Throwback Thursday — One in a Million

Seven years ago, on August 25, 2001 — the music world lost one of its brightest up and coming stars. Aaliyah’s death affected me profoundly then, and still her shadow looms so large over the music scene now. Who can blame lesser emulators for trying to jack her swagger?

I just spent the evening browsing around YouTube, watching countless Aaliyah videos and wondering what could have been. There are some wonderful Aaliyah tributes out there, but I found myself becoming super depressed. It’s almost impossible for me to choose just one Aaliyah video. So here are three of my faves.

Hot Like Fire was my JAM back in 97, 98. Freshman year of college. Man, oh man. Memories.

At Your Best (You Are Love) can bring tears to my eyes to this very day. Aaliyah’s voice is so crystal clear and so sparklingly beautiful on that track. Love it.

And of course, One in a Million. That stuttering bass, her angelic voice floating over it. Your smile, your style, so fly, I can’t deny. This track never gets played out.

There were some cool online tributes to Aaliyah this past week. Fashionista 101 did a great Aaliyah-inspired beauty makeover. Her eye shadow blending skills are sick! Spinner did a clash of the cover songs, featuring Aaliyah’s original version of Are You That Somebody versus The Gossip’s cover. In tribute to Aaliyah, The Fader is featuring an exclusive freeload by DJ the Honorable Caps titled U R Missed. If you’re a fan, you should check it out.

Click here to visit the Aaliyah memorial fund. At just 22 years old, baby girl left us way too soon. I know I’m not alone in wondering what could have been.

Throwback Thursday — A Decade Since Miseducation

The Root just did an amazing trilogy of Lauryn Hill tributes to commemorate a decade since Miseducation dropped.

Rebecca Walker asks five questions (including the one everyone has been asking for almost a decade now, Are you coming back?), The Confessions of Lauryn Hill — lyrical analysis that revealed her true feelings about fame and the music industry long before she left it all behind, and An Analog Girl in a Digital World, a portrait of Erykah Badu as Lauryn’s successor. I can’t believe it’s been a decade since Miseducation dropped. If that makes me feel old, I can only imagine how it makes Lauryn feel. I wonder if that decade feels like a crushing weight, or if she finally feels free from the trappings of the industry.

All I know is, I miss her. As an admirer of what she meant to the music industry, as a natural haired black woman, as a fan of her undeniable and enduring songs. I hope she chooses to bless us with her presence again someday. Until then, we’ve got Miseducation. So few artists can say they produced music of such lasting quality. This isn’t even a real video, just audio of one of my favorite songs off that seminal album.

I mean, for real. It still gives me chills. Sometimes I listen to Lauryn Hill and my heart just aches, because I want so much more. As a fan it makes me feel a tinge of guilt, just like I did when I read that brilliant D’Angelo article in Spin. Guilty for being a simple fan who’s hungry for more music.

Miseducation and her remarkable, raw Unplugged album stay in regular rotation with me to this day, and I already can’t pick a favorite Lauryn Hill song, but damn if I don’t want more to choose from. Damn, if I don’t want another album or two, or three — if what Rohan Marley says is to believed, Lauryn’s got music oozing out of her pores but no indication of releasing any of it anytime soon. Damn.

I had a hard time choosing a Lauryn Hill clip here, and I found some rare live performance gems. If you’ve got time on your hands and nostalgia in your heart like I do, check these out.

– An emotional Lauryn sings “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in London

– Turn Your Lights Down Low at One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star Tribute.

And one of my favorites off her Unplugged album, I Find It Hard To Say.

We miss you, Lauryn. But you already know that.

Do you have a favorite Lauryn performance, bellas? Share with me in the comments, I’m soothing my soul with her music all day today.

Rock the Bells with SanDisk and Afrobella!

I’m back, bellas! Chicago was FABULOUS and I have a big wonderful love letter to the city coming up as soon as I can upload photos. I practically just got off the plane! And I have a truly top of the line giveaway that’s time sensitive. Here goes!

Anyone who’s been reading this site for more than a minute knows, I love me some live music. Doesn’t matter the genre — just this year alone I’ve seen Pearl Jam, Erykah Badu and the Roots, Robert Randolph opening for Eric Clapton, the Dave Matthews Band, and almost every hot reggae artist I can name off the top of my head. Going to concerts is absolutely my favorite thing to do. And I want to spread the live music love!

