Weekend Outings: Electrik Red host Pride Event at Tavern on the Green

(in this pic: event promoter Ken of K&K, Binky, Leslie, Garvin, Me, Naomi, Sarah)

This past week was Pride Week in NYC and as I said before my girls Electrik Red are big supporters of the GLBT community. They hosted an event on Saturday at the legendary Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Also there to perform was powerhouse House music singer Sabrina Johnston. Your girl Sabrimna tore it DOWN and the cutest part is that one of her back-up dancers is actually her daughter. Sorry I don't have any pics of Sabrina's performance guys, but check out these flicks of Electrik Red doing their thang!!! the kids went CRAZY for them :):

My fierce friend Corey!

Loves it!


Les going in!! :)



singing "We f*ck YOU"

"Friend, Lover"

"Drink in my Cup"

sidenote: Naomi's dress is the b.u.s.i.n.e.s.s! I have to fly out to L.A. soon to do some SERIOUS shopping.

If you attended any NYC Pride events this week or the Parade this past Sunday or if you've ever had the pleasure of seeing E.R. perform please leave a comment and share your thoughts.......

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R.I.P. MJ!

So this post was defintely something that I was dreading but I knew I had to do it because it's one of the number one burdens on all of our minds and hearts right now. I have been taking the passing of Michael Jackson pretty hard, as I know many of you have as well. I mean, we all knew that MJ was a living legend among us... but to think that he would be taken away so abruptly especially since the anouncment of his upcoming world tour, it's just heart-breaking.




Yes, Michael Jackson was a controversial figure when it came to his personal life, but I choose to focus on what we all love and respect Michael for, his unmatched contributions to the music industry.

This chart gives a better visual understanding to the effect that this man has had on our music by illustrating the Michael Jackson samples found in Hip-Hop and R&B songs today.

The little boy that stole the world's heart!!

My talented friend and artist, S.Whittaker, painted this months before MJ's passing and it was always one of my favorite works by her:

Take a look at the below list of MJ samples... and this is just the beginning. Now that he's gone everyone and their mama is gonna be remaking a Michael song, so get prepared people!!:

1. Got to Be There (1971) sampled by Havoc on Be There (2007)
2. Maria (You Were the Only One) (1971) sampled by Fat Joe on Bendicion Mami (2006)
3. Ain't No Sunshine (1972) sampled by Ghostface Killah feat. Sun God on Street Opera (2006)
4. I Wanna Be Where You Are (1972) sampled by Grand Puba on I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are) (1995)
5. I Wanna Be Where You Are (1972) sampled by MURS on Can It Be (2008)
6. Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day (1972) sampled by Scanty Sandwich on Because of You (2000)
7. We've Got a Good Thing Going (1972) sampled by Cassidy on Around tha World (2004)
8. With a Child's Heart (1973) sampled by Big Punisher on You Ain't a Killer (1997)
9. With a Child's Heart (1973) sampled by Little Brother on Watch Me (2005)
10. With a Child's Heart (1973) sampled by Cyssero feat. The Game on Fire in Ya Eyes (2007)
11. We're Almost There (1975) sampled by Jadakiss feat. Styles P on One More Step (2009)
12. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (1979) sampled by Mase feat. Jay-Z, 112 and Lil' Cease on Cheat on You (1997)
13. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (1979) sampled by Baby Bumps on I Got This Feeling (1999)
14. I Can't Help It (1979) sampled by Portrait on Here We Go Again! (1992)
15. I Can't Help It (1979) sampled by Shanice on It's for You (1993)
16. I Can't Help It (1979) sampled by De La Soul on Breakadawn (1993)
17. I Can't Help It (1979) sampled by Fabolous feat. Mike Shorey on Baby (2004)
18. I Can't Help It (1979) sampled by Ryan Leslie feat. Cassie and Fabolous on Addiction (2009)
19. Off the Wall (1979) sampled by Soul Avengerz on Enjoy Yourself (2004)
20. Billie Jean (1982) sampled by Lydia Murdock on Superstar (1983)
21. Billie Jean (1982) sampled by Club House on Do It Again - Billie Jean (Medley) (1983)
22. Billie Jean (1982) sampled by Jeru the Damaja on Mental Stamina (1994)
23. Human Nature (1982) sampled by SWV on Right Here (Human Nature Remix) (1992)
24. Human Nature (1982) sampled by Nas on It Ain't Hard to Tell (1994)
25. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (1982) sampled by Kanye West feat. T-Pain on Good Life (2007)
26. The Girl is Mine (1982) sampled by Ashanti on Good Good (2008)
27. The Lady in My Life (1982) sampled by LL Cool J feat. Boyz II Men on Hey Lover (1995)
28. The Lady in My Life (1982) sampled by Trae feat. Big Hawk on Swang (2006)
29. Thriller (1982) sampled by N.W.A on 100 Miles and Runnin' (1990)
30. Thriller (1982) sampled by Public Enemy on 911 is a Joke (1990)
31. Thriller (1982) sampled by The Prodigy on The Way It is (2004)
32. Thriller (1982) sampled by Herve on Cheap Thrills (2007)
33. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (1982) sampled by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz feat. Chauncey Black on Startin' Somethin (1998)
34. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (1982) sampled by Rihanna on Don't Stop the Music (2007)
35. Say Say Say (1983) sampled by Hi_Tack on Say Say Say (Waiting 4 U) (2005)
36. Somebody's Watching Me (1984) sampled by Fonky Family on Art De Rue (2001)
37. Liberian Girl (1987) sampled by MC Lyte feat. Xscape on Keep On, Keepin' On (1996)
38. Liberian Girl (1987) sampled by 2Pac on Letter 2 My Unborn (2001)
39. Heaven Can Wait (2001) sampled by Ludacris feat. T-Pain on One More Drink (2008)

