B.A.M. Festival Summer 2010

Brooklyn...home to some of the many cool events of New York City. One particular event that I experienced for the first time in my life that happened this past Sunday was the BAM Festival (located in Downtown Brooklyn) where people can come out and experience music, good food, soulful and artistic people, and vendors selling everything from soaps, jewelery, music, musk oils, clothing and more. I can honestly say it was a great and eye-opening experience. The people, the rhythms, the vibe, everything about the festival is something that every person can enjoy and take part in. The different hairstyles, the clothing! I encourage every person, if they can to get out to the festival and spread the word. Its an event that all ages can take part in and experience.

Heading out to Brooklyn, New York with my ace Ashleigh...we were on the hunt for....LIFE.

Here are some pics, people and things that I considered...cool.

First..the cool bikes..

And then the soulful and cool young men and women that were willing to pose for my blog. I'd just like to say thank you :)

A young woman representing a creative company named Tendrils: A hair spa located on 87 Fort Greene Place in Brooklyn New York. They create some very beautiful and artistic custom designed hair pieces and bridal gowns. Please visit www.tendrilshairspa.com

Beautiful DREADS. I just thought this was cute lol.

And more from the festival...

Being here at this festival proved to be quite inspiring.

Until next time..

Peace and Soul,

Lolita

Music.

Releases.

Elevates.

The Heart.

The Soul.

The Mind.

The Connection: My Headphones.

Something Unexpected

It was something unexpected. It was something forgotten. It was something new. Yet, it something that we all know so well, dream about, speak of, think of....the thing we all feel. It was that bright fire that burns. It was something that came around a time that was so unexpected, a time in which this very thing I speak of I thought no longer existed. It came during a time that seemed bleak, during a time in which disappointment was high.

It was something I was afraid to approach. Something I was afraid to touch. Something I was afraid to trust. It was that thing that at times we're all afraid to give into. It was something that made me nervous. Something I couldn't quite figure out. Something that made me shy. Something that made me feel unsure.

Something I tried to define.

It was something I have wanted for awhile now. It was something that many people fight for, something many cry for. Something many learn from. It was something many walk away defeated by. It was something I was proud of. Something uplifting.

It was something we all take for granted. It was something that I could not fathom at times. Something that made me feel like I was floating. Something that made me lose control. Something that made me feel like I was ontop of the world.

It was security. It was joy. It was something that snuck up behind me and caught me.

It was those butterflies, those smiles...that hello.

It was this thing that words at time is not enough to explain. It was just this feeling.

It was something real. Something true. Something unexpected. Something needed.

It was you. Love.

XOXO,

Lolita

The Gold Rush

Remember Euro P. Gold, a talented artist with a love for Hip Hop? Well he's back again with more awesome music to listen to!

Listening to a few of the songs off The Gold Rush just further brought back that vibe that I love in Hip Hop. His music brings you back to what Hip Hop is about, the core of Hip Hop...the fundamentals.

With good vibes and great lyrical content I can honestly say this is something many of you guys should tune into and spread the word!

My two favorite songs "Quiet" and
"OrangeAirways" you must listen to!

Euro P. Gold is taking his passion and talent for music and making the very bold move of turning this into his career.

Support GOOD music!

Download Euro P. Gold's Mixtape by CLICKING BELOW:

http://www.divshare.com/download/11102121-272

TO VIEW Euro P. Gold's Profile on Reverbnation.com:

http://www.reverbnation.com/EuroPGold

TO VIEW VIDEOS CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_videos/732810

Peace. Love....and GOOD Music.

I am Naja, and I approve of this message.

Enjoy!

Natural Hair vs. that Creamy Crack

Many young women today, who have for years used relaxers to straighten their hair are now suddenly making the quite challenging move to go all natural: No more chemicals. No more creamy crack!

For years, some girls have been conditioned to believe that their hair is prettier when it is relaxed and unfortunately that natural, "kinky" hair is not attractive. This impression has been imprinted upon many minds and gathered from all sorts of media. However, with all this positive movement for going au naturale, I believe that it is important to make some misconceptions absolutely clear.