The next hot show I’m going to — literally, an outdoor festival in Miami in the month of August is NO JOKE — will be Rock the Bells. What is Rock the Bells, you ask? Only the sickest lineup of classic hip hop artists imaginable.

A Tribe Called Quest. Nas. Mos Def. The Pharcyde. Method Man and Redman. Raekwon and Ghostface. Little Brother, De La Soul, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, and Murs. Wale, The Cool Kids, Santogold, Spank Rock, and Kid Sister. And that’s not even all. It’s going to be ridiculous. And I want you to go too!

Do you plan on being in Miami on August 2? Do you want to go to this incredibly sick concert? Alright! Leave me a comment and let me know which artist you’re most psyched to see, and why. I will randomly pick a winner, who will get TWO general admission tickets to the concert and one SanDisk Mobile Ultra microSD card — a sweet memory card that can add up to 8GB of additional digital storage to your celly (which, for the digitally impaired like myself, equals up to 1000 songs, 1200 photos and 21 hours of video). The peeps at SanDisk are sponsoring the show, by the by. Sweet.

So if you want to rock out at Rock the Bells, get to commenting! I’ll close this on Thursday 31 at 9 a.m., announce a winner, and e mail said winner ASAP! So if you are the chosen one, CHECK YOUR E MAIL and call me back come Friday — that way we can make sure your tix and your SanDisk card are waiting at WillCall!

The whole lineup of Rock the Bells looks great to me, so I fully plan on being out there baking in the hot sun from early on to catch as many acts as possible. One performer I’m particularly looking forward to seeing is Santi White, AKA Santogold. If she does this song right here, I will be breaking it down — regardless of how searing the sun is over Bayfront Park.

Holla back, bellas and fellas! Time is of the essence!

One Night on South Beach, Two Up-and-Coming Celebrities

At this stage in my life, I am a homebody to the core — so don’t look for me at a club or hotel pool deck. But last night that’s exactly where I found myself for about an hour or so — at the Raleigh Hotel on South Beach for the kickoff party for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim. Yeah.

I was supposed to interview a Smashbox makeup artist for Pretty in the City, but due to my screw-up, I not only misplaced this person’s contact info, but barely managed to get into the party to begin with. Welcome to my world.

Anyhoo, I got in, wandered around, sipped cocktails and wondered what the hell a bella like me was doing at a scenester place like this… then the band Chester French took the stage. And during their performance, they brought some girls on stage to dance with them. I recognized two of them RIGHT AWAY — Teyana Taylor and Janelle Monae!!! It was kind of awesome. Teyana can definitely groove, and that big fabulous mane of hair makes her stand out like a superstar. Janelle was wearing sunglasses and her adorable asymmetrical hairstyle, white shirt and black shorts. She sang a teeny bit and shook a tambourine — the dancing on stage seemed totally impromptu so they were probably as unfamiliar with the music as I was, LOL.

After the band finished and photogs swarmed them for photos, I hung out at the front of the stage like a stalker and waited. Teyana was near the front and fans were greeting her, so I waited my turn. Teyana is just beautiful in person, BTW. The hair is HUGE, and her makeup was flawless. She was very friendly, and when I told her I had a website called Afrobella and I wanted to interview her, she simply said, “that’s my mother,” to the beautiful woman standing next to her. Then she went back to dancing, LOL! So I started chatting with her mom and the publicist, (Teyana Taylor’s mom has absolutely GORGEOUS skin, BTW. She is lovely). But I got sidetracked bigtime when Janelle Monae came by. I hope I wasn’t rude to any of them…but I definitely squealed “OMG, Janelle!” when she walked over.

