WTF: MY POP CULTURE BIBLE IS NO MORE

END OF AN ERA....VIBE MAGAZINE FOLDED TODAY.

Vibe, like Michael Jackson, shaped my younger years. It was the Bible to my generation. Music,fashion,and most importantly, THE WRITING! Aah! Toure, Dream Hampton,MiMi Valdes... let's not even start on how amazing Emil Wilberkin was as editor! This is another hard blow to my generation. I'm def asking mi madre to send me some of my fave Vibe covers. Check back to see who made the cut. I'm diggin' in in the crates for this one!

BTW: Remember when VIBE was super big and super thick and the 20 Questions had you in tears???????? Ugh! Can't deal!!!!

CITY BOPPIN: BROOKLYN HONORS SPIKE LEE

BROOOOOOKLYYYYYYYYN!!!!!!

Thursday, one of my college besties Spree,(memba him??)and I headed to Brooklyn Honors Spike Lee opening event. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check this.

The art inspired by Spike Lee films was s!ck. No commentary, just take a peekie pooh. Can you guess which movies these are???

I LOVE THIS PIC! I LOVE MY BOROUGH!

I HAVE to cop this poster...from one of my fave scenes in....LoL You gotta guess!

There was also a panel discussion about Spike Lee films and his branding. Some of my faves, Michaela Angela Davis, Nelson George, and Kevin Powell were on the panel. Love them! It was so insightful! They analyzed stills and clips from some of Lee's most popular movies. I now look at some of my favorite scenes in a different light. My hat goes off to Spike Lee...

Moral of the story...I had a blast! It really made me wish I was a young 20-ish boho living in Brooklyn surrounded by these creative people. The 90s was def a Harlem Renaissance of our generation...aaahhh Where's my time traveler machine???

CITY BOPPIN: ANOTHER BDAY PARTY

I have met sooooo many people in my 23 years of life. Many have faded to black, but there are some who have literally watched me grow up and I, them. Naledi is on of those people.

We started going to school together when I was 5 years old (Ivy Leaf whooo!)I left for two years, but by the time high school came around, we were back together at Central High. We went on to spend our college years together in the AUC. And until she moves in August, we have been in NYC for two years. Lets not even discuss how her aunt is my street's block captain. Yes, we have history!

Her birthday celebration was coming up and I HAD to be there. So, after the KimberlyNichole/Jaspects show, some friends and I headed uptown to D'Or. You guys know how I am about uptown, but we had a blast! ...like to the point where I'm thinking about going tonight!

BDay Girl and I

Jamal tagged along

AUC ladies do it best! Jasu and Ketlynn

CHS is ALWAYS in the building. He is AUC fam too...yeah he's in NY too. LoL

D'Or

204 W. 55th Street

NY,NY 10022

CITY BOPPIN: AUC COMES TO BROOKLYN

For anybody in the know, the Atlanta University Center is the breeding ground for creative genius. Comprised of six historically Black colleges and universities including Clark Atlanta (Go Panthers!), Morehouse, and Spelman. Musicians, writers, artists have all cultivated their craft in that place and have gone on to do amazing things.

Last Friday, I checked out two of those artists. KimberlyNichole is a Spelmanite and we worked together at Bloomingdale's my senior year. This girl SANGS down! This was my first time seeing her perform and I was slain, you hear me?! SLAIN! Make sure you check out her Myspace for some tuneage....BTW: I was near tears when she sang "No Ordinary Love". I thought Sade was about to come out of retirement.

Next up, Jaspects. They are a jazz band from Morehouse. I started going to their shows my senior year and fell in love. You can feel the energy vibrating during each performance and can't help but to be taken away. They have a new album out and it behooves to cop a copy. They rapping was kinda random, but the musicianship was stellar as usual. Stellar!

WTF? LONG LIVE THE KING

Some of my faves...I'm still in shock!He was one of those people supposed to live forever!

I actually have this special on VHS at my mom's house! CLASSIC! First time he did the moonwalk!

My fave MJ song...

My all-time fave MJ video...the cameos and dance break are EVERYTHING!

You can't win - Michael Jackson - The wiz
Uploaded by xBillieJean. - Explore more music videos.

Ashanti is desecrating the genius that was The Wiz...she's not worthy!

WTF????????????

MICHAEL JACKSON DIED YESTERDAY.FML

CITY BOPPIN: A.OK LAUNCH PARTY

Owners of OAK.Open Bar.No Cover.DJ Cassidy.Hood By Air.

