Monday: LOVE is LOVE & Wednesday: WRONGLIPS love LICK

How could an "all female artist showcase called LICK not be something WRONGLIPS would want to get involved with. Ladies and gentleman can equally enjoy the creativity these lovely ladies bring to light.

LICK: AN ALL FEMALE ARTISTS SHOWDOWN
Launch party for LICK in NYC on July 30 features DJ Cat NYC, The Agytators, and
headliner, JOI

The LICK event takes place at 205 Club on July 30 from 10pm until 4am. The all star sexy cast includes local DJ/model - Ebony Wildcat, the artwork of The Agytators, electro party prowess -DJ CAT NYC, will be hosted by the party starter - Jasmine Solano and headlines OutKast singer, and Atlanta's very own, Joi.

Open Shots and Liquor sorbets provided by Wine Cellar Sorbets 10 -11pm, Giveaways by Kill Shop Kill and Audible treats
Anyone interested in this experience should contact LICK@thetastecrew.com for this exclusive
event. Big shout out to the taste crew (tastecrew.com) who always bring us cool events!

On Monday, come check out some of the flyest performing artists of New York City, featuring Maya Azucena, The Real Live Show, Sybarite dancers, Pesu, Riz22, Livingroom Johnston, and many more. I will be doing some live painting as well, and would appreciate your support. Love is Love

MONDAY, July 28 7pm -12am HIGHLINE BALLROOM
$10 fundraiser

Hey Ladies!!! Through the Camera Obscura 2

STEPHANIE LAND

I met Stephanie through my good friend, Jelsen, who always refers me to amazing artists. After browsing through her work, I was blown away. I love Stephanie's composition and the incredible warm mood she achieves through her use of color/ tone. She's got a really cool blog as well, make sure to check it here.

WHAT DO YOU DO? click photos, send letters, observe & create.
WHERE DO YOU CALL IT HOME? BK 4 today...excited to see where i eventually Land.
TRUE BEAUTY IS…in everyone.
BEATS…make me shiver.
TRUE SEXY IS…feeling inspired.
MUSIC IS MY…memory, my soundtrack.
ART DOES NOT…have boundaries.
MY NIGHTS ARE…filled with focus.
THESE 3 TURN ME ON…laughter, creative passionate minds, boys on bikes.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE …is what i strive for.
ENOUGH OF …pretentiousness.
MY CREATIVITY IS…what gets me through each day. TRUE POWER IS...a lifeforce filled with good intentions. LIFE CAN BE THE...exact thing you want it to be.
TO LOVE IS TO…feel light & free.
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE…i can't stop won't stop.
THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE…are holding it down today.
WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU? http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanieland/sets http://www.stephanielandclicks.blogspot.com
http://www.stephanieland.etsy.com
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2008? crossing bridges, turning pages, opening doors, walkin on through.

AMANDA ADAMS LOIUS aka Lafotographeuse

Lafotographeuse is Amanda Adams-Louis’ artistic nom du plume. Both her studio portraits and her event photos have a dynamic quality and an intensity I really love. "At age 14, she fell in love with photography on the Charles Bridge Tower in Prague, Czech Republic and has been shooting ever since. A visual griot trained in the art of imagery, she is influenced by Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro. She has a BFA degree in photography from Pratt Institute."

WHAT DO YOU DO? Visual griott (female form of griot) I utilize images to convey visual narratives and/or stories for a variety of purposes, art, commercial and documentary. My primary subject matter is social gatherings.

WHERE DO YOU CALL IT HOME? Where my heart and friends are, currently Brooklyn

TRUE BEAUTY IS… self-love, courage and ambition

BEATS… Global soul, dance music, classic disco, gay "Cage Aux Foelles" disco, jazz, alternative rock, golden age of RnB- RnB, progressive and minimal techno, spanish rock and a little bit of Hip Hop

TRUE SEXY IS… genuine self confidence, talent in one's and love craft or career path (when you love what you do)

MUSIC IS MY… love

Black ART DOES NOT… get the respect or representation that it deserves. Though progress has been made. While there are several institutions that are dedicated to Black/ Art of the African Diaspora, I do not think that there is enough "main stream" fine art and commercial representation out there for us black artists, particularly black women.