Janelle is teeny tiny and just adorable. Like a little doll. You know when you stand next to someone who looks just perfect, you feel suddenly aware of your difference? I started feeling all big and cumbersome, and sweating like a racehorse — of course standing outdoors in Miami during July will do that to you anyway, and I was wearing a LBD. But the presence of Janelle made me all sweaty and starstruck. She shook my hand warmly, and I told her hey, I’m Afrobella… I mean, I have this website, Afrobella… and she smiled and nodded like she was familiar with my site. (perhaps from being Afrobella of the Week in 2006?) She was super sweet, and we hugged before she was whisked away for her performance at The Florida Room. YAY! I met her manager, so hopefully I can hook up an interview soon! Janelle is the bomb and meeting her made my night last night. After that I was good to go. Farewell, South Beach! Just had to share with you bellas — I don’t get out enough so when I do and something exciting happens, I gotta blog about it.

I found out via Concrete Loop that Many Moons will be Janelle’s first single from her new EP (which will be released August 12). I think Many Moons is the ish — the beat really reminds me of Hey Ya or something, it has that Outkast retro shimmy. But my favorite Janelle Monae song today is Lettin’ Go.

Why today? Cause it’s Friday and it gets me in the mood to kick back and have a good time. I am L-E-T-T-I-N-G-O today. Happy weekend!!

Big Up, Jazmine!

This week is beating me up, bellas! And already, it’s Thursday. I’ve got some big writing going on behind the scenes and I’m working on the kind of post that makes me wonder if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Oh, politics. I’m gonna take my time on this one and chew before I post (if that makes any sense). For right now, I just wanted to share a new song that makes this bella very happy — Hurt U Bad by talented young singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan. Longtime readers will recall, I love her and wish I could sing just like her. But unfortunately, my own singing voice is more in the um, T-Boz range of ability.

I heard Jazmine’s new track first back in April on Soulbounce, but the video just dropped recently and I’m officially in love. Check her out!

That track has Afrobella’s playlist written ALL OVER IT. And Missy, don’t think I didn’t spot your fly makeup and earrings in there!

Of course the inevitable Lauryn Hill comparisons are being made, and Jazmine’s voice definitely reminds me of her on this track. But I also hear traces reminiscent of a young Aretha, and her careful patois sounds like it came straight out of the Lady Saw/No Doubt playbook. Jazmine is but 20 years old, and already she’s penned such hits as Fantasia’s “Free Yourself” and Christina Milian’s “Say I.” I’m hoping Need U Bad is a bigger hit for her. She’s got so much potential, and her talent is undeniable. Team Jazmine! I hope you dig this groove on a summer Thursday, bellas and fellas. If you’re digging Jazmine’s sound, click here to watch her blow away the Apollo at age 11, and click here for her MySpace. I love this chick!

Oh, and PS — I’m two for two on my Makeup Inspiration posts! First Chrisette Michele revealed her secrets, and now Missy’s makeup artist, Victor C left a detailed comment of his own!! I was SUPER excited, because he once did my makeup some years ago in Miami and never once name dropped about his famous clients. For Missy, Victor got way into contouring and advanced makeup that I can’t possibly recreate myself, and he used those new MAC Pro Neon Pigments I’m DYING to try, to stencil the stars on Missy’s cheeks. Gorgeous!!

Makeup Inspiration — Missy Does Her Best Best

It’s no secret around here — Missy Elliott has been one of my beauty inspirations for a while now. The magic of Billy B made her features come alive in the earliest videos from Supa Dupa Fly. I loved Missy then — as a full figured girl looking for media affirmation that she too could be considered beautiful and desirable, Missy was a breath of fresh, much needed air. She came out swingin’, clad in an inflated garbage bag, rocking finger waves and fierce makeup. I’ve been an unabashed stan ever since.

Having said that, I’m a little sad to admit that I’m with Soulbounce on this one — Best Best isn’t going to stand among my favorite Missy tracks, not by a long shot. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll bump this in my car on the way home from work, but it doesn’t have that replay factor. But her makeup on the cover of the new single is gorgeous. Like I did with the Chrisette Michele makeup inspiration post, I’m going to try to guess what she used to get the look, and also suggest ways you can get the look for less. Will Missy stop by the blog to set me straight on what she did or didn’t use, like Chrisette did? That would be awesome. Only time will tell, bellas…

Missy’s a MAC kinda gal with a Viva Glam ad under her belt — so I’m going to assume quite a bit of her look can be attributed to MAC. Let’s start with those eyes. She’s got bold kohl liner around her eyes, and that shadow is all kinds of blended gorgeousness. Looks almost like either Goldmine — one of my favorite shades of shadow — or maybe it could be Old Gold pigment on the lid itself. The touch of deep purple in the crease could be Graphology — a black/grey that’s got a slight hint of purple, making for a gorgeous smokey eye. The upper lid has a whisper of almost-fuschia, blended into a champagne colored highlight at the brow bone. But who’s noticing all those tints and tones? Those stunning lashes stand out more than anything.