I'M THERE.

Deets tommorow!

APARTMENT HUNT: PLACE #1 FAIL

EPIC FAIL!

My mom came up to NYC today to look at apts with me, especially Apt#1. Called the landlord....some chick dropped her funds off yesterday and was moving in while we were on the phone.

::sigh::

On to the next...I still have another month and change.

I-DIGS: LUAM

In my past life, I was a serious dancer on my way to Ailey. ::sigh:: What happens to a dream deferred??? Anyways...I miss dance terribly! Its impossible for me to see a performance and not cringe at the thought of my decision to stop dancing.

There are some people that just have it...Luam is one of those people! The choreography is inventive. She just glides across the floor. Lucky enough for our NYers, she teaches class at the Broadway Dance Center. Also, make sure you check out her website!

I will keep you posted on when I will be taking a class. I'm exed!

FACE!

Like, honestly...what else is there to say???

VENTILATION

IM SO OVER THIS WEATHER.....WHERE FOR ART THE SUMMER??????

Note to self: Find the male version of this...

APARTMENT HUNT: PLACE #2

Didn't even waste time to take pics....$1100 utilities included in NYC is a good deal. But when the apartment is 1/3 that of my apt now, its a rip-off.

Sill trying to find the one...

CITY BOPPIN: FULTON STREET STROLL

A few weeks ago, thanks to a 5-year long wait for the F train I met this cool dude Justice. We spent the entire train ride back to our hood talking about Richard Wright and the importance of Black Boy in society. We finally linked up yesterday.

After about a month of constant rain, it actually got kinda warm and dry out so I suggested we walk to Ft. Greene via Fulton Street. Anyone that is not familiar with Brooklyn, it is the main street in the borough. We hit up Habana, then grabbed some brews and kicked it on some random people's stoop. Next up....we're gonna pig out at Dallas BBQ on Sunday! Go Texas size! Yeeeeoooow!!

Finally rocking my new cut-offs

Stop being shy...

PhoPhvg

Photo shoot ensues

APARTMENT HUNT: PLACE #1

The sentence that all New Yorkers hate to say...

I need to find an apartment.

UGH! My lease is up in August, but I need to start the search now. You see so many duds before you find THEE ONE! I'm deeply in love with my current apartment, but without a roommate, it would run me 1650 bucks!(I will do an apartment tour later)

I saw an apartment today on my old old block.(I will explain in another post) Its a 1 bedroom/1 bath floor through apt. in a brownstone. The only other people that live there are the owner,her husband and daughter. So here are the pros and cons. ::sigh::

PROS:

• nice neighborhood
• floor-through apartment
• only $900
• can totally HGTV the place (paint,change fixtures, etc.)
• original brownstone detail
• only tenant in the building
• high ceilings
• nice light
• a couple blocks from the Express
• across from one of my fave restaurants, Solomon's Porch
• pet friendly

CONS

• old appliances
• walls need work
• missing drawer in the kitchen
• doors need to be replaced

Check out the pics

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0014

I'M OFFICIALLY IN LOVE!!!!!

I styled my hair with the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration almost a week ago and my hair is still AMAZING! I had a hair appointment this morning, but I canceled. My hair is still lush, bouncy, and super, SUPER soft. BTW, did I mention ZERO frizz??? AAAHH!! I am going UP for this HEHH!

I will prob do a full bantu-knot out (stretched) on Sunday. Check back for results!

CITY BOPPIN: BROOOOOKLYYYYYN

Anybody that knows me knows that I.LOVE.BROOKLYN.

I will always be a Philly girl to the death, but BK is the love of my life right now. The people are beautiful, the culture is rich, and the neighborhoods are picturesque.

Next week, I am beyond geeked about my borough. For four days, BK will be honoring the impact of Spike Lee on pop culture in an even called "Where's Mars." Peep the event listing below. (There will also be a Block Party coming up in a few weeks.) For more info, head to the webbie.

Hope to see some of you there!

We’ve Gotta Have It!: Art Inspired by Spike Lee – Salena Gallery, Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University, Thursday, June 25, 2009, 6PM

The Man and the Brand: Spike Lee Panel – Spike Lee Screening Room, Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University, Thursday, June 25, 2009, 7PM

No Jheri Curls & No Drugs: A David Lee Photo Exhibit - Friday, June, 26, 2009, 7PM

Buggin’ Out: Poetry Inspired by Spike Lee - Brooklyn Historical Society, Friday, June, 26, 2009, 7PM

He Got Game: Father & Son Basketball Tournament – McLaughlin (Tillary) Park, Saturday, June 27, 2009, 5PM

BRAIN FOOD: A MERCY by TONI MORRISON

STELLAR!