Where it all started for MJ:
We will always love you MJ, you truly are the King of Pop!

Below is the link to a really cool video that I found on the history of the Moonwalk, MJ's legendary & signature move. While this clip clearly highlights Jackson's perfection of the move, it also shows performers who came before Jackson using that same backslide move; performers such as Jackie Daniel, Timothy Solomon, Bill Bailey, all the way back to Cap Callaway in 1932.

This just goes to remind us that while we are praising the contributions of one of the greatest to ever do it, he is not the first and hopefully will not be the last! There are many unsung contributors to the arts.... Life really is a big cycle and maybe, just maybe MJ has opened up the arena for his successor.

Check out the footage here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH0FeiLHH-U

Please feel free to share your thoughts on anything related to Michael Jackson. What he meant to you, what you think his impact on the music industry is, your favorite MJ moment or how you felt when you heard the tragic news of his passing......

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Familiar Faces: Julito McCullum/ Namond Brice from "The Wire"

This weekend I ran into a familiar face to us all.... WeeBays boy, Namond! We were at his cousins babyshower having a good ole time this Saturday! Hes a cool dude and I hope he has much success with his future acting career. I know I speak for alot of us when I say we miss the Wire and its great cast!!

Update: Julito spotted again! :)

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Mama's Baby... Papa's Maybe

Just my thoughts on "Father's Day":

The etymology of the word FATHER leads you to roots such as:
"Nourisher", "Protector", "Upholder".



I can honestly say that growing up I never had a father. Like many other young ladies I know, our mothers served as both Mother & Father. Bringing home the bacon AND cooking it up!! Many times feeding so many mouths with next to nothing meals that we learned to look to them as some kind of motherly magicians, miracle workers. Superhuman; able to solve any problem, heal any wounds and fill all voids... but are mothers truly able to fill the void of an absent father???

I guess one can say that having no father is better than one that is complacent or god-forbid... abusive in any way whether it be emotional or physical. BUT, I sometimes think: hey I would of taken whatever I could get; at least I could call it my own.



I always wonder how my life would have been different if I had an active father. One that took the time to talk to me about boys and books and how to balance the two. A father that had some kind of impact on my life. How could I know what a man's love to a woman should or should not look like if I had no images from my own household to measure others up to? In a way I kind of feel like I was winging it all my life when it came to issues of the other sex. I have to thank God that I was blessed with sooo many strong, independent, loving mothers around me that most of the time I didn't notice the lack of a male presence. (To further drive home the issue of the non-existent father figure, only one of these many women were married; the others ALL single mothers.) This went unnoticed for ONE because I was young, happy and healthy and just wasn't aware enough to realize the impact of this absence and TWO because when I did finally realize the yearning that I had for a father figure I filled that void with so much resentment that I suffocated any feelings that tried to surface of wanting/needing him around.


I actually have a memory of spending the night by my dad's house one night and crying my miserable little self to sleep because I missed my mommy so much. His house was a foreign place to me. It was unfamiliar and unfamiliar meant unsafe. I guess because of results like this from his failed attempts to peek into my life, he didn't try harder. But SHAME ON HIM!!! If he was doing his job from the go there would be no reason for me to feel insecure around him.

Sometimes I try to cast him in a different light and remind myself that there are two sides to every story. Maybe for reasons unknown to me he couldn't be in my life as much as he wanted to. But then vague memories step in and I remember him sending a few dollars to my mom every now and then. Maybe enough for an outfit or two. And I remember him stopping by my grandmother's house to visit, once in a blue moon. After a while I realized that the door was wide open for him to be a part of my life in any capacity he so chose... and he chose the DEADBEAT path.