MY NIGHTS ARE… spent shooting events, brainstorming, dreaming, sleeping,

THESE 3 TURN ME ON… kissing, sucking, fucking

SELF-KNOWLEDGE … is oh so necessary

ENOUGH OF … the price of gas going up, reality TV, bashing the Obama family and the current administration's horrible decision making

MY CREATIVITY IS… part of my soul

TRUE POWER IS… intelligence, education and the ability to think for the long term

LIFE CAN BE THE... greatest and the worst, it just depends on the day (and usually one's bank account)

TO LOVE IS TO… trust yourself to do it and the person or people you are loving

I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE…. I put my work into everything and everything into my work

THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE… Michelle Obama of course

WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU?

website- www.lafotographeuse.com email- lafotographeuse@gmail.com

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2008?

Going to grad school, working on getting a book published

Hey Ladies!!! Mama wants Mama Clothing

Gabriella Davi-Khorasanee//Founder of Mama Clothing

I have been following and rockin' Mama Clothing since 2004, when Gabriella sent out some of her line to support the B-Girl Be festival in Minneapolis. You can always check out Mama to find out what new in street wear for ladies, from shoes to bling. This woman has been making moves and opening doors along with her tightly knit crew, reppin' the west coast. Ladies, be sure to check out the blog and link with the M.I.S.S. CREW. Here's a little bit from Gabriela herself:

WHAT DO YOU DO? I am founder and creative director/designer of Mama, a ladies’ contemporary streetwear clothing line. I am also co-founder and Executive Editor of Mama’s International Secret Society (M.I.S.S. Crew), a ladies’ online lifestyle magazine that covers fashion, beauty, art, music, design, travel, cuisine and the things we love!

TRUE BEAUTY IS… kindness.
BEATS ARE… always necessary.
TRUE SEXY IS... leaving something to the imagination.
MUSIC IS… my therapy and inspiration.
ART DOES NOT… have any limits.
MY NIGHTS ARE… time for me to recharge my battery.
THESE 3 TURN ME ON: Ali (my husband), chocolate and humor. SELF-KNOWLEDGE… comes with experience.
ENOUGH OF… the Uggs!
MY CREATIVITY IS… my strength.
TRUE POWER IS... independence. LIFE CAN BE...the trickiest riddle of them all.
TO LOVE IS TO... have found the meaning of life.
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE… I help the ladies’ look fly.
IN 2009, I'll BE… killin’ it. . . still.


Summer Collection – Mama’s Joint For the summer 2008 collection!
Mama takes you back to the Roaring 20’s when smoke filled speakeasys and jazz clubs were the place to get a cocktail during Prohibition. A time when flappers were chopping their hair into bobs and hiking their skirts up and showing their ankles – so scandalous! Mama celebrates this exciting period and gives it a contemporary twist. The Mama’s Joint Look Book is laid out like a silent film and was shot at Milk Bar in San Francisco to give it that “secret spot” feel. You can view the lookbook here!

Sit back, relax and turn the listen to all that jazz.





Check the technique:

Tonight!!! Come party w/ Kissey

Free. Tonight.

We got the beautiful Kissey Asplund in town, rockin it for her birthday on the rooftop. What more could you ask for ?

Hey Ladies!!! Through the Camera Obscura

LAYLAH AMATULLAH BARRAYN

My first encounter with Laylah was through a feature story on her photography collective, She Shootin’ in the Fall 07 issue of TRACE. From then on, I started to see her work everywhere. Laylah began her creative journey as a child under the tutelage of her uncle, illustrator Leonard Armstrong studying cartooning and illustration. She also spent nearly a decade studying ballet and modern dance and she has performed at the Apollo Theater and Aaron Davis Hall. Her desire to seriously pursue photography was sparked by the historic Million Woman March in 1997. Her work received national attention when her images were included in the Deborah Willis photo-anthology, “BLACK: A Celebration of a Culture,” co-published by the Smithsonian Institution. Her journalism has taken her abroad to Asia, Africa and the Caribbean and her writing has appeared in Essence, The Source, Uptown, Complex, STUDIO: The Magazine of the Studio Museum in Harlem among other publications.

WHAT DO YOU DO? I'm an educator and an artist
WHERE DO YOU CALL IT HOME? Crown Heights, Brooklyn
TRUE BEAUTY IS…humility
BEATS…are soundtrack of existence
TRUE SEXY IS…realizing the sexiness of self
MUSIC IS MY…oxygen
ART DOES NOT…bore
MY NIGHTS ARE…sensual
THESE 3 TURN ME ON…beautiful, humble men, jazzy trumpets and a nice smile
SELF-KNOWLEDGE …mandatory for survival
ENOUGH OF …egos!
MY CREATIVITY IS…has a mind of it own
TRUE POWER IS…comes from self and knowing truth
LIFE CAN BE THE... ultimate quickie! count your blessings and adore your days
TO LOVE IS TO…be conscious of love
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE….I'm from Brooklyn
THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE…accepts and cherishes all of her being, inside and out
WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU? www.KindredCool.org
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2008? True Love! And a new camera!

