOL!)
- Tracee Ellis Ross hurt that Jill Marie Jones didn't say goodbye to her Girlfriends in person (Bittervibes)

2. Go to a new place you’ve never been before – Last night I went out with my new hanging bud-- KB. Our plan was to hit Lotus to check out Questlove on the ones but by the time we got there the door was bananas and the line was not moving. As soon as KB said, “I don’t do lines,” I knew we could roll anywhere anytime. Being that we were already on 14th Street and looking quite cute, we weren’t about to head home. At first we were going to get a drink at Hotel Gansevoort but then at the last minute I said what’s up with Buddah Bar. Just like that we decided to roll there instead. KB had been to the one in Paris and I had two of their cd’s so we were familiar with the double-B. It was a mad cool experience to enjoy a new place in an old town. The drinks were good especially the Wings of Fire with rum, ginger syrup and limes. Yummy! Other new places I’ve been to this summer and liked: Sapa, Hotel Gansevoort & Kelley & Ping (east side outpost-- their duck is slammin!).

NOTE:
- I should check out Baton Rouge in Harlem, Kemia in midtown & this place I always pass on 23rd street (cause I love me some shrimp dumplings!)

3. Go to a concert, museum or theater. This summer I didn’t go to too many concerts, which is quite odd for me (but also just reflective of how dull the music scene is here lately), but I did see The Lion King and The Color Purple. I enjoyed them both (for very different reasons) and came away both times feeling lifted. In terms of art gazing, I only went to the Studio Museum, but I will use this autumn to venture to the Whitney, MOMA and MET.

Note:
- Saturday August 19 - 1st Annual Hamptons HipHop Festival
- Sunday, August 20 - Imagenation's FREE screening of Favela Rising in Harlem at 8pm in St.Nicholas Park
- Monday, August 21 - Meshell at the Annex (Okayplayer)
- Wednesday, August 23 - Skye of Morcheeba at Irving Plaza
- Saturday August 26 - Imani Uzuri at Lincoln Center Out of Doors.
- MoMA & DADA
- And if you are in Tokyo, you need to get your genki on and run to see Africa Remixed

4. Get a hobby, play a sport or explore whatever creative mojo you’re blessed with and have fun with it: For me that can be anything from fishing, writing, sewing clothes, painting or making cd’s. It’s just a great outlet for stress and a way to get those artistic, athletic juices flowin. It really takes me back to the days when I used to focus on my love for dirt by making mud pies or later it was jumping double dutch, in high school it was crocheting and in college it was deejaying and playing squash.

Note:
- Time to buy myself an Uglystick (the first person to post what this is wins a FREE Hotness T-Shirt—post your answer in the Comments Section)

5. Travel – Physically discover a new destination or revisit an old one. I can’t tell you how cathartic it is for me to get out of NYC. And sometimes I just don’t have the time or money to travel far but even my weekend jaunts to the Hamptons adds so much energy and calm to my life. Emotionally it’s also the bomb when we can get out of our comfort zones and do something or deal with someone that probably gives us a sure fire challenge. I got the former down pat although by the time November rolls around, I’m always on the ropes in need of a hit—some ocean, some sunshine, something organically inspiring. The latter, which is equivalent to using my excused cut to meet with my Guidance Counselor is harder for me. Granted it’s not as fun as going to St. Maarteen or Brazil, but it does help to get that stank from outta your mind and spirit. On my to do list: Go to London for this and to Williamstown to see the amazing fall foliage, clean out my walk-in junk closet and maybe have a talk with someone from my not so distant past.

NOTE:
- Turks & Caicos Film Festival; Bermuda Music Festival & The Container Store and their free 'Plan a Space' process

You are African?

2006-08-12T22:10:00.001-04:00

If it's not Bono, it's George Clooney, or it's Angelina and her man all doing whatever they can for Africa in Africa-- adopting children, having babies, feeding families, building wells, and slowly becoming synonymous with Africa and it's albeit small step toward revitalization. It's crazy on a number of levels because although I am delighted by their charitable work in DarFur, Namibia, Ethiopia, Capetown, et. al., (where the hell is Beyonce and Jay-Z when there is a politico-cultural crisis in the Motherland?), I am seeing a strange trend whereas these charitable efforts are slowly becoming trendy, like Hermes bags trendy and I can't help but wonder how long will it be before these celebrities end up replacing the (Black) face of African strife with one of White happiness and fulfillment. Well, I didn't have to wait that long. Have you seen the Gwyneth ad for AIDS awareness in Africa? Beads and violet and aqua tribal markings and all! You gotta love the spoof someone did of the ad featuring an African woman that says:

Help us stop the shameless fame whores from using the suffering of those dying from AIDS in Africa to bolster their pathetic careers now that they are no longer dating Brad Pitt and no one gives a sh*t about them. Just kiss my Black a$s to help.