Now, family members reading this may think, hey, I remember your father taking you to see a couple Broadway plays... and... didn't he sew several graduation dresses for you? (My father is an established tailor, yes... fashion is in the blood -- see how even now amidst all the resentment I can't help but want to connect myself to him) BUT what's a graduation dress when you had NO part in the molding of the mind that met this accomplishment? It's superficial, it's not the stuff that matters.


Fathers STOP thinking that just because you come out of pocket for a couple things that you are doing your job!

Forehead kisses when your child is sick, pet names for your son/daughter, your little quirks, the words that you share when they need to hear it, the way you look at them when they make you proud or disappoint... THOSE are the things that count! That's what they will cherish when it's all said and done.


Now I say all of that to say this... what do I do now? In the twilight of his life my father is making the most effort that I can remember, to be a part of my life. I get phone calls, and lunch dates whenever he's in the country (he relocated but was here for most of my life). Imagine that! I want to bring myself to ask why now? Now, I don't know if this was his plan all along, or if it is a way to make amends with the mistakes he's made in the past, for his own selfish reasons.

And so we come right back to that Agape love that keeps no record of wrong doing.. the ever present, ever-forgiving love... that allows a daughter to accept her "father"'s love 26 years after she first yearned for it, needed it, expected it and deserved it!

I guess I can say better late than never, right!?! Well, I do still love my dad and I intend to make the best of the hand I was dealt.


So... Happy Fathers Day to all the real Father's out there. The Nourishers, Protectors and Upholders that are an irreplaceable part of their children's life. The men that don't allow anything to prevent them from standing up to the plate!

I understand that life places many obstacles in the way of seemingly simple things but I believe that where's there's a will there's a way and it all boils down to choice.

I respect you all!!

Please feel free to share your thoughts......

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Prop 8: Are you Ye or Nay?

I saw this promo pic of my favorite girl group, Electrik Red, taking a stance on their support of Gay marriage and the fight against Proposition 8 which prevents same sex marriages in California.

I have to be honest and say that I think the definition of a marriage should remain as the sacred union between a man and a woman. However that does not mean that I am against gay couples that choose to have their union observed under the law, sharing the same priviledges of a married couple such as hospital visits, health benefits, life insurance etc.

I respect The Word, and I don't think we should go around changing it just to suit our social climate of acceptance and tolerance. And what a beautiful climate that is. But, that is precisely what the law is for. I think we should accomodate for different kinds of unions. At the end of the day love is love regardless of gender, creed, race or any other factors.

UPDATE: check out the footage of E.R.'s shoot:

For those of you living under a rock, just this week President Obama signed an executive order granting benefits to same sex partners of federal emplyees.

To quote the President:

"We've got more work to do to ensure that government treats all its citizens equally, to fight injustice and intolerance in all its forms and to bring about that more perfect union"

*Shout out to all my GLBT homies... it's all about Pride this month!


Please feel free to leave a comment and voice your opinions on Prop 8, Electrik Red, or any other thoughts that this post invokes......... Read more!

Is Diddy Hip-Hop Friend or Foe???

I might be pretty late on this tidbit of information but I recently found out that Brooklyn-bred rapper, Red Cafe, became the newest member of the Bad Boy family. I was actually pretty surprised by his decision to sign with Puff. I mean over the years Puff hasn't gained a reputation of being the most ethical businessman, and I always respected Cafe's consistent underground buzz and willingness to stick to the grind, seemingly until the right opportunity came along.


I definitely would not call Cafe a new comer to the game. He's been a force on the underground mixtape circuit for years and has also had his fair share of record deals gone wrong. After splitting with his rap group Da Franchise (other members included Gravy & Q Da Kid), he then signed deals with Arista, Capital and RCA, none of which worked out.

For someone who's been in the background, witnessing (as we all have) the rise and fall of so many other artists on the Bad Boy label, I was shocked to learn that he too would follow this path. Bad Boy artists have accused Puff of everything from stealing their shine on their own projects, to extorting and underpaying them. Most recently Young Jock made accusations public of not receiving any label support since 2007, unpaid advance money and shady business moves preventing him from working on projects outside of the Block Ent./Bad Boy family.

(Shout out to Londell MacMillian of Dewey & Leboeuf LLP for representing Jock. He's in good hands and should be getting all that is owed to him)

Here are some familiar faces of those burnt by Puff in the past:

LOON

SHYNE

BLACK ROB

G-DEP

In Puff's defense Red Cafe made the point that he really does give guys the opportunity that alot of others don't. During a recent interview with Charlamange da God (formerly of the Wendy Williams show) Cafe explained that he really respected Puff for even approaching him, respecting his craft and bringing an offer to the table for negotiation. He acknowledged the special things that Bad Boy has brought to the game in the past. Cafe also mentioned that Bad Boy is the only Black owned major label left standing... I can't hate on him wanting to support that.