Everyone that knows me, knows that I have a love/hate relationship with Toni Morrison. Her books are so rich and have the ability to emotionally drain the reader at its end, but they are a HARD read!

I picked up A Mercy, honestly, to test my gangsta. I was pleasantly surprised. A Mercy follows the complex yet close relationships of a slave master, his wife, and the women who served them in slave or indentured servants in the 1600s. I connected with each character and was able to follow the story line easily.

I have been imploring everyone to pick up a copy. I am thinking about reading it again at Summer's end....that is if summer ever starts.

FYI: THE NEW BLACK OVERCLASS

Just watched this special on Hulu.com. Great convo starter. Give me some feedback.

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0013

I am currently on a 6-month no heat hair challenge. (Feel free to join me) For longer curls when I'm doing twist-outs, I used to blow dry my hair first then twist. Now, I cannot blow-dry it and have to stretch my hair is I want longer results. Yes, its super annoying AND time consuming, but my hair is loving me for it. Here are the steps:

• Do the usual wash/condtion routine.
• After rinsing out the DT, halve my hair and saturate well with HEHH conditioner and fingercomb.
• Plait or cornrow hair. Big braids are fine.
• Let it airdry.
• Take out the braids, fingercomb, and style as usual.

Here are two comparison pics of twist-outs on stretched and unstretched hair. The stretched hair pics are the results of my HEHH twist-out. Curls are lush, bouncy, and smell delish!

Unstretched

Stretched

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0012

Alot of people ask me about my hair regimen and I always have a hard time answering. Even though I've been natural 98.6% of my life, I am still a newbie in the game when it comes to actively ensuring hair health. Over the last few months, I have pretty much come up with a routine. So here goes it!

*Dependent upon my hairstyle, I 'm generally doing my hair once a week.

• Shampoo with Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion once.
• Separate my hair in two sections and apply a palmful of the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion conditioner to each side. Detangle. (I usually wash my hair in the shower,so I let the condish set while I'm sudsing the bod.)
• Rinse out the conditioner in COLD water. This seals in the shine!
• Separate my hair in two halves again. Apply my deep treatment. Make sure every strand is coated! Finger comb and wrap in plastic. I leave this in for a coupe hours while I run errands,sleep, etc. Natural body heat will open your shaft allowing the conditioner to penetrate.
• Again I rinse with cold water.
• At this point, I either style my hair using Hello Hydration OR I will stretch it to style for the next day. When styling my hair, I always seal my ends with either emulsified shea butter or an oil. This moisturizes my ends and prevents angel knots.
• I sleep (almost) every night with a satin scarf or bonnet to keep the moisture in. I will also be adding a daily spray to my hair to my regimen soon.

There you have it folks! So what's your routine???

BRAIN FOOD: ONE DROP by BLISS BROYARD

I'm a voracious reader so I decided to create a section to give book reviews on what I'm currently reading. I keep a journal of the books and include a quick synopsis along with a grade. Sowwie, me a bit anal...

::looking at my journal thinking I should start including dates::

First up, "One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life" by Bliss Broyard.

I had the pleasure of attending a lecture with Bliss Broyard at my local bookstore, Brownstone Books (BUY BLACK) a few months ago. This book follows Bliss' journey to find her roots after being told that her father, New York Times book critic, Anatole Broyard was a Black man. Oddly enough, he was raised a few blocks away from where I live now.

One Drop was powerful and well-written, though a bit open-ended. However, the unanswered questions force the reader to think and explore their own attitudes on race and class in America. Bliss was so candid, even if it stung a bit to read. In person she was just as open and warm. This is a summer must read!

Snatch it up ladies and gentleman! I would LOVE to discuss the book with anyone that read it. It is a serious conversation starter!

LE BOOTHE: SNATCHBACK

*I love my hair in these pics! I finally found a use for hair....yes guys, the hair from the Alanta coif debacle. I used Elasta QP Glaze to slick my hair. I think I'm breaking up with the glaze tho. Didn't hold for long and the daily use had my hair dry and full of angel knots. No bueno! Think I'm gonna rock with shea butter and conditioner going forward.