MAC makes lashes, of course. But on a recent trip to Sephora, I was blown away by the insane selection of classical and extravagant lashes by Make Up For Ever. Shu Uemura is also known for making fabulous lashes, and a layer of their False Eyelashes 600 would give that thick, dark, eyelash drama. But of course, if Billy B did indeed do this makeup, the lashes could well be purchased at a party or costume store, and cost like $2.50 instead of $20.

There’s a lovely, shimmery effect on Missy’s skin around her nose and under her eyes, that almost calls to mind that MAC Fafi shimmer (which has completely disappeared from their website). Another product that could create a similarly stunning, glowing effect is Saude Pele Radiance Booster by Christopher Drummond Beauty. It’s a truly unique and amazing product — I use it on my cheeks as a highlighter, and it truly does make me glow like nobody’s business. Look out for a bigger review of this stuff to come.

Let’s talk lips — Missy’s lips are clearly outlined, but not with a darker lip liner on the bottom lip. It’s possible that her makeup artist has gotten wise to my latest beauty find — BeneFit’s D’Finer D’Liner invisible lip liner, which really keeps lipstick from feathering. I can’t figure out which lippie she’s sporting there — it’s a deep fuschia that could be venetian lusterglass, but it might also be one of those hot slimshine lipsticks. To recreate a similar look on myself, I’d just reach for my beloved Vincent Longo lip stain in Baby Boo, and layer with super cheap Milani glossy tubes — I have a hot pink shade that isn’t on their website, but you can find it at your neighborhood drugstore.

I’d love to interview Missy’s makeup people and find out exactly what she’s using, but it’s fun to try figuring it out on my own for starters. For a fitting Throwback Thursday, here’s one of my fave Missy joints of all time — Take Away, an ode for the late, great Aaliyah. Oh, how I love this song.

What did you bellas think of Best Best? Do you have a favorite Missy video?

Accept No Substitute

In April I gave a shout out to the chic and elegant Estelle, and I shared my favorite cut from her album Shine — her cover of No Substitute Love by reggae legend Half Pint.

Via my favorite music blog Soulbounce, I learned that it’s her third single off the album. AND there’s a new video, which is just summery eye candy with a hat tip to George Michael’s Faith. Celeb pals like Kelly Rowland and, Amanda Diva, and Christian Siriano stop by for fun cameos. Estelle is ferosh in her super bold eye makeup and hot pink dress, and she throws traditional makeup rules to the wind by going with a bold eye AND a bold lip.

I hope this song gets her increased airplay — I do tend to hear American Boy bubbling out of the speakers at trendy boutiques, but I am not hearing a ton of radio play for Estelle here in Miami, sad to say. Are you, in your neck of the woods? Let me know — I’m looking for some good online radio stations to stream during the work day.

If you like Estelle’s sassy version, you might love the original by Half Pint. Here it is, for your Monday listening pleasure!

Did you like that? Then you’ll definitely love his greatest hits album, titled — what else? — Half Pint. Every track is a winner, IMO.

Let’s get through this Monday madness, bellas — peace be with you as your work week begins.

Friday Flashforward — Estelle’s My Girl

I love her music, I love her message, and I absolutely love her style — British import Estelle has been making big stateside buzz finally, and she’s made an impression on me as a style icon to watch. Here’s why.

Estelle is an unconventional beauty. She’s got distinctive features, and she doesn’t try to be anything other than who she is. From her first track, the phenomenal 1980, she revealed her roots in the lyrics, along with some offhand beauty advice —

“Boil a big pot of water on the stove to take a bath, Rub my face with Olive Oil, All my mates used to laugh...” ahem, is she talking about the oil cleansing method? No wonder she’s got such amazing skin!