No doubt there is something a simmering over in Africa. Even today's NY Times is highlighting the buzzworthiness of African humanitarianism. I'm just wondering where's the hiphop cognescenti? Puff, Mary, Jay (yeah I know he's busy banning Cristal within all bling ciphers), Kanye and the rest of them cats. It's so ill to me when all I see is Clef and Oprah volunteering their time and money for global (read Afrian) causes. It seems as if my generation of folk are too busy chilling in St. Tropez or Capri (or too busy dreaming about vacationing there) to give a goat's tail about the crisis of AIDS in South Africa. And it's not just them.

Last month I was having dinner at Aquavit with a friend who was born in Mozambique, but currently lives in Johannesburg and also with some of his friends who live here. When they spoke of their travels and adventures in Africa thay talked about how wonderful the beaches were in Namibia and how amazing the dunes are in S. Africa. I haven't been to Africa yet so I listened as my homey from Joburg took everyone's love for the African high-life and raised them one by declaring how he was going to build a resort... in Zimbabwe, I believe. We all toasted him with glasses of Vergelegen--aka "V" (the wine was off the chain, I can't lie, but I thought it was a tad ironic that De Beers, the scandalized diamond corporation, owned the winery that produced it). Anyway there was no talk of crisis, genocide or famine. Especially not while we munched on Marcus Samuelsson's Foie Gras Ganache and Yellowtail Tartar. I must admit, it was every bit as nauseating and self-absorbed.

I don't care how corny, cliche or naive I may sound, but when I go to Africa I'm going for the culture and for the people. I want to go to the shanty towns and hear some music and eat homecooked food. I want to go fishing and hang with young women my age and talk about politics, art, entrepreneurship and relationships. I wanna get drrrty while there and not play Hollywood or PG County to be more to the point. Yes I want to see the beaches, go on a safari and sip some V, but I also want to experience the grime and chaos. I'm a Black Grrrl from the BX. I can't help but keep it real African. That's just who I am.

Blow-Up Men and Overweight Ladies

2006-08-03T17:40:00.000-04:00

As if us grrrls don't get slighted or marginalized enough, some idiots here and across the pond are trying to get their sexist rocks off.

In London some genius wanker created a blow-up 'buddy' to make us timid, fearful lady drivers feel safe and secure. Gimme a fricking break and stick to soccer and fish and chips.

Over here, the NY Times felt a need to devote an entire article to analyzing the social ramifications of featuring Black, "sassy" overweight women in mainstream ads that promote brands like PineSol and Dairy Queen. The article begins:

Her onscreen presence takes on many variations, but she is easily recognizable by a few defining traits. Other than her size, she is almost always black. She typically finds herself in an exchange that is either confrontational or embarrassing. And her best line is often little more than a sassy "Mmmm hmmm."

This paragraph is where the writer-- Jeremy Peters, starts to get into a snag with theHotness grrrl:

But despite the popularity of such characters among blacks, the use of the image of big black women as the target of so many jokes is troublesome to some marketers and media scholars. "It is perpetuating a stereotype that black females are strong, aggressive, controlling people," said Tommy E. Whittler, a marketing professor at DePaul University. "I don’t think you want to do that." To be sure, sassy overweight black women appear to represent only a small fraction of the African-American actresses who appear in commercials.

Troublesome to marketers and media scholars? C'mon Jeremy if you really wanted to know if this issue was really an ISSUE then you would have interviewed at least one of those so-called confrontational Black actresses cast in these commercials you are referencing (albeit they 'appear to represent only a small fraction', but they are here and they can speak-- my godmother is one of those actresses [she's the Sudafed, Quilted Northern and Campbell's soup lady] and believe me when she read this article she was aghast-- not sassy)

And to conclude his insightful article, Jeremy makes the following observation:

As is typically the case with racial stereotypes, who is laughing and why is complex and potentially inflammatory. Black actors and comedians have profited handsomely from creating bumptious female characters on TV and in movies, raising the issue of whether they, too, are perpetuating the stereotypes that many find offensive. Tyler Perry, the filmmaker and actor, created a series of plays and movies, including the huge hit "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," in which the main character Mable (Madea) Simmons is a no-nonsense overweight matriarch.

