New music from KiD CuDi

No, no, no, Not the album as of yet. CuDi's latest "Passion, Pain, & Demon Slaying" was set to be released today September 30th. However Cudders went to Twitter last night to notify fans the project will be delayed, just a few days after releasing the tracklist to the masses which obviously got our mouths watering. Our faves André 3000 and Pharrell Williams are featured on the album and the anticipation builds. Do not fret Cudder did release two tracks from the album. One is "The Frequency" which was released on his soundcloud months ago, I wrote about it here, and the other is "Surfin'" ft. Pharrell.

    Surfin' offers us CuDi harmonizing, humming, and duly noted cockiness as he declares "I ain't ridin' no waves, too busy making my own waves". It's reminiscent of "REVOFEV" from his second album "Man on The Moon Part II: The Legend of Mr. Rager". This track indicates some promising new music from Scott, maybe a 'comeback' of sorts though he hasn't gone anywhere. Now I really can't wait.

Top Bun Headwrap tutorial !

I've done this head wrap in the past while I still had starter locs. Then I used two scarves to create the bun but now I can just put my hair up and complete the look with one scarf. Here's how:

About Donald Glover's Atlanta

    Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Hip-Hop artist also known as Childish Gambino; Donald Glover is a man of many talents, wittiness, and a charming coy personality. Gaining critical acclaim from hip-hop nerds and nerdy hip-hop heads alike for his first two albums Childish Gambino has almost seemed to become a larger icon than Donald Glover himself on the acting, writing and producing side of things but now after seeming to have gone into hiding Donald Glover is making art and making waves with his television show Atlanta, starring himself.

    Atlanta is a truthful representing of the Black experience as we follow our protagonist Ern, his battle with homelessness and a low paying job as well as his trying relationships with friends, family, and his baby momma. He has equal as much street as responsibility and seems to have a rep as being irresponsible. Ultimately he links up with a distant cousin who has just begun to blow up on their local rap scene as a way to get rich quick. He believes his cousin could make it big and he believes he can help. For the past 3 Tuesdays eyes have been glued to FX to see what happens next. Following suit of our favorite TV-MA drama Atlanta certainly brings the drama as well as suspense and of course brings the funny. What seems to be Glover's own sarcastic dry humor has definitely influence the dialogue and plot of Atlanta and has failed to disappoint when it comes to entertaining. Atlanta is hilarious and quite promising. As someone who does not watch TV, I've got my Fall show now.

First week of Autumn Look !

This week's outfit is a simple Urban Outfitters Sweaters dress over Black tights, complete with H&M boots. This Monday was a rainy Fall Day, a little chilly but not cold enough for a jacket. This look is simple, cute and still stylish despite swift winds and grey clouds.

New *Spoken Word* Video up !

     Last month I performed on of my latest pieces as part of the "Who You Callin' a Bitch" concert Series in NYC. This piece is written after my friend and contemporary Taylor Steele, you can hear her piece here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHqGkNQoqd0.

Monday Nights at the Bowery Poetry Club!

  As you may remember from my coverage of the opening night event, Mondays nights have been quite eventful at The Bowery Poetry Club in the LES as they host a weekly slam. Bringing back the culture of performance poetry in a competitive setting to one of the pioneer venues of the arts movement in NYC.

   This Monday I was the featured performer. Like most poetry slams there is a 15-20 minute feature spot showcasing a particular poet or performer, this artist is often who brings in the crowd and sets the mood. At Bowery that performer goes on after the first 2 of 3 rounds during the slam. The space does a bit of a turn around at 8:30 as the weekly open mic wraps up and guests shift frequent the bar, mingle, as the DJ sets up and people attending the slam fill up the space. The host is none other than Ashley August, just 4 months short of 1 year hosting at the bowery every Monday. She always has great energy and  a welcoming spirit.

  Six people competed in the slam, in the first 2 rounds and after the feature(that's me) 3 of the poets advanced to the last round and ultimately 2 of the final 3 advanced to semi-finals. Monday's slam was bit different than others The Bowery has hosted. This slam was the first of six prelim slams as part of the chapbook slam. A chapbook is a small collection of poetry, usually consisting of 15-20 poems often printed in a small pamphlet like book. The top two from each of the first there prelims advance to the first semifinals and the top poets from that slam advance to finals. The same goes for the second set of prelim slams. Ultimately there is one winner, at finals, and that winner gets their own chapbook published by the Bowery Poetry Club along with a cash prize. Pretty much if you missed this slam, there are plenty more to come. You can find @BowerySlam on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more info on upcoming events !

Photos taken by Shiyah Trotman (@NaiveShy)

Back to school look!

As you may know, I just graduated and I am not going back to school this fall, however this outfit rings in the season. I am wearing vintage acid washed jeans paired with a black squared short sleeved crop top and I complete the look with Timbaland boots, with the heels on 'em, from urban outfitters. What's also new about this look is my hair, I don't have a tutorial for you guys yet t there is one underway. I did the large bantu knots as I've done before but I did them a bit smaller and had about 12 of them.

The Brooklyn Poetry Slam returns to BRiC Media Arts!

