King Brittwill soon be dropping what he calls his "last conventional dance album" before he moves over to the even more experimental side. Personally, I don't think I could ever get tired of new music by King, so I'll take the dance, experimental and everything between. The world needs more music like this that keeps your mind, body and soul moving to new levels. Enjoy this little taste of whats soon to come, by grabbing the track titled NOW, with the lovely Astrid Suryanto on vocals. GRAB IT HERE: SNS!
The full album, The Intricate Beauty, drops this spring on Nervous/FiveSix. More info here.
Ok, I dont even have an iPhone, and I love my Android, but this case is so hot. Inspired by the Year of the Tiger... grrrr See more here and/or here where I peeped it first. Thanks SlamXHype for always having dope finds for me to also share : )
So, this HEY LADIES is shedding some light on one of the most talented stylist in the area. I gave her a little mention before, while jockin' some of Kwesi's pics (see the post here) but you KNOW we have to give ma some personal love. She really works it, and I cant wait until I can afford to hire her. Much love to this lovely lady making moves.. Check her here!
PAMELA SHEPARD
WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME? brooklyn, ny WHERE ARE YOU FROM? a perfect coming of age city...silver spring, maryland. WHAT DO YOU DO? i am a stylist. i have the pleasure of dressing people for a living. i am rooted in editorial styling (telling stories through photography and fashion bring me joy), but i am also segueing into commercial and advertising. i am really working to create a balance in my work. art and commerce go hand in hand (in my world). TRUE BEAUTY IS…truth. (my mama and john keats taught me that) BEATS…jam? good beats at least. i have sat here for a while trying to fill this line in. sigh... TRUE SEXY IS…honestly? well...cigarettes. smoking is way too cool for me to be a 26 year old woman. i was that child that was always in awe of the high school kids with ripped up jeans, cars, and cigarettes. i only smoked once. i found it on the ground on my way home from school, got matches, and ran behind the house to light it up. for about seven minutes i felt soooo chic. i even applied more lipsmackers lip gloss so that i could at least pretend that i was wearing red danger lipstick. ...i really do think that folks that smoke often times lend towards looking sexy. (say what u want). (my serious adult answer): self-assuredness. MUSIC IS MY…companion. i expect a great deal from the music that i seek and love. ART DOES NOT…NOT keep my mind active. (double negative...gotcha!) MY NIGHTS ARE…when i dig... most editing, planning, emails, website updates, research...take place after the midnight hour. i find a lot of comfort, big ideas, and a rhythm during late night. i do think that this behavior is new york specific. i have never worked like this anywhere else (granted i have only lived in two other cities, atlanta and silver spring) but i genuinely enjoy the quiet with random surges of blasting, clicking heels, blaring car radios, screaming, helicopters, laughing, cats...those noises help me to briefly come up for air... THESE 3 TURN ME ON…violins, electric blue store signs, and being guided by the very top of my waist. honorable mention: general greene salted pretzel caramel ice cream SELF-KNOWLEDGE …is world changing...everyone is effected. ENOUGH OF …winter. the bright sun and freezing wind confuse me. MY CREATIVITY IS...divine. it gets way too good at times,.. and then there are days where the end result is a miserable disappointment. the satisfying part is that i can always rely on getting it out. I'm generally pleased with myself for attempting the transition of pushing an idea into something tangible. i learn what works. my sister bought me a moleskine so that i can write everything down...i am understanding that my ideas are important, and not meant to be fleeting. TRUE POWER IS…self awareness...then u know how to act. and that information is priceless, for both you and them. LIFE CAN BE THE..perfect opportunity to do something, and to do it well. (or not...its up to you). TO LOVE IS TO…give. I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE…i try. and i try again. and i try differently. at some point trying ascends into doing. WORDS YOU LIVE BY: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." - john keats. NEW PROJECTS FOR 2010? nothing to speak of justtt yet. WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU? www.pamelashepard.com SHOUTOUTS? kwes (http://kwesiabbensetts.carbonmade.com/). he's a big part of my safe creative space. More of her work:
A solid selection of 12" vinyl from the crates... Rare Groove, Broken Beat, Latin, Future Jazz, Afro Beat... BUENA MUSICA!!! Get it HERE!
1. Kuniyuki "Rain Of Ocean" 2. Electric Vibes ft. Roy Ayers "DJ Spinna Remix" 3. Taylor McFerrin "Broken Vibes (Isoul8 Edit)" 4. Jazztronik "Samurai" 5. War "Flying Machine (The Chase)" 6. Was A Bee "This Is What You Are" 7.Hector Lavoe "Mi Gente (Loui Vega EOL Mix)" 8. Tony Allen "Ole (Salah Ragab Cairo Version)"
My art website is finally up & running! I'll be updating it with more images and posters for sale. Thanks for all the love & support I've gotten so far--I am much honored. Click on the image or this link to peep it.