NewsFlash! Madea is a Black man dressed in drag and that my dear is part of the charm of Tyler Perry's comedies. He is drawing from the historical context of Flip Wilson not Hattie McDaniel. And damn if you are going to mention advertising power and Black overweight women how do you mention Mo'Nique and not Oprah. Read the story and please post your thoughts.

Word On The Street - Alice, D'Angelo, Gary Harris & Every Girl A Different Night

2006-08-02T17:42:00.000-04:00

Even though it's Hades hot, I'm hangin. Went to the SummerStage show this past Saturday to catch Goapele, Alice Smith & The Ubiquita Grrrl dj's. Ironically it seemed like most folks were there to see Alice even though she was the opener. Cute as always rocking a pair of cream and green hotpants (this must be the hip ish to wear if you are going to be performing in front of mad people (think J*Davey at Radio City, Beyonce @BET Awards & Amerie at damn near all of her live shows), Alice belted out her joints and showed-off what I hope is her brand new permanent band. As my girl Karen noted, they were straight holding her down! Still as good as I thought she was, it seemed as if her performance just evaporated into the sultry hot atmosphere. She didn't really take a hold of the crowd and rock us they way I'm just fiending for her too. Maybe it's nerves. It does take skill to create this type of electricity that just knocks out your audience. Just ask Prince, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Sade, Tamarkali, Beyonce, Maxwell... yeah Maxwell is my favorite for knowing how to do this. Because he gets very little radio play, it's great seeing how he knows how to maneuver the stage to usually give his audience theHotness resulting in his always sold out tours. Alice can definitely be that next star and so I hope she gets some help with her stage performance so she can move the crowd as well. Actually I hear Cope has taken her under his wing and is working with her so there is hope yet! Goapele was nice too, beautiful even but again she lacked that wow factor. Granted it was 95 degrees outside and folks were tired and lacked that over the top energy that performers crave, but I was expecting to feel the fire. I mean if I'm gonna sweat, let me at least feel the burn.

On Monday night I went to this old school jam at the Adidas store in Soho. Kool Herc and Jazzy Jay were spinning, Chuck D was hosting and white boys were doing windmills and backflips. I felt like I was in a cinematic mash-up of Wild Style and that new flick Step Up. As long as I've been in the game it still leaves me shook to see nothing but white and Asian boys breaking and pop locking and bigging-up the old school heads. I spoke to Chuck D for a minute and really enjoyed his vibe and he, like Herc, seemed used to the mostly white audience that had gathered in the tony boutique store. As I was leaving I bumped into Gary Harris which totally affirmed this night as a cold classic old school moment. If you don't know Gary's been around for awhile--Sugarhill Records and Def Jam's first days. I met him in '94 when he was working with Michael Archer (nee D'Angelo). So much has happened since then between those two collectively and as individuals. But I was actually very happy to hear that Gary is back managing D'Angelo. There is something about their connection that was electric. Back then it had a negative charge and I think both of them had to get their respective behinds together. Now D is out of rehab-- clear and ready to make music and so we shall see. Gary has also been through the storm and back again. Having witnessed, first hand, their partnership as they put his first album together, I'm so anxious to see what kinda magic these two will create. From the folks they met with (Irving Azoff & Jermaine Dupri) while in NYC, it's definitely going down BIG!

Word on the street is that MeShell's new band A Different Girl Every Night is one of her best collaborations ever. Supposedly her guitarist is the illest and her new material is fiya. For me the name of the band alone is a sure shot winner.

On the other hand, Danity Kane (pronounced like Vanity)-- Puff's new girl group (aka the Making of the Band Girls) has the worst name in music history. I mean I thought 3 Little Women was bad (and they hurried and changed that crap to 3LW), but this ish cannot even be pronounced correctly and it is totally forgettable. Hopefully the music will be better. Yeah I know, don't hold my breath!