1. First and foremost, (as I have seen in certain blogs and comment boards) the reason that some young women may have relaxers is not only because they have given into "European Conformity and idea of beauty", but some women actually feel as if their hair is more manageable with a relaxer.

2. Many women have had relaxers since they were young girls and may not even remember or truly know what their real hair is like, much less know how to manage it. Point blank, just because a women gets a relaxer, weave...or etc..judging should not be in order. Everybody can choose what they wish.

Now, going natural is not a bad thing. In fact, its a goal for me that I hope to achieve this summer. This is not a swift and easy move. It is something that has to be achieved with patience (hopefully I can do it). There are many positives to going natural, the most important one being how healthy your hair can and will become with the absence of chemicals.

But that's enough about hair. Be happy and do whatever pleases the soul.

and for those of you who are taking that brave journey of transitioning from relaxed hair to natural, Good luck! Im hopping on the bandwagon, and Im going to need all the luck that I can get!

Peace & Hair

Lolita

Why Don't You Love Me...When I Make Myself so Easy to Love?

Beyonce's video "Why Don't You Love Me" saw this on TRAKGIRL's website and loved it!

Beyonce did her thing.

"Why Don't You Love Me" - Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

You can visit TRAKGIRL's website at www.TRAKGIRL.com

Pet Peeves Part 1

Ugh, don't you hate when people stare? It has to be one of the most annoying things....among some other things....

Im Beamin Video

First time I am seeing this video. Dont judge me. But I always love his concepts when it comes to his music.

I am Naja, and I approve of the message portrayed in this video.

The Most Hilarious Cry Ever Seen

So, one of my friends shows me these two halarious video clips of this little intervention that happened between a father and son. I swear, I could not stop crying with laughter for some reason...

See for yourself....

Now check it out in autotune...(by the way, what is up with the dead beat dad's ashy knuckles and lips?!?! Scary.)

So weird, but incredibly hilarious. The situation is not what is hilarious, but what kind of cry was this man doing? So weird. Also, something about this whole intervention just seems completely scripted.

Peace, Love and Laughter,

Lolita

Coat of Arms NYC

on him....hmmm...

visit Coat of Arms NYC website to view more :) click here.

I swear, I love guy clothing (even though i dont wear it)

Ask me why I cut my hair again....

I dare you....

Black women and their hair...Is there a rule in the bible that says it is strictly forbidden for a woman to cut her hair?

Hair is no more, no less than a style of the times. A fashion statement. You can cut it. You can grow it. You can stop using the creamy crack and go all natural with it if you want! (Im trying to go natural this summer. Lets see how that goes).

Hair is hair. Get funky with it. And dont give me a shocked or a sad face when you say "why did you cut your hair?!?" because unlike you, I am not afraid of a short, bold cut.

Peace. Love & Hair

What is the big deal?

He cheated.........and?

Why are we making this man do public apologies for his acts when men and women commit acts of adultery daily? Why has the media made him the face of adultery? In no way am I saying that his acts were by any means fine. I am simply saying that there are thousands of others out there who are doing the same thing, except they just have not been caught yet.

First Chris Brown, now Tiger Woods? I suggest all you other successful black men keep it tight. It only takes one wrong move.

All Black Models. Italian Issue of Vogue.

All Black models? Beautiful black female models ranging in all colors of the spectrum? Not just the typical "lightskin black girl with the good hair"? Well jinkies. This is something im very happy to see. About time.

well, my beautiful black sistas! You just better work!

For more photos click here ;)

PEACE SIGN. UP.

