Afro Punk Fest!

   I've posted about the Afro-Punk festival before and the long-awaited event has come and passed. All I can say is that it was beautiful. I have absolutely no complaints. The fest include live performances on two stages, a skate competition, a BMX competition, Food Trucks, an art wall,  a children's arts & crafts section, Thrift shops, and endless good vibes.
    On Saturday the headliner was miss Erykah Badu and on Sunday Janelle Monae performed. There were also great performances by TV on the radio, Gordon Voidwell, Das Racist, Phony ppl, and more. All the performance brought out a great  crowd and did not disappoint.

Here are some photos taken by Ali Esteem:

Janelle Monae

 
Afro-punk represents “The other Black Experience”. Being an individual. This was the 8th annual festival and my first time attending. It was AMAZING.  I was volunteering so I was working mostly both mornings but once it hit around 2pm I was just having fun with my friends. Imani, who was another volunteer; and Ali Esteem, who eventually met up with us(and took the photos). Aside from them I saw almost everyone I know. People from High school, Urban Word, Poetry events, and of course Tumblr. It was like Black tumblr: New York meet-up. There were so many beautiful people. The fashion was very important, everyone had on their perfect “music festival outfit”. I was extremely elated the whole weekend. Just being in an atmosphere with my best friend and other people I care about, people who understand, and having fun. This was end of the summer and a wonderful end at that.

Here are more photos courtesy of Afro-Punk's Facebook

Janelle Monae

Erykah Badu and special guest Yasiin Bey

band "The Skins"

Book of the month

    Tears for water by Alicia Keys. Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics.

    I've read most her poems and identify with them. Not only her content but also her style of writing, with some pieces I said "did I write this". Well maybe my style is just similar to hers. That's what I liked the most, there's a sense of comfort I feel as well as a connection to Alicia Keys. My favorite piece of hers, and the reason I bought this book is P.O.W. As performed on Def Poetry Jam:

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty • Teaser from Terence Nance • Terence Etc. on Vimeo.

With arresting insight, vulnerability, and a delightful sense of humor, Terence Nance’s explosively creative debut feature, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, documents the relationship between Nance and a lovely young woman as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic. Nance creates an exquisite tapestry of live action and various styles of animation to delve deeply into his own young male psyche as he sweats and stretches toward maturity. The result is an exciting and original film that announces the arrival of a bright new cinematic talent. - Shari Frilot
a Media MVMT film An Oversimplification of Her Beauty starring Terence Nance and Namik Minter Produced by James Bartlett, Andrew Corkin, and Terence Nance Associate Produced by Jocelyn Cooper, Matthew E. Bray, and Chanelle Pearson Directors of Photography Matthew E. Bray and Shawn Peters Assistant Editors Nelson Nance and Hannah J. Buck Written, Directed, and Edited by Terence Nance

   I went to a screening of this film last night at the Brooklyn Museum of art and I certainly do not regret going. This film seems complex for it is actually two films in one, but that's the beauty of it. What makes it confusing is exactly what makes it great. You can plainly see the hard work, dedication, and effort put into this film. The fact that it was based on real life experiences is refreshing, because most movies that are based on real life still have elements which lead to the constant realization "Oh yea, this is just a movie". Oversimplification was a peep into ones life, love life, and specific relationship. Though most of the film was scripted and acted, I'm pretty it stayed true to what happened during this time the director's life. What I like most was the animation. As you can see in the trailer many parts are animated to illustrate the the director's true feelings and perspective on the situation. I will be searching for another screening of this film and next time I'm bringing all my friends.

Quote

You know why we travel away from where we are from, where we live, where we sleep? To be around people who appreciate our vibe.

My dad, a few months. After suspecting a few girls whispering about me & my afro. I didn’t notice them, nor do I care, but my dad did and he was a little upset about that.

Yarn Braids/Genie Locs hair tutorials!

I haven't really been styling my hair but here are two styles I did today.

I hate when people say "Natural hair isn't for everyone".

     Yes it is. It’s your NATURAL hair. You didn’t come out of your mother with a relaxer kit.
In all seriousness, this statement really bothers me. It's like saying fingers aren't for everyone whilst cutting yours off. I posted this on Tumblr and the post got a lot of attention. A lot of people agreed with me. But for the people who didn't agree they argued by saying that some people can't maintain natural or certain natural hairstyles aren't for everyone, which I think is still ridiculous. It is not revolutionary or a fad or style to wear your hair the way it comes out of your scalp, it just is. I understand that hair maintenance, but that goes for anywhere you wear your hair. We all know that relaxers are damaging and at the end of the day being natural is simpler(in my opinion)

Parked! Food truck festival.

     Yesterday was the food truck festival event at south street seaport, which they host every summer. Where people can enjoy food from over 30 of NYC's best food trucks, carts, and m,ore. I went with my family and best friend. We certainly enjoyed ourselves as well as the great food. There was such a variety, from Asian cuisine to barbecue to ice cream to lobster to schnitzel and so much more. Unfortunately, we couldn't eat everything but I did enjoy 3 tacos from Big D's Grub(Asian style food). Here are a few photos we took:

UPDATE!

    It seems that I've been neglecting my Blog and YouTube channel lately. So here's a brief update on all that's been going on with my life business-wise and fun.

My New Business cards from Moo.com

   While on Facebook I saw an ad which read "Free business cards". A little skeptical, I looked into to it and it was not a scam. Moo.com, a site which creates business cards and others print items, has teamed up with Facebook.com and created Facebook business cards. Cards specifically for a business on Facebook to look exactly like one's Facebook page. I got mine int he mail very quickly and they look amazing. I can not wait to market myself and hand these out!

Afro-Punk Battle of the bands finale

   Last Night was the Grand Finale of Afro-punks Battle of the Bands. A competition which gives musicians a chance to compete to win the grand prize of performing on the Afro-Punk stage at the festival along with other great prizes. The night started off great with funky people hype to see their friends, family, and close friends battle it out.. The event was held at Free Candy and that place was fun the whole night the whole night through. I was volunteering, so I helped out, networked, spread the word about the festival, and overall enjoyed myself. Here are some photos from the evening:

Winners: Oxymorrons

1st runner up: Tess