(A)Sexuality

   Just in time for Pride Month and in lieu of NYC's Pride weekend, lets talk about the forgotten "sexual orientation": Asexuality.
   Personally, I can go on and on about sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, roles, etc. but up until a month ago Asexuality was something I was unfamiliar with. I've heard the term once or twice but I didn't understand.
   Then I was at my best friend's house using netflix and I stumbled across the documentary (A)sexual. The film follows the growth of a community that experiences no sexual attraction. Here's the trailer:

    From this film I've learned so much and if you're confused I'll break it down. When someone identifies as asexual that means they do not feel any sexual attraction to anyone else, as it is assumed that we all do. Some asexuals do have a sex drive but it is not directed to others and some asexuals can be romantically attracted to others but still do not want to have sex. There is a such thing as an asexual relationship. Then there are asexuals(as shown in the film) who don't have a sex drive at all nor want a relationship. Asexuality is not abstinence, it is not celibacy, it is not a choice.

My Documentary short!

Natural Hair Update!

     My hair has been in everything except braids for the past few months and now I've gotten my hair done again. Here is me talking about my new style, how I've styled my hair and of course my blog http://iloveboxbraids.tumblr.com/

Yeezus VS Born Sinner

   Well, the day has come and went. June 18, 2013 the day both KanYe West and J. Cole released new albums. Mac Miller also released a new album that day but we're not talking about him.

   Now, whether you're a hip-hop head or not you may have already heard that J. Cole is the obvious winner when it comes to these albums. J. Cole truly proved himself and Mr. West proved to be out if his mind. Soooo, lets talk about the better man first.

     We all fell in love with the first single Power Trip, pretty much  an admittance to obsession, but this song was no indication of what we were about to hear from J. Cole. Born Sinner. The most important thing about this album is that it is so very different from Cole's first studio album Cole World: The Sideline Story. Personally I felt like I was listening to whole new J. Cole, which I appreciate very much. Born Sinner sticks to the title and kept the "religion" theme throughout with dope beats, clever samples, and  features. The first track does its job as an introduction for this album, cynically titled Villuminati, using an obvious but not so obvious Biggie snippet, also including a few shoutouts to Cole's big big brother Jay-Z.
    A few more stand out tracks on Born Sinner include Trouble, Crooked Smile ft. TLC, and Forbidden Fruit ft. Kendrick Lamar. Yes, what we've all been waiting for, another J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar collaboration. I'm not sure if you can be a fan of one without being a fan of the other and their friendship is very well known. This track is very effective, there is no competition, no overkill, it's smooth.
   Now, Of course I could not forget, probably one of the most pinnacle recordings on this album Let Nas Down. The second to last song on the album is an account of a time when Nas was disappointed in one Cole's earlier singles Work Out. He says, "Long live the idols, may they never be your rivals." Nas is certainly one of Cole's idols as he is to most of us. Hip-Hop odes by rappers for other rappers have been done many times before and this is a notable one. Cole also cleverly shouts out KanYe a bit, using the line "No I.D. my mentor now let the story begin" from Big Brother, Yeezy's ode to Jay-Z.
     Overall Born Sinner is a good album. Well put together, extremely truthful/raw, very Hip-Hop, very dope and a bit of a surprise, or refreshment rather.
PLEASE listen if you haven't already !



   Oh right, and for Yeezus.

      All I can say is that I am more than disappointed and confused. He used a lot of up-tempo electronic beats which he reportedly did not produce himself and there is just a lot of pointless shouting. A few tracks that seemed like they would be good just fell flat. Yeezy had almost no flow throughout the album. The first single "New Slaves" may have mislead all of us as to what this album is really about, it's mostly fluff.

Solange LIVE!

   Yes, yes I got to see my idol live in concert. As you may know, Solange Knowles is one of my biggest inspirations. I was excited to here about the Northside music festival presented by Converse. I've got clips of each performance from today's event in this video:

    The park was filled and there were food, drinks, and free vitamin water! Of course I was only there to see Solange. I captured plenty of photos of her.

