Janelle Monáe is SO AWESOME! She’s certainly at the top of my “Women I’d love to Befriend” list.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Janelle Monae. I think her message of being who you are, regardless of if others think its “weird,” is so empowering, especially to young girls of color who are afflicted by Eurocentric ideals of beauty and conventionality. Thankfully, Monae knows how to pick her proteges, since all of them express that motto of being yourself in order to lead others. Jidenna seems to embody this in spades, from his bespoke suits to his coiffed hair.
Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift have been in the news recently. I’m sure if you’ve been on Twitter within the last four days, you’ve heard about Nicki Minaj taking the VMAs to task for not nominating “Anaconda” for Music Video of the Year. If not, here’s the quick rundown:
Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to address her annoyance at MTV for not nominating her music video for “Anaconda” for Music Video of the Year, while nominating other music videos, which contained slim white women, chief among them being Taylor Swift’s music video for “Bad Blood,” which is full of her supermodel and actress friends.
Do you need some new music to add to your playlist? If so, Lee Mazin is someone you need to be looking out for. Mazin has been named by Meek Mill as the First Lady of his Dreamchasers label, and it’s easy to see why. To me, Mazin’s raps and songs are very much a part of the new age of rap and hip hop, a lane occupied by Sharaya J., Jidenna, and Tink.
I was excited to be able to speak to Mazin in advance of her performance for the Power 99 Powerhouse in Philadelphia, her hometown. Read below to see who her inspirations are, how she gives back to the community, and where she sees rap going in the future.
Iggy Azalea’s career has gone from being a Twitter in-joke to just plain sad. I never wish for someone’s livelihood to get ruined, because we all have got to make that money. But, when you’re watching someone’s career tank in front of your eyes due to past Tweets, you begin to wonder if some celebs should start hiring a personal Tweeter. Someone who has PR skills and is able to think through what can and can’t be posted on a public forum when one’s career is on the rise.
SXSW is underway, and one of the many musical acts you can see at the festival is R&B/pop singer Darnaa. I was happy to have a chance to catch up with her before her SXSW performance via email, and in the interview, you’ll learn more about how her musical family, what the song “Surv!val” means to her, and the special message she has for her fans.
You can learn more about Darnaa and her music at her website and you can keep up with Darnaa on Twitter.
Are there any COLOR fans who love Romeo Santos? NBC Universo, labeled as “the modern, general entertainment cable channel for Latinos,” is debuting their one-hour TV special, “Romeo Santos Desde Viña 2015” this Sunday, March 1, at 8/7c.
If you’re a young person like me, you probably don’t remember when the 1983 special, MOTOWN 25 – Yesterday, Today, Forever aired on NBC. If you were old enough, then you probably remember seeing Richard Pryor as the host and when Michael Jackson moonwalked for the VERY. FIRST. TIME.
If you’re about rap that aims to inspire, educate, and represent, then you need to learn about Taiyo Na. The New York-based rapper is using his talents not only to showcase his unique experiences but to also uplift others.
I was glad to be able to connect with Na in an email interview; read below and you’ll understand more about the artist behind the music.
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Black History Month is here and believe it or not, the BHM kick-off party happened on Saturday Night Live. Not only were there tons of jokes about racial appropriation (that scathing Iggy Azalea joke, the digital short about the “true” biopic about Jay-Z starring Mike O’Brien, aka a white dude on SNL, and other white dudes, including the host J.K. Simmons, as Kanye and Nas), but there was also D’ANGELO. And boy did he not disappoint.