Thanks for the feedback to... "We love Lichiban!" Adrian from Limite Magazine, NYC "Yes! Yes!" Waajeed (producer, Bling 47/ PPP, Brooklyn) "Fantastik" Dolphin (singer/MC/producer/musician, Wardolphin, Baltimore) "IMPRESSIVE AND BEAUTIFUL CONTENTS !!!!ALL THE WAY <^> LOVELUTIONARY" Cris Prolific(producer, Belgium) "Follow Lichiban, because she would make Frida Kahlo proud." Shawn Theodore (writer) "Nice!!! Congrats. Daru Jones(producer, drummer NYC) "I LOOOVE IT! Congrats on the site mama! It looks dope - very clean, organized & succint!" Waichi Yeung (Pandacandy, Brooklyn) "Congrats, homie. site looks great. keep up the keepin' on!" Jelsen Jargon (graphic designer, Brooklyn) "Congrats on the beautiful site!!! it looks fantastic!!" Stephanie Land (photographer, Brooklyn) "The site looks great!! Im so proud to know you!!!" Cathleen Angelo (MC/humanitarian, Felecia Cruz, Fighting for Futures)
What better way for WRONGLIPS to get rollin' in 2010, then to start out with a new wave of HEY LADIES, featuring some of the ladies who make the world go round! It only makes since to start out with Maya Azucenaand Caits Meissner. These too women not only are familiar with each other, but are like "sisters" building together and inspiring each other for years. Very excited to feature the 2 of them back to back.... First, lets start with Maya Azucena. This name is no newbie on the block. She was been making serious moves in the music scene for years, as her own boss, and has even won a Grammy (from the track Let Her Dance on Stephan Marley's "Mind Control"). This woman means business. I recently met her at a MVMT Brunch (more on that later) and her aura filled the room with good vibes. Excited to see more of her live.. Check her out!
MAYA AZUCENA
WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME? Brooklyn, NY (all the way, Baybeee!) WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Flatbush Brooklyn, did I say BROOKLYN? WHAT DO YOU DO? I am an entrepreneur, humanitarian artist. A singer songwriter, manager of affairs, producer of events. A survivor. TRUE BEAUTY IS… what emanates from within. It is the glow in one’s eyes. It is that gentle yet confident sense of self. It is embracing who you really are. BEATS… move me TRUE SEXY … also emanates from within. Sexy is a swagger more than a surface thing. I’ve seen a lot of good looking dudes and scantily clad women who are not sexy AT ALL. Give me someone who knows who they are and has a fire in the eye, and gives off that sexual confidence without trying. MUSIC IS MY… Calling ART DOES NOT… keep within boundaries MY NIGHTS ARE… endless...or should I say, my DAYS are endless. They keep rolling one into the other. Sleep is for suckas (haha, I’m just kiddin, sort of) THESE 3 TURN ME ON… Deep eyes, Strong forearms (on a man), Chocolate skin, Warrior spirit, a good dancer, spiritual confidence (just three?) SELF-KNOWLEDGE …is very important. If you are not aware of who you are, and what you are doing, you WILL stumble until you figure that out. ENOUGH OF … reality TV and Auto tune. Word. MY CREATIVITY IS… openminded TRUE POWER IS… from above LIFE CAN BE ... Hard sometimes but these struggles pass when we stick with it, have a little faith, and stay in tune with the big picture. TO LOVE IS TO… hold someone down. To believe in someone and help them to believe in themselves. To love is not just an emotion, it is an ACTION. I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE… I go with it and not against it. WORDS YOU LIVE BY: Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14 NEW PROJECTS FOR 2010? My new CD is nearly done – CRY LOVE. I also have various singles coming soon with folks like Stephen Marley, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Hasan Salaam, Mazzi, Eleven, Complex, Gibonni and more and more and more.
I am also producing an amazing event on FEB 5TH named “Dance for Brooklyn with Grammy winner Maya Azucena.” It will feature my live concert in collaboration with three dance troupes: Afro Mosaic Soul; L-Touch Tap Phonics; and Zifadanz Group. Check out our first promo video here: DANCE FOR BROOKLYN with Maya Azucena starring Afro Mosaic Soul; L-Touch Tap Phonics; and Zifadanz GroupAt Galapagos Art Space16 Main Street, Dumbo Brooklyn10:00PM / $12.00 WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU? www.MayaAzucena.com SHOUTOUTS? I like to shout out my baby mama. Psych! Sarah White for this blog, My Mom, Pilar Newton, Dad, Eugene Robinson, Caitlin Meissner, Vanessa Hidary, Pete Miser, Luquantumleap, Supa Nova Slom, Honey Larochelle, Chris Rob, Maurice Brown, Big Brooklyn Red, Spokinn Movement, Dujeous...this list is too long...I give up.
