so, life is full of surprises. Its a gift that keeps giving. Amongst the hardships, pain, and trials, there is a beauty about life that is maintained and created by all art forms, whether they be visual, performing, communicative. They all transform pain to beauty, and for that, I am eternally greatful.
It is extremely important to let go of things and people that are no longer condusive to our positive growth or are no longer in our life. As a woman, I find myself (as many do) holding on to past love relationships as if they were a prized posession of mine only to find out that its no longer mine, and no longer a posession (which it never should have been if the relationship was really and truly and a happy and healthy one, it turned into an obsession. I think about the possibilities. "What if I did this or said that or treated him this way or wasn't this way, but the reality it...its just wasn't meant to be. Because of my refusal to "Let Go and Let God", I passed many wonderful men and opportunites just because I desired to satiate my craving for my sugar filled sweety. But, we all know that too much sugar is never good for anyone and will eventually cause things to rott. So, for all of you who have a problem letting go, LET GOOOOOOOOO. SNAP OUT OF IT. He or she is not good for you and probably never will be. DO NOT GET IT TWISTED. You are still beautiful, radiant, fabulously lovely, and appealing. TRUST ME!!!!!!!
CALLING ALL MEN...
This is a message to all men. Be more creative, dedicated, devoted, giving. Please!!!!!! because this whole lazy ass excuses and lack of courting is getting tired. I know you have it in you as fabulous and amazing as you all are. Pieces that I love!
Each day is another opportunity for you to create your own blissfully productive and beautiful Reality!
CBabi Bayoc
His is an artist that is famous for is caricatures. He has a wonderful ability to capture and expose his characters personalities, with his use of color and body dimensions. Lookin Back It's amazing the way the body changes as one ages. The ears become bigger. Hands appear bigger. Hair color changes. Years past and depending on a person's experience, he/she can be despondent or content, when reflecting on the past. There is a subtle admirable beauty in old age, which is depicted in this image. Siblings I Am Sexy Damnit It's interesting the way the gender of this character is unclear. Judging from the title, I've assumed that it's a women, since, often, women desire to have sex appeal. Daddy's Shoulder I used to love to ride on my dad's Shoulder Ah.
Nicholas Leichter Dance
NLDC is a Brooklyn, New York, based company. I love the way that he fuses contact, hip hop, Eastern dance, and West African dance. I also think its bold that he uses contemporary popular tunes in many of his pieces.
This clip is from his Piece Undertow. Music: Bjork Choreography: Nicholas Leichter Company Performing the Piece: Instruments of Movement
Eric Lau Eric Lau is a Producer that has produced tracks for Lupe Fiasco, Georgia Anee Ludley and Dudley Perkins, Hill St. Soul, Guilty Simpsons, and other up and comng artist. His Discography includes: New Territories Check him out!
Women and everything associated to women Should be uplifted and praised. A women should never be encouraged to apologize for her curves, her body, sensitivity, pride, sexiness, fervor, or independence. While men are wonderful and very much needed, women maintain the balance in a household and the sanity amongst many.
She shouldn't have to conform to any society's standards of physique. Regardless of race, age, or physical build, She ought to celebrate herself.
HERAKUT “London::Herakut’s Dirty Laundry Aired”
Exposed is the operative word here. Often People hide insecurities and "imperfections"(defined by society), but only through honesty with oneself can she find freedom. I was very surprised by Akut's depiction of the female body, exposing stomach role, small chest, and large hips, features that are considered, often considered unappealing.
Herakut is a team of two German Artists, Akut and Hera, who fuse their two very contrasting styles to make complete pieces . Akut, male, and Hera, female both converged under the premise that they both loved and admired graffiti/ street art and all things associated to it (hip hop culture,being outdoors, painting on huge dimensioned „canvases“ for everyone to see). Akut, male, uses spray paint realism while Hera, female, uses illustrations with can and pencil.
The images above are from the Exhibit “London::Herakut’s Dirty Laundry Aired”, which opened in Novemeber of 2008.
MISS VAN Bestial Miss Van's cherub-like character's (let alone artwork), are bold, sassy, curvaceous, unapologetic, sensitive, vulnerable, while strong. Being that she started as strictly a graffiti artist, her art has urban appeal, often capturing and caricaturing the everyday urban female.