Laylah's affinity for jazz was recognized by the Jazz Journalist Association in 2005 when she was granted the Clarence Atkins Fellowship for her jazz writings. Her latest solo exhibition, Kindred Cool, will open at MoCADA on August 3, 2008. I had a chance to work with Laylah, as she asked me to design her flier for the show (see below). I must say that she is not only an amazingly talented artist, but is also one of the hardest working ones. I highly recommend it

Mama wants....RAGGAMUFFIN DESIGN!

If you live in Brooklyn, you know that there is no shortage of beautiful people walking around rocking the freshest gear. BK has been setting global trends, and you can be assured that many of the styles that end up getting picked up by major fashion houses were inspired by emerging designers debuting their creations on the streets of NYC, just like those of RAGGAMUFFIN Design, a super fly female-run design collective.

WRONGLIPS is all about supporting and introducing to our circle of friends other fellow creative women. I've been seeing these fly ladies everywhere (BK Hip-Hop Festival, Afropunk Fest, Harriet's Alter Ego) rocking their amazing dresses. Check these collab pieces with Coup D'Etat BK and Concep. Soon to be in stores! Until then, you can catch them at various outdoor events & trunk shows.

And if you wonder what's the concept behind the name, here are some of their own words...GO LADIES! Check them on myspace.

Who is a RAGGAMUFFIN? - originally used by the British as a degrading term for those in the lower classes... specifically "poor- shabbily clothed street urchins". It later evolved in the dancehalls of Jamaica to describe those individuals who did not readily conform to the rules of society and preferred to follow their own path in their own individual style. RAGGAMUFFIN DESIGNS embodies this spirit. A clothing line "perfect for the woman who craves individuality...and even better for the woman that lives by it."

THE REALNESS this Saturday! Spinna & DJ Scratch spinning at ELEMENT

Don't miss Spinna and DJ Scratch bringing the dopest 80s jam of the summer this Saturday at Element, NY. This is the time to flash your freshest 80s gear.

Make sure to print out this flyer to get the $5 discount.

Also, happy to birthday to Keita!

SOUL SUPERSONIC:Sarah White & Replife in da house!

Brooklyn ma (my blog partner, Sarah White) is having a performance tomorrow along with REPLIFE aka Daniel Gray-Kontar, a dope MC from Oakland, we have featured here on WRONGLIPS earlier this year. By the way if you'd like to read my interview with Sarah from a few months ago, check here.

Show some love to Sarah, Replife, and two of the other performers, Vice Lounge & Jade at STRICTLY SOCIAL sponsored by bagpak music & URB Magazine at SUTRA (16 1st Ave, NY)...it's gonna be a night of live music not to be missed.

Did I mention it's FREE!! Make sure to RSVP at urb.com/events to get the deal.

We are BLACK and we ROCK! Afro-Punk Festival returns to BK!

If you happen to be in Brooklyn (or can find a cheap ticket to get out this week), you still have time to bite your teeth into one of the most anticipated festivals in music and film in BK. Though the festival actually started on July 3rd, this week still is full of an eclectic variety of events and shows-- from the well known but less punk acts like J*Davey, the seductive and tempting troop Brown Girls Burlesque and favorites like The Noisettes.

Here is a little sample of the schedule, but be sure to check out the website for more details and the rest of the events. Its going to be madness!
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FRI July 11 @ Galapagos, 9:30pm, FREE
9:30 PM - 10:30 PM
70 North 6th St btn Kent and Wythe


PRIMORDIAL PUNK Debutante Ball
featuring Brown Girls Burlesque w/ Mackie Riverside, Betty Black, Apollo Heights, Chewing Pics and Sweetie. Also with a midnight intro to our 12 Primo Pin-Up Girls.Part of the 4th Annual Afro-Punk Festival.
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SAT July 12
Fort Greene Park
NOON-10pm

DJ Hard Hitting Harry
Sophia Ramos
Bermuda
Little Jackie  
Tamar Kali
The Dirtbombs
The Nosiettes
Guest DJ's Dustbin Brothers & DJ Hard Hittin Harry
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SUN JULY 13th LIVE PERFORMANCES / DJ's
12:00 AM - 8:00 PM
On Clinton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby
Afro-Punk Block Party featuring live music, DJ's and DIY fashion, food, and craft vendors.
The Ceasarz
The Carps
J*Davey
Kudu

Dj Rich Medina & Hard Hittin' Harry
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For more info on the afro punk scene itself, check out James Spooner's flick: Afro-Punk: The Rock 'n Roll Nigger Experience.
Peep the trailer:

ON A CLOUD: PPP new single drops today!