--Now next, we have Caitlin Meissner aka Caits. She is one of those women that you vibe with and know you've got a homie for life. In a world of bullshit, she is bringing something real and in the flesh. She is an amazing poet, community worker, performer, designer and also known to give you a kick in your ass if you need to get to work. I love this girl, and I'm glad to finally feature her. Aslo be sure to peep her livingroom sessions! CAITS MEISSNER
WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME? Brooknam, heart of the city, Crown Heights, buk buk! WHERE ARE YOU FROM? A small town outside of Albany, New York. Which pretty much negates all of that fanfare above and the truth is, my heart is often in the mountains, anyway. WHAT DO YOU DO? storyTeller/magicMaker... which is a fancy way of saying a lot at once: poet, writer, performer, music-maker, teaching artist, graphic designer. Lover of mankind and red wine. Extreme day dreamer. TRUE BEAUTY IS… Embracing your unique being, full of flaws and imperfections and sometimes wearing face paint and big ol' fake eyelashes or just out of a bath naked, with those stubborn dry skin patches but my how fly you pull them off! Shining from the inside, didn't yo' mama tell you that one? BEATS… are what I put words to, what I stream through my headphones, what I geek out with my friends to and make the ugly face and clutch at my chest, what makes life all red and hot and sweaty and puts the bounce in my step and flips up my heart on a bad day. TRUE SEXY IS… confidence, talent and owning your bad self 'cuz that self is pretty bad, boy. MUSIC IS MY… pulse, thanks to Dad's record collection and schooling me from the time I was a baby on why sound can be more crucial than food. ART DOES NOT… leave you empty or unchanged. It incites, encourages, moves, pushes you past the edge, fills you with love or hate or anger. It gets you. Or it does not get you. But it gets someone, or else it's doing a lousy job. MY NIGHTS ARE… extended into the morning, most days. Filled with solo creation sessions, dancing 'till my back breaks, laughing with my friends who's smiles damn near fill up their entire face, having spiritual revelations, being under the fire of a warm mouth, being an insomniac. To be truthful, sometimes wasting time on the internet. But there is always a discovery. THESE 3 TURN ME ON… being magnificent at what you do. Having a record collection that rivals my own and puts me on to some new thing that makes my belly turn 'cause its THAT good. And good rhythm. SELF-KNOWLEDGE … is a never-ending journey and shape shifts just when you think you've got a good handle on the sucker and shouts, "aha! Tricked ya." Other days, however, I think we are the very same people we were at age five. I made a lot of little arts and crafts gifts for everyone. I still do that. ENOUGH OF … having haters being something to brag about. War. Greed. Jealousy. Bring on the light! MY CREATIVITY IS… a tricky little kitten. Where is she hiding today? Under the bed? In the back closet? She do what she please and fancies herself the most beautiful muse, and the truth is, she is and I follow her all around the world and make myself all sick from airplane germs and not enough sleep but those red lips, ohhh how they pull the poems outta my deepest caves.... TRUE POWER IS… being able to say, "I was wrong, but I am committed to being right." And not right, like, I got the answer to the math problem right, but like Tiny Tim right. Like good heart right. LIFE CAN BE THE... sweetest song, if you slow down long enough to put your ears against its hum. TO LOVE IS TO… be in your most creative essence, wide open. To feel where the blood pumps to and put that into your pen, your lips, your dance. Why are there so many songs and poems and paintings and films about love. What else do we live for? I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE… I grew up dancing to James Brown in my parent's living room. Cause, in inspired moments, I can be a fish. The ocean lives in my mouth and speaks for me. WORDS YOU LIVE BY: "Well, that's one for the memoir." NEW PROJECTS FOR 2010? Writing for a short film / Collaborating on music (still secret!) / Meditations / More Living Room Sessions / Getting published / Love
SHOUTOUTS? The MVMT team, who've put the fire under me for 2010 Always & forever my cousin Alec & lil' Sis, Lins Sarah & Lichi for this inspiring blog, of course! And y'all who know me, know I love you and we can do shout outs for days, but I hope I say "I appreciate you" enough for you to know who See for yourself:
another taste:
Kissing
when I say you remind me of a book's broken back, pages half-sewn and a coffee ring on it's face or that moment in half-morning where the sun is hesitant or after the ground's been cried upon and everything is soft and open or holding the earth's guts in palm just to feel alive amidst all this concrete, my god, what I mean to say is this song is an off strum and I like the way it hits my ears sideways and how I might be cold and you'll put your coat around my shoulders like the movies and I'll show my teeth and say, who spilled molasses over the window, making the day golden? You'll say, beautiful is a dead word and I'll say, so let's invent, they tell us that star up there blew out ages ago and you'll say, but it still holds 10,000 wishes tonight alone and we'll want to sing with our voices turned on backwards, we'll want to laugh so hard we forget to ask why and then lose any use for that word, too.
I've been hearing the name Blitz atleast once a week. He is always doing BIG things, but be ready for whats dropping with 2010. Much love to another dope artist from Ghana!
