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…
Hip Hop Heroines
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
Hey Mama
I’ve been thinking about Kanye West all day, following the news that his mother — Dr. Donda West, the former professor and chair of Chicago State University’s English department, author of Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar, CEO of Super Good, the parent company of Kanye West Enterprises — had…
Afrobella of the Month* — Farai Chideya
NPR junkies are a dedicated lot. I’ve known some who lull their latchkey pets with A Prairie Home Companion on busy weekends. I’ve known others who are utterly obsessed with Ira Glass. NPR fanatics drive to work with Diane Rehm and come home with News and Notes, hosted by the razor-sharp Farai Chideya. If you’re…
My Top Five Workout Jams
I didn’t think I’d be able to really say this, and I’m so proud that I can. I’ve fallen in love with working out. I was never the girl who loved to exercise, and it became more and more difficult to motivate myself as I got older. But through trial and error, I’ve discovered what…