An Ode to the Black Woman

I ran across this article in Clutch Magazine written by Alaina Lewis, and thought it was something worth repeating. Below are a few highlights that I loved, but you can read the entire article HERE.

Ode to the Black Woman

"We are not here to please the masses, we are here to exist apart from a myriad of circumstances that fight to cripple our existence. We’re not here to offend, fit in, or follow your lead, we exact a trail of our own making and find solace in being leaders even when the plan is still a mystery. We don’t stand to deliver your ideals to life, we mark our territory with our own point of view. We don’t care what people think of us, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We’re not here to alter anyone’s perception because we know the world is ours for the making as long as we’re here to live in it.

The Black Woman, is a strong woman, born to be a fighter, and bred to win. We are remarkable in every fraction of our being, and hold a posture that’s unmistakable when you’re amidst our will and determination to succeed.

Our resilience and drive make us one of a kind fighters and completely irreplaceable by anyone’s means. We are Black Woman, dynamic in nature and should be regarded in high esteem. Here’s to the Black Woman and the road that you’ve taken, and the smile the sometimes gets forsaken, I applaud you for your efforts; they broke the mold when they made you."

Where Creativity and Foolishness Meet: The Music Video

I appreciate good videos.

I can appreciate Common, Maxwell, Musiq Soulchild, Erykah Badu... all artists who put effort into their music videos and seemingly, their music. Even Kanye, with his eclectic style of music, will make 2 or 3 music videos...if not to be different, at least to be happy.

Now as a disclaimer, this post is NOT about the "video girls" in videos, because as a realist, I understand that some songs are clearly for the club and you're going to throw in some "eye candy". But as a whole when the music video does not match the SONG, regardless to what type of music it is - Rap, R&B, Rock, Pop, Alternative, you name it - it's a train wreck to me.

Generally speaking, the lackluster performance and thought, or lack thereof, that goes into music videos these days is really unforgiving. Especially when we have the technology to really do big things. And I'm not discriminating. I'm pretty tired of seeing Beyonce dance around in spandex and pumps for the entire video. It was cute when she first did it for Diva, but Single Ladies, and Ego too? Do something different.

Look at some songs that had the videos to match:

COMMON - Come Close

Common "Come Close"
Uploaded by classics007. - Explore more music videos.

MUSIQ SOULCHILD -

Musiq Soulchild - Don't Change
Uploaded by classics007.

ALICIA KEYS - Love me like you'll never see me again

Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again (NEW VIDEO 2007
Uploaded by blackgreenlantern1696. - Explore more music videos.

These are just a FEW, but the point is if you put some thought into your music, you SHOULD put some thought into your videos. *Note to the artists: Videos can sell what the music doesn't.

But to each his own...and to each his own opinion, so share yours.

Chrisette Michele : "What you Do"

Music Videos - Video Playlists - New Music

Why do we Judge her? Karrine Steffans

This is Karrine Stefans on the Today Show promoting her new book, The Vixen Manual: How to Find, Seduce, and Keep the Man You Want. Lol @ the two women's faces while interviewing her!

So Karrine, otherwise known as Superhead, was the one in everyone's mouths (no pun intended)when she came out with her first book, dishing on celebrities and their freaky ways. Everyone dismissed her as the slut, whore, bitch who was taking someone's man and made every other woman look bad. I thought that too.

My problem? I judged her (past tense), just like most people did and still do.

My opinion? People are upset because she turned her "slutty" ways into a six figure book deal writing about what she's learned from her mistakes while playin the field. That's it. Doesn't sound much different then any other relationship self help book on the market, except she had some crazy experiences with some high profile people. She was a young woman who didn't know much about men, love, or respect for one's self. She grew up, did some self-reflection, wrote about it and got paid.

I hear a lot of women saying, why would I take advice from someone like her? or What she's saying, I already know. So what? Number one, if you read excerpts from her first book, Confessions of a Video Vixen, read it online, or went out and bought it, you're just as bad. Because all that book did was to reintroduce back in the game by telling everyone who she slept with. That's my only problem with her, she doesn't know how to be discreet, but even that I think she's learned, as you can see in the video. . .Number two: Don't front! I'm sure there are some real funny storeis and "how to illustrations" in the book that you and your girls can laugh too. You don't have to buy the book to learn something, you CAN just simply read it for entertainment.

A lot of tv and radio stations talked about her first book. And the reality is , both Confessions and the Vixen Diaries made it to the New York Times bestseller list, so whether or not you like it, you're opinion still makes her famous. What's the saying? All publicity is good pubilcity?

Ultimately, judging her is part of a larger problem, the catiness and judgement women have towards each other. But i'll save that for another post. She's making more paper than me, and probably most of you in her real life version of sex and the city. So respect her hustle, don't judge a book by it's cover.

BlackSummersNight

Yea I'm diggin Maxwell right now. This is an old picture of him...what can I say, I miss his hair, but his new cd is pretty awesome. I've always been a fan of Maxwell for his mix of classic soul and heartfelt lyrics, and this cd is no different. My favorite tracks are: Bad Habits, Pretty Wings, Fistful of Tears, and Love You.

The only thumbs down is that there are only nine songs! Geez! I want more of Maxwell's creative genius! But the cd itself is a steal, i only paid 9.00 dollars at Target...and it throws back to the old school with the lyrics of each song on the inside cover! Very few ARTISTS...key word...do that these days.

Buy it!