While some of her characters may appear mildly erotic, revealing their large breasts and asses and glance at the viewer (almost objectifying herself), She glorifies a more voluptuous figure, which is rare but greatly appreciated!! Originally from Toulouse,France, Van exhibits her art in galleries internationally. Tapping into more profitable industries, she has created a line of Miss Van clothing a parifenallia that is distributed in retail stores and online.
One of her most recent art exhibits is called Bestial. Van delves herself into Bestial establishing a narrative and making even more of a statement. I love the way the women have no eyes in their sockets. They look blind, and seem as if they are using their power blindly and without any direction, loving blindly, giving themselves blindly, attaching themselves to things and people blindly.
MIKE SLOTT Mike Slott is an incredibly gifted producer from Scotland that creates experimental yet soulful tracks. You can definitely see the affect that J Dilla (Jay Dee from Detroit) has had on music all over the globe!! He has partnered up with Hudson Mohawke, another producer, to form the group Heralds of Change, which is a electronica/hip hop group.
"Mike Slott aka Slotkavic is a producer in the Heralds of Change. He has lived in Chicago, New York and Glasgow, but until the lp is finished you can find him in Dublin. Mike is a talented producer in a lineage of music royalty, with his father being the first major jazz signing in Ireland, his brother signed to Sony bmg age 17, his cousin an ex-member of Irelands most successful golden-era hip hop group and uncle a legend in the world of Irish traditional music. Not victim to expectation he wears his immersion in music very easily, moving this niche new music on. Over the weekend you can find him propping up the counter of All City Records in Temple bar. If he's not there hes probably in the cue of a low-cost airline. real rockstar...." complements of the Knitting Factory
Midnight
Sista Souljah, author of The Coldest Winter Ever and No Disrespect, has just released her newest book of fiction, Midnight, which is sort of a sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever. You have got to check it out!
I know that we all read The Coldest Winter Ever back in high school. Although Sistah Souljah took her sweet time creating her next novel, it was well worth the wait. This book examines the life of Midnight, Senegalese boy growing into manhood in the Big Apple. It discusses his trials and tribulations of maintaining his own identity and culture in a place where it is virtually impossible to do so. Although the book is a great work of fiction, there are many aspects that relate to real life. Sistah Souljah's words bring the traditional Muslim culture to life. I would highly recommend this novel. I cannot wait until next year for the next installment in the series. Have you read it? What did you think? Posted by Sweet.Simple.Sophisticated.
Fafi, French graffiti artist, will be included in booklet entitled “Dianalogues Part 1: Through a Woman’s Lens”. The booklet will contain 10 women from all over the world to contribute their images and words to this project. The Colette special edition is exclusively sold at colette and on lomography.com.
Check out this dope french artist at http://www.fafi.net/accueil.html
KARA WALKER
Stockton, California, born, Kara Walker, with in the past year, finished her museum tour of Kara Walker: My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love, which was the first full-scale U.S. museum survey of the work of American artist Kara Walker. This extraordinary artists cleverly uses silouette images, mostly, to explore power, repression, history, race, and sexuality. Check her out at
He hale's from toronto and is barely in his 20's, but don't let that fool you. He has an amazing talent and a knack for production and writing. Mentored by Lil' Wayne, he is definately a prime example of the modern new sound of hip hop, which is a product of the amalgamation of soul, rap, jazz, electronica, and 80's punk. His new mixtape, Drake: So Far Gone An October's Very Own, should definately not be overlooked!
Lines Ballet
Alonzo King is a wonderfully gifted choreographer that has contributed to the evolution of Ballet and Dance. Starting his training in Santa Barbara, California, with Lane, he studied in New York at the Harkness School of Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Alvin Ailey Dance School. He went on to Perform with the Youth Harkness Youth Ballet, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, and with Bella Lewinsky. Upon his return to California, He found Lines Ballet Company as well as housed the San Francisco Dance Center. Here is a clip of a collaboration with Jazz saxophonist Pharoahe Sanders and world renowned Muriel Maffre.