Former ghost writer and artist on the Bad Boy label, Mark Curry, has just released a new book entitled " Dancing With the Devil". You can read the first chapter of Mark's book for free here: http://www.markcurrybook.com/

I can't front, (minus the editing issues) the first chapter got me, I'm ready to pick up a copy tomorrow!

But you can't deny that for decades now, Puff has been introducing us to some of the most memorable artists in the game! Not just one hit wonders but artists that provide the soundtracks to our life. Mary, Biggie, 112, Mace, Faith, The Lox, to name a few. I mean, I couldn't picture life with out their music. If Puff didn't believe in these people and give them that chance when others wouldn't where would they be today? .. and even today Puff is still making dreams come true for kids like Danity Kane and Day 26.

Some of the BadBoy artist that Puff put on, changing the sound of Hip-Hop music and cranking out the hits that we so love:

Mary J. Blige
Notorious B.I.G.

Total

Faith Evans

Mace

112

At the end of the day Puff is HU alum so I gotta try to find the good in him :). Shout out to all the Bison's doing there thing out there. Hey, it's a dog eat dog world. Just make sure you're the one eating.... I guess that's how Puff is giving it up!

Please feel free to leave a comment on what you think of Red Cafe's decision to sign with Bad Boy, what you think of Mark Curry's new book... and how you honestly feel regarding Puff's position in the world of Hip-Hop... is he friend or foe?????

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Weekend Outing: The New York Aquarium

This weekend had to be one of the busiest I've had in a while. I went to a babyshower, a dance recital in Jersey, the New York Aquarium, and then ran into the entire Puerto Rican Day Parade crowd who must of decided to meet up at the Canarsie Pier around 8pm. And this was all on Sunday. But it was lots of fun!

It's funny how when we're young we go on school trips to the coolest places and to us (well at least to me) the best part of it all is the fact that we won't have any class all day and most likely won't have any homework due the next day! Places like the South Street Seaport, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and The New York Aquarium are all places that I probably would have never visited had it not been for those class trips. I'm starting to realize that not only until we have kids do most of us (young adults) have time to think about those foundational and educational kinds of experiences. And even then we leave that responsibility to the school. We have too much TV to watch, too much myspacing, facebooking and blogging to keep up with! Or maybe that's just ME! lol

Anyway, the point is I had alot of fun at the Aquarium this weekend! My better half and I acted like a couple of curious kids. Well... actually there wasn't much acting involved at all. We were honestly super excited!

It was his idea to go... and I didn't see a reason to object. We were only going to spend that money on food and drinks over at Footprints Restaurant on Shell Avenue anyway. I'd say we made the right choice.

I decided to dedicate this outing to getting to the bottom of what we all are dying to know. ..
Where's NEMO!!!!!! :)


BUT I had to see these creatures first:

This was the first guy I saw upon entering the aquarium, what a wing span. I must say he looks better from the bottom than he does from the top.

This is definitely my least favorite creature of the sea, ugh!


Now this fish I just don't get. It actually has lungs. Doesn't that go against every rule of nature? So who can tell me where this fish is from? Leave a comment with your guess...

I think it's so cute how Otters hold hands through everything they do. From sleeping to just floating around in the water...

Believe it or not these guys groom themselves most of the day... but the tank still smelled pretty gross to me... I'm just sayin.

I've never seen a chick rocking an Otter fur.... I had no idea they were hunted to the brink of extinction fot their valuable coats. I guess in some places of the world it's not about how it looks but the purpose it serves. i.e. Alaska

This is a not-so-good picture of the seals waving at us. We got there too late to see the live show with the trainers. Boo!

Here are the suits; ever since Madagascar I can't help but to think that Penguins are always up to something :)


My boo was excited seeing the sharks!

Me... not so much!

OK, let's try this again.... nice sharkey

They has a staring match, guess who won!
I'm thinking: "Are they sure these tanks are solid???"
Now that's a mean mug!

These cutie pies were in the tank with the sharks...

He wanted all the attention and kept coming for his close up....
The croc exibit was Gross! Do you see the baby mice at the bottom of the tank? Yuck! But he would make a cute belt :)... I'm just saying... ok ok that's wrong, I take it back.

OK, so this would totally be my digs if I were a water creature...
I love the Coral Reef... the fish are so bright and beautiful, it's amazing!

It's like Times Square underwater

Only nature can make 'em like this!

Love it!

The Jellyfish were really cool too!


Hey, we're totally getting closer.... this is the anemone! Where Nemo lives...


The New York Aquarium is a part of the WCS, which works to save wildlife and wild lands all over the globe.

Here's a saddening little tid bit of information that I learned while there...

I always liked these critters...

Dried Seahorses for trading :(

Say cheese BIG Guy

Good news guys... so I found Nemo and Dori and not to worry... they're doing just fine! :)

Exiting in Style!

What a day!

If you've visited the New York Aquarium or have any other interesting places to suggest please feel free to leave a comment........

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