Sarah and I are huge supporters of Waajeed and his band PPP, formerly known as Platinum Pied Pipers (believe it or not, they had to change it to PPP due to a law suit by the Pied Pipers, a long forgotten band from the 40s, who were complaining about the meager internet traffic apparently hijacked by PPP...little do they know, they probably got more traffic since PPP came onto the scene!). Today is a big day for PPP fans, as ON A CLOUD, their first single from their new album ABUNDANCE is finally available. The first single features new vocalist Karma Stewart, a singer whose powerful vocals recall Aretha Franklin soul-sweeping force, while the beautifully layered instrumentation blends elements of Led Zeppelinesque rock & roll, soul and gospel flavored melodies matching Detroit's Motown legacy with high energy horns and drums into a sound that is super fresh and is so characteristic of PPP's pioneering musical experiments. On the flip side is similarly big “Angel,” featuring their amazing new vocalist Coultrain, who wrote the majority of the songs for the album. During my interview with Waajeed, while listening to the new album, all I could do is to keep repeating ...."it's gonna be HUGE!" Just wait until you hear, "Pigenhole"...Indeed, this album is a gem.

THIS WEEK YOU CAN CATCH WAAJEED TWICE:
THURSDAY, JULY 10th at SUTRA (16 1st Ave, NY), with old-time friends, T3 of Slum Village and DWELE .
Also, PPP have already begun touring with the album, so if you're lucky, you can catch them killin'em softly at SOUTHPAW (125 5th Ave, Brooklyn), as they will provide the highlight of the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival at the Official Afterparty, along with DJ House Shoes, Invincible, DJ Parler. (I'll be painting live at the VIP tent during the day at the festival!) You can peep the PPP page for the concert schedule

I can't give away much now, but make sure to check back later for the reference to my interview with WAAJEED about his musical journey from Detroit to Brooklyn, about the birth of the new album, finding the new cast, future directions, and everything else in between.

This just came from Waajeed...get a taste of the making of the album

Breakdown

The new video drops today for the track Babylon Breakdown, from the album Manifestations by innovative hip-hop artist M.anifest. Be sure to grab a copy of the album and look of for the re-release in Europe & Japan on Jakarta Records via Groove Attack..

Keep Bringing the sounds and soul of Ghana to the World via Minneapolis!

Also stay tuned for tracks from an upcoming project with M.anifest and I. For a taste, peep the track Walk Away on my myspace page..

Check out more M.anifest HERE

BROOKLYN DIARIES: art from the heart

JUNE 15: Mike Schreiber's "LUCKY SHOTS @ Harriett's Alter Ego

Mike Schreiber needs no introduction. The New York-based photographer shares his "lucky shots" at Brooklyn's Harriet's Alter Ego from June 15 to July 10th, 2008. The collage of Mike's brilliant work ranging from some outstanding celebrity shots of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, MIA, Biz Markie, John Legend, among others, to intimate portraits of street life in Jamaica or at a capuera center in Brazil. I love the way Mike's photos juxtapose the grittiness of the street, crumbling and layered with history, with a very intense and warm human presence. Definitely recommend it. Go Mike!
If you missed the show opening, you can catch the closing party on July 13th at Harriet's featuring the lovely Carla Duren's live performance .Give him some love at his myspace page,

JUNE 19: DEJA VU ////// Old Soulz party @ Libation, 137 Ludlow St

Painting at the DEJAVU event at Libation (173 Ludlow St.) was a ton of fun. The DJs, Peter Rosenberg & Ralf McDaniels of HOT97 spinning 80s and 90s hip-hop classics, had the whole place on fire. Nothing like the combo of people's hi energy, dope beats and painting in a dark room...it is a very different experience from the solitary all-nighter sessions when one is sitting in front of the canvas for 6 hours straight (dope beats are a must nonetheless) connecting only in spirit with all the nightbirds who are staying up all night to create something.

Shout out to fellow painters, Riz22, Lexy Bella & Pesu..was a hot night. Big shout out goes out to Yaz and Voodoo Ray who put me down for the event and featured me on the Old Soulz blog!! [Yaz is Japanese, hence the understandable typo in my name:]



w/ Riz22...young talent to watch out for! My piece is first of a series of kat people I've been visualizing...stay tuned for more.