Estelle seems to have sprung out already a self-confident, full fledged star. Her name’s more than appropriate in that regard. In the UK, she first made big waves in 2004 with her album The 18th Day, and she seemed poised to make worldwide waves, along with the then-new crop of British singers, including Miss Dynamite and Natasha Bedingfield, who she collaborated with on Free. LOVE that song! It didn’t happen for her then, and Estelle’s gotten some flack recently for speaking out against racism in the British music industry. Quite a few have branded her as a racist for her statement, but Paul McKenzie, editor of the urban music magazine Touch, agreed with Estelle. “There is a fashion for YWFs - young white females. They are the ones who are given the money and the time, and most importantly, people are patient with them. Duffy, if she hadn’t had this hit, would have been given a second chance, and a third. Estelle wasn’t. The people who hold the purse strings are looking at trends rather than talent. If you’re not a young white female - in other words if you’re black - I can imagine that is incredibly depressing,” he’s quoted as saying.

Estelle’s statement has been blown up into a beef between her and Duffy, which has brought attention to both artists. Estelle’s outspoken, but I think there is some essential truth worth considering in her brash statements. Either way, she’s flying a flag for dark skinned beauties and truly talented musicians. She’s got a gorgeous singing voice and she’s a skilled rapper. I think she’s going places, and I hope that kicks down the door for more musicians of her caliber.

Estelle’s look is simple, effortless, and easy to do. She plays up her beautiful eyes — she’s got eyelids perfect for bold makeup looks. Check her out in American Boy — her makeup is FLAWLESS. Glowing skin, big, beautiful kohl rimmed cat eyes accented with white or silver shadow, lush, mascara-ed lashes, and a pretty, subdued lip. Very polished, very fresh. She rocks the short hairstyle she describes as “Audrey Pepa” — Classic Audrey on one side, Salt-N-Pepa sass on the other. There are rumors that Atlantic Records has pressured her to change her hair and get her teeth fixed… but in this SOHH piece, Estelle says that’s rubbish. I sincerely hope so — the last thing America needs is another contrived pop singer whose style is borne from a Svengali who can’t see beyond a lacefront wig.

Estelle’s new album Shine is poised to make a stateside splash, and her hits are already blowing up on VH1 — American Boy is in regular rotation, as is Wait a Minute, which is produced by Will I Am, and relies on a heavy sample from Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You,” one of my favorite songs of ALL TIME. (the Nina Simone version rules too!)

I adore Estelle’s makeup in Wait a Minute — glow in the dark eyeshadow rules! That’s a fun club look — bold white/silvery lids under a black light guarantees attention. You could use MAC’s white Kohl eye pencil to accent just above your lids, and Urban Decay eyeshadow in a pale silver/pink like Cherry or Midnight Cowboy would be ideal for this look as well (don’t forget your Primer Potion! Wouldn’t want to sweat off all that gorgeousness on the dance floor). Of course, if you REALLY want to glow, you could go bananas and use real ravers’ glow in the dark eyeshadow. That bright yellow would really pop on brown skin.

Like myself, Estelle adores reggae music — her Grenadian background played some influence there, no doubt! Her new album — which drops next Tuesday, April 29 — includes a
cover version of one of my favorite classic reggae tracks of all time, Substitute Lover by Half Pint. (new reggae fans, don’t sleep on Half Pint. I think he was one of the main inspirations of Sublime’s sound. Listen for yourself and see. Half Pint rules). Here’s Estelle’s new, Wyclef-produced version.

Love that hook. She’s a stellar live performer, and I am just livid that I missed her performance this week in Miami. I hear it was fantastic. Alas. Next time for sure, Estelle!

Are you feeling Estelle as a style icon? Do you have a favorite Estelle track already? I love American Boy and the title track, Shine, which just makes me wanna dance. That beat is bangin’! Can’t wait to cop this next week. Enjoy Estelle with me this Friday, bellas and fellas. Happy weekend to you all!

An Improvement from Last Time

Hey — do you remember that Queen Latifah casting call last year? You know, the one where people stood in the snow waiting to be seen? The one that pissed a whole lot of beautiful black women off?

I got lots of e mails from bellas swearing they’d never buy the Cover Girl’s Queen Collection. Well, guess what? The peeps at Cover Girl learned from the experience. This year, the contest is entirely online. No waiting in the snow. No waiting at all!