Lolita

And Today is a Beautiful Day

"Today, nobody cares
But tomorrow they will, they will
Today, nobody cares
But, oh, tomorrow they will, they will

They said my future was dark
You see me now?
Just look around
I’m beamin’

I get my energy from my inner G
I be in outer space, but I got inner peace
So tell my enemies that they can’t injure me
I know that irritates, you have my sympathies
Well, you should protest, yeah, you should picket me
I’m on a losing strike, I’m on a winning streak
I’m out in left field, I’m speaking mentally
But that’s a better places than where the benches be
I’m feelin’ really good, me and different beat
Me and my different drummer, he play the timpanis
See, that’s what got me here, you hearin’ me
Me on my black man in the future shit, call me Billy Dee
See, I’m just forward-looking, that’s how I really see
See, while you Valentimes, I’m thinking Christmas trees
And that’s how this would be, even at Mickey D’s
Semicolon, close parentheses

They said my future was dark
You see me now?
Just look around
I’m beamin’

They used to talk
When I wasn’t around
You see me now
I’m beamin’"-Lupe Fiasco

Peace sign UP.

xoxo,

Lolita

Saying "Thank You"

Two. Simple. Words.

yet....so hard for some people to say apparently. Especially at good ole' Hampton University.

Ive always been raised to be respectful to my elders and whomever did an act of kindness, being as nobody on this planet owes you anything.....

But anywho....

what irks the crap out of me is when you hold the door for a person, and they cannot find the decency to say "THANK YOU". Like, did you just forget those words? Have they been erased from your vocabulary?

Well yesterday was my last straw..which is exactly why a young woman had a door slam on her hip as she was trying to bring her stuff in.

Sorry.

I would just like to remind people in general, that it is ok to say "Please" and "thank you". It is never wrong to say those things. There is such a thing as common courtesy. Let us not get so wrapped up and involved in our own hype, that we think we are ever too good to say "Please" or "Thank you". Once again, remember, nobody owes u anything.

That is all,

Lolita

(P.S. I'm getting back on my blogging grind. Between midterms and crazy work...AND being removed from my laptop, Ive truly missed this)

A Salute to Love

So, as an ode to valentines day...I just thought I had to do this...You know, this stuff is just too cute..

Isn't it? Come on now...don't be a sour patch.

But, now, time to get a little serious....

Just remember, with Valentines day coming up, that the celebration of LOVE is something that should be celebrated year round and not just on one day. Get out and celebrate LOVE with friends and family if you can. Valentines Day is not the day to sit around and mope about how you currently may not have a significant other. Love exists in so many different ways. Therefore, be kind and express your Love to the people that help you through thick and thin.

Let a little LOVE in your heart folks

Peace and xoxo,

Lolita

It All Started with this Bright Blue Vest

I cant get enough of this....

Mirror, Mirror? Where art thou?

And my favee....

The "Big City Girl" Look.

I swear, when I see fashion..it just reminds me of my home...The good ole' city...New York.

xoxo,

Lolita

The Worst Rap Battle Ever

huh?

Rachel Lloyd "GEMS"

Who is Rachel Lloyd? This particular outstanding woman is somebody who I have been meaning to talk about. Without a doubt, she deserves to be more than mentioned on my blog. How did I find out about her? Well, one night I was flipping through the channels when I saw a young, fifteen year old girl flash on the screen saying in a very melancholy way "working the streets was something I felt I had to do. I felt there was no way out." My heart immediately went out to that girl, and I was compelled to watch more.....

Rachel Lloyd

Girls Educational Mentoring Services (GEMS) is a program that was founded in 1999 by Rachel Lloyd. Rachel, who was once a teenager that was sexually exploited, recognized the urgent need for educational services that were dedicated to young women at risk of being sexually exploited or who were already being exploited. GEMS has now grown into one of the largest organizations that provides services to commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked youth in the United States. GEMS educates and supports young women from the ages of twelve to twenty-one that have been caught in this cruel and vicious phenomena that lurks on the abandoned street corners and places that America turns a blind side to. While watching the documentary, several places were shown where prostitution was abundant. These places were areas that I knew of. Hunts Point (an area in the Bronx), Queens and Brooklyn. I noticed that a lot of the inner city areas seemed to be highly affected by this. But let me make this