Whatchu wearinnnn ?!

  So it's been a while since I've shared with my style but here it is! An outfit of the week!
    Last night I went to the Chance the Rapper concert in Brooklyn and decided to wear something really chill and funky. This outfit is easily hip-hop inspired, easily 90’s inspired, but it’s simply me. I was extremely comfortable, which is what matters most. I bought the jumper from goodwill a couple of months ago(which is probably why it’s a little big on me), and I bought the crop-top specifically for this outfit from asos.com. The snapback, the chucks, and earrings all complete this look and give that 90’s Hip-Hop vibe and that’s not even what I was going for, lol.

Chance the Rapper LIVE!

     Last night I went to Chance The Rapper's first event in NY at Europa night club in Brooklyn. I was great. Chance was rather turnt up the whole night. I recorded a few songs and myself talking about the event and you can see all of that in this video.

     Like I said the only downside is that it seemed so short. Well one day he'll have a full concert at a sold-out arena and I'll be there!

You can touch my hair?!

    Recently, a group of Black women stood in Union Square Park holding signs that read "You can touch my hair". There is always a lot of controversy revolving around people reaching out and touching a black woman's hair without permission, especially people who are not Black. So this little exhibit may seem like a nice gesture but I see it as tacky. This is NOT a petting zoo and I am not a sheep.
    You may Not touch my hair or my body because it is my own and there is a such thing as personal space. This is almost like Janet Jackson (or a woman with a similar body) standing around, allowing people to grab her ass. NO. This is ridiculous and silly. Especially when it becomes racial, which it always is. Allowing white people to treat black people as some kind of oddity or freak show, is what this looks like to me.

and this photo is the perfect response:

Paint and Poetry vol. 15!

My favorite poetry event is still going strong. This month's event gave a new feel but not any less amazing than always. This time around felt like home. Of course I know a lot of people who frequent this event but I also saw a lot of new faces. There was so much love and appreciation for the arts, its almost shocking every time to have so many great people in one room. Paint and Poetry = Love. Here's the whole night in photos.

Mojo Disco

Noname Gypsy?

   Well you may not have heard of her but this young lady is about to take the hip hop world by storm, I promise. She was featured on fellow upcoming Chi-Town artist Chance the Rapper's latest mixtape Acid Rap. The track is "Lost and is certainly a stand out for an overall great project.

   Noname, although doesn't have a project of her own out, already shows to be promising. She is extremely unique and keeps it real. I know this based on her most recent track "Sunday Morning", on which she discusses social justice issues on a peaceful sounding track. Upon first listening to this song I was amazed. She says things that most people already know but don't really talk about. Give it a listen yourself:

Marley Twists? Havana Twists?

  Havana Twists as well as many other African Hair Braiding styles have become very popular as of late and here's a post to clear up what styles you're getting/doing and what makes them different.


   OKAY, Here’s a little breakdown. This photo is of the Marley Twist hairstyle. Marley Twists are similar to Senegalese Twists, braided at the root, except using Marley Braid Hair(which is coarse synthetic/kanekalon hair, more coarse than afro-kinky hair.)




















   Now this photo is of the Havana Twist hairstyle. Havana Twists are large shoulder length twists which are twisted at the root for a natural look. There is a specific blend of hair for this style which is less kinky than Marley Braid hair and Afro Kinky hair but thicker/fluffier than 100% kanekalon jumbo braid(the hair used for box braids).

 

   The last photo is of Havana Twists done with the Marley Braid hair. Which is why a lot of people get the styles mixed up. They are basically chunky Marley Twists, mostly because the type of hair for Havana Twists is not very easy to find. This style can also be done with the method of twisting at the root for a more natural look.












   Of course there are many other twists like Senegalese Twists, Kinky, Yarn, Nubian, and more. Check them all out as well as various styles of braids, plenty of hairspiration and on http://iloveboxbraids.tumblr.com/ Feel free to ask any question :)