JUNE 20, Another Great Day in Brooklyn @ Powerhouse Arena the second photo shoot with Jamel Shabazz

With Devin aka PAN, our pen pal from TRACE at Powerhouse at the follow-up shoot of A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN, a project I worked on with BK's all-female run community arts organization, DOPE SWAN.

We were blessed to have a chance to work with one of the most extraordinary Brooklyn photographers, Jamel Shabazz, ---a true community activist and youth mentor and the perfect match to document the creative renaissance that is happening in Brooklyn these days.

“A Great Day In Brooklyn” follows the footsteps of Art Kane’s iconic image of jazz aficionados, “A Great Day in Harlem,” and will be the cornerstone of Brooklyn, Stand Up!, a year-long study into what has been called the Brooklyn Renaissance."

Here are some images from the Jamel Shabazz Photography Group taken on June 8th, the first shoot of the "A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN" at the footsteps of the Brooklyn Museum. Left: Jamel Shabazz with photographers, Terrence and Piper. Right: Rock of the Boot Camp Click, Cynical & Mos Def...BK represent!

Left: Wronglips (upper right corner) heart Jamel Shabazz & BK! On right, Michael K. Williams & Jeru the Damaja

JUNE 21: International Day of Music /// Summer Solstice //// BK on fire!
Sarah and Rico aka DJ Don Cuco were killing it at Harriet's!

Backyard chillin: Power couple, beautiful songstress Carla & photographer Mike Schreiber on left. Check out Harriet's Alter Ego's lovely collection of art and fashion...they'll put the color back into your life!

JUNE 21: AVANT YARD @ MOCADA
The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) is proud to present Ancient Futures: The DNA of Cultures and Civilizations. A revival of the critically acclaimed 1990s Avant Yard underground art movement in Tribeca, that took the New York art world by storm, the exhibition Ancient Futures will feature work from several of the previously exhibited artists that started the revolution, as well as newer, emerging artists that are continuing the tradition of pushing the envelope.

Featured Artists:
Terry Boddie, Fikisha C, Jennifer Crute, Francks Deceus, Joshua Humphries, Dirk Joseph, Laura James, Kip Omolade, William Rhodes, Danny Simmons, Jamel Shabazz & Malik Yusef Cumbo

Musical Performances:
The Essential M.C., Game Rebellion, the Welfare Poets, Yolanda Zama, Nucomme, Survival Soundz featuring Carla Csharp Gomez, Lovespace Music, Defrei of Ahficianados, the Majestic Twinsound and Ahficial Music.

Here is an excerpt from the show's mission statement:
"By highlighting the role of the artist as it relates to social activism, Ancient Futures attempts to create a dialogue by utilizing art and music as a platform, while embracing the idea that individual artistic expression is necessary. Ancient Futures is an exploration into the mental make-up of the U.S. social system: the beauty, ugliness, abstraction, music, and color. It is a celebration of who individuals are in the present in relation to their past, and how they now forge their new futures. After all, the present is nothing more than pre-sent moments." This show was the second art event, featuring Jamel Shabazz.
Three pieces from amazing photographer & curator or the exhibit, Malik Yusef Cumbo (upper left and below). Check more of his werkz here

Kip Omolade: Soul Sista (2008)

Jennifer Crute's beautiful surreal piece on the left evokes Frida's emotio-spiritual world, while maintainaing a unique vision. On the right, Joshua Humpries' fresh piece.

An old favorite of mine, Joshua Humpries' ill drawings.

JUNE 22: Sunday @ Danny Simmons' Corridor Gallery: Artist Reception & Opening for POSITIVITY, Curated by Jamel Shabazz

Then, to finish off the week, I got a chance to express my admiration to Jamel Shabazz the third time for his relentless work in supporting community empowerment and artistic growth as a mentor, inspiration and photographer extraordinaire.

POSITIVITY: A collective photography exhibition curated by Jamel Shabazz that explores photography beyond its subject matter highlighting the POSITIVITY represented in the definite moment when the lens captures and shines on an individual or object.

On View: June 22 July 26, 2008. Artist Panel Discussion: Saturday, June 28 4-5pm. Moderated by Danny Simmons & Talib Kweli Danny Simmons Corridor Gallery, 334 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Check the flix from the reception of one of the talented photographers, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn here. Stay tuned for her show at MOCADA opening on August 3, 2008, entitled KINDRED COOL that captures some intimate moments from the life of contemporary jazz musicians.