July 29, 2010

Real Talk

Essence Mag Hires A White Fashion Director

essence_covers

Last Wednesday morn lovely styleaholic Najwa tweeted: “Just heard some very disturbing news about Essence magazine.” I tweeted back: “Did they fold?” Never got a response because I forgot to type the friggin “@” symbol. Then on Sunday I saw this Facebook update by cultural critic & former Essence Fashion Editor Michaela angela Davis: “It is with a heavy heavy heart I have learned that Essence magazine…,” okay by now I’m thinking, ‘Oh God, Susan Read more...

July 26, 2010

Grooves, Real Talk

Being A Bad Girl: Badu vs. Minaj (Part 2)

Nicki_vibe

Bad girls make art that comes out of experience and not style. -Linda Goode Bryant

Have you seen the June/ July 2010 issue of VIBE magazine? It’s a double cover featuring Nicki Minaj and Erykah Badu. Both ladies are adorned in body paint. For Erykah it’s the kind inspired by the Indian henna work often seen on Hindu brides-to-be. Nicki’s body paint is more cartoonish than culturally based. Her entire upper body– ta-tas and all, Read more...

July 22, 2010

Real Talk

Shirley Sherrod: From Racist to Victim

sherrod

This Shirley Sherrod gaffe speaks volumes about the power of right-wingers, how women, especially Black women, are perceived and treated when ish hits the fan, and lastly, about the lack of investigative reportage nowadays. When Andrew Breitbart, a well known right-wing troublemaker can get the Obama administration to force the resignation of a senior official, this said more about our current administration, media, race and gender relations then it did about bad boy Breitbart.

What Read more...

July 17, 2010

Grooves

Kimberly Nichole’s Yellow Brick Journey

Kimberly-Nichole

Earlier this week I was reading the latest issue of Elle magazine with Rihanna on the cover and was totally struck by her style, stance and sound. She’s got flavor for days, problem is, when it comes to her vocal ability she kinda comes up short. I sat back and imagined how awesome it would be if Riri could really sing. Then on Thursday I popped in a CD by a singer named Kimberly Nichole Read more...

July 15, 2010

Grooves, Real Talk

Being A Bad Girl: Nicki Minaj (Part1)

NickiMinaj

You know the state of hip hop is really in trouble when a rapper who has yet to drop her own record AND who lip-synchs her live performances wins a BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. I was out of the country on vacation, but got back just in time to see Chris Brown boo-hoo his way to redemption and see Nicki Minaj proclaim she’s “fighting for women.” Ugh! Fighting? For me? Homegirl flashed Read more...