   Thursday was the first slam of this years slam season at BRiC, located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. 2016's Brooklyn Slam Team has just returned from NPS(The National Poetry Slam) in Decatur, Georgia after ranking 5th in the nation. Now it is already time to start building the 2017 team. The slams are monthly and end with one winner who will advance to Finals.  Much like it has been for the past two years, Bric is a great space for a poetry slam with it's stoop-like staircase seating and wide open space for performance, art work, and screenings it is a warm space often filled with fun and entertainment. There is always an art exhibit on display that guests can view at anytime before or after the slam. The atmosphere, especially for this event, is very welcoming. When it comes to the Brooklyn Poetry Slam the space is almost always packed out.

    The show was opened up with a feature from none other than host of the Brooklyn Poetry Slam and Brooklyn Slam Coach Mahogany L. Browne. She read a select few poems from her recently published collection of poetry "Redbone" and well as a few new pieces. Then started the slam. There were 2 rounds, 7 poets signed up, the top 3 scoring poets advance to the 2nd round and then the poet with the highest cumulative score wins. The winner was 2016 Brooklyn Slam Team member Steven Willis, 2015 Nuyorican Poets Café slam team member Hongy took 2nd place, and the poet who came in 3rd place was myself. Stories of identity, race, origin, and culture swarmed the spaced wow'ing, entertaining, and educating the audience all together. It was a great kick-off to the slam season and a huge indicator to the competition and fun to come for the next few months. 

For more info on BRiC Media Arts, The Brooklyn Poetry Slam, as well as other events and exhibitions visit http://www.bricartsmedia.org. The next Brooklyn Poetry will be October 27th at 7pm !

The Essence Street Style Block Party !

     Saturday was the 3rd annual Essence Street Style Block party here in Brooklyn, DUMBO to be exact, right under the Manhattan Bridge. The streets were lined with vendors and the underpass was where they set up the stage for the DJ, performances, award ceremonies, and fashions hows. There were awards given out to a few select fashionistas including Kelly Rowland, as well as a fashion show featuring eye-catching festival goers, and a performance from Ayo Jay. All events scattered throughout the day with DJ's spinning in between. This event was a celebration of fashion, self-expression, and Black Culture. The performances, music, food trucks, and various booths all created an eventful and unforgettable street festival experience but what stole the show was the turnout. Attendees showed out in their best summertime festival looks with bright colors, african prints, and patterns. In the name of "Street Style" here are some looks I captured.

My look and Hairstyle for the Essence Street Style Block Party !

The title says it all. Street Style. Now how do I complete this look? Keep it simple. My outfit is A dramatic maxi dress from Urban Outfitters, with my Nike Air Max Theas(not pictured). I did something a little new but also a little old with my hair. and Here's how:

That New Isaiah Rashad !

  TDE Rapper Isaiah Rashad has dropped that new-new many of us have been waiting for. Sun's Tirade is the name of the album. Rashad stays true to his raw style with some new sounds, a few skits, and great featured artists. The album is an entire experience as each track flows into each other with a similar slow vibe yet upbeat tempos. Rashad's rap has not changed yet elevated, offering a sound and flow very easy to sing along with and turn-up to. Overall this project is a solid body of work, you can check off all the boxes. Sun's Tirade is exceptional, especially in comparison to other rap albums released in 2016 so far. Stand out tracks include the trippiest love song "Silkk da Shocka" ft. Syd, "Stuck in the Mud" ft. SZA, "Park", and the most outstanding "Wat's Wrong" ft. Zacari and Kendrick Lamar. Musically "Wat's Wrong" gives listeners an old school West Coast vibe and King Kendrick did his job as, who most people call, the greatest out right now. Lamar's verse is the cherry on top of one of the most impressive tracks of 2016. Bars, punchlines, catchy hooks, storytelling, musicality, features; Sun's Tirade is a necessary cohesive project, and exactly what Hip-Hop music needs right now. I highly recommend it.

My look for The West Indian Day Parade!

      Here in NYC labor day is not only a day off for some people, but a celebration for Caribbean people throughout the city all weekend as the first Monday of each month is when the West indian Day parade is held on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. All kinds of people, but mostly Caribbean people lines the streets to watch are floats with performers and live DJs accompanied by dozens of Masqueraders each all dressed in traditional carnival costumes with beads, jewels, feathers, glitter, paint, and large headdresses. Some carnival goers design and create their own costumes to attend though they are not actually in the parade. Streets are also lined with vendors selling all kinds of Caribbean food, drinks, flags and other accessories with flag and colors on them, pineapples, coconuts, jewelry, noisemakers, and more. I decided last minute to attend this year, here's the look I threw together:

An unspoken fashion rule for what outfit to wear to the parade is: If you are not wearing a costume and you do not have clothes with your flag or colors on them, wear all black and adorn yourself in flags/accessories. I wore an Out From Under bodysuit from Urban Outfitters paired with vintage shorts also from Urban as part of their Urban Renewal Brand. Then I wore Black Nikes, knowing that I would be on my feet dancing in the street all day. I carried a Jamaican flag tied to my shorts which I often took off to wave in the air during the parade, I have a black, green, and gold sweatband on my arm, and I carried a large Jamaican flag which most people tie around their necks/shoulders in the style of a cape which is how I wore it throughout the day. I completed my look with my makeup, green eyebrows and Jamaican flag lips.