If you’re an everyday women of color, ages 18-48, you could win. All you need to do is visit EveryWomanIsAQueen.com, upload a photo, and share a story about how you have gone against the odds to achieve greatness in your life. The contest is open until January 31. Queen Latifah herself will judge the online search, and select up to five winners to appear in an advertisement that will be featured in the June issue of Ebony magazine.

And for those of you who just want to know more about the MAKEUP, hang tight! I’ll be reviewing the newest products from the Queen Collection, Vibrant Hue Shine and Vibrant Hue Color, and offering a special giveaway early next week!

Just for fun, here’s a Friday jam. I love me some classic Queen La.

They don’t make ‘em like that anymore! Happy Friday, bellas!!

En Vogue, Retro Chic

Please don’t ask me to choose my favorite En Vogue video. The funky divas had a hold on me ever since Hold On. Like Lauren from Stereohyped, I too wanted to be one of them — usually Cindy, but I always thought Dawn was too fierce for words.

Lots of En Vogue videos really honed in on the women’s beauty, the exquisite attention they paid to their makeup and hair. For example, the fierce fashion show of Free Your Mind, and check out the intro to Giving Him Something He Can Feel — is that El DeBarge drooling in that audience, alongside the likes of Johnny Gill? (a side note - when En Vogue dropped Funky Divas, I thought their version was the original. Then I saw Sparkle. And then, I heard the definitive version. OMG, check out Aretha’s outfit in that clip. Loves it).

So obviously I can’t pick a favorite En Vogue video, but I have one that means more to me than the others. Funky Divas was one of the first cassette albums I owned, and I wore that tape into dust. So let’s just say that Give It Up Turn It Loose struck a special chord in me, back in 1992.

So gorgeous. Talk about turning the glamour up a notch, right? The first time I saw this video, was the first time the lightbulb of “Wow, I want to do my makeup like THAT” clicked on. I started using my mom’s kajal stick and dreaming of a transformation from gawky preteen into glamazon. The love of makeup and primping and all things self indulgently girly were already instilled in me thanks to Mama Bella, but my admiration of Nineties black style icons like the women of En Vogue shaped the woman I have become. This video still inspires me. I love the thick, Fifties brows and perfectly applied liquid liner look. Like En Vogue’s music, it never goes out of style.

I found this interesting NY Times article about the behind-the-scenes stylists helping on this video to create that definitive En Vogue look, a “three man finishing school” that coached the group on everything from how to accept an award to how to select the perfect clothes. I’ve often thought a finishing school for famous people could be a good thing — I’m sure more than a few celebrities who could use a lesson in manners came to your mind, too. But perhaps it was that molding and preening and fussing that led to the group’s demise. The article ends on a foreboding note — “One image stricture is that “the girls” must appear as a unit, even though they often disagree about how they like to look individually. “If we have to wear the same thing,” Ms. Robinson said, “Cindy will vary it by wearing a halter neck, and Terry, who’s very conservative, prefers to be more covered up.” Of course, there’s no telling how long harmonious diversity will last. “In the same way that Motown worked, where eventually a whole series of artists tired of that system and left to go out on their own,” Mr. DeCurtis said, “all four or any one of them might get to the point where she wants greater freedom.”

Ain’t that the truth. By 1997, Dawn Robinson had left to pursue her own solo career, and EV3 remained. I lost track of the ladies after Don’t Let Go — apparently they added a member or two, and released some albums that didn’t fly. Hope returned when all four ladies joined Salt N Pepa at the 2005 Hip Hop Honors, and I loved them singing backup on Stevie Wonder’s So What The Fuss. But amidst rumors of financial differences, and some frankly depressing rumors about Dawn — who has some new solo music and talks about a big comeback on her MySpace — the future of the original En Vogue lineup looks murky. But hey, if Salt N Pepa could get it together thanks to reality television, maybe that’s the solution for En Vogue. I know I’d watch that for sure! For now, all I can watch is the old videos and keep my fingers crossed for a comeback.

I won’t ask you to choose one favorite En Vogue video — it’s too hard to choose just one! Tell me which ones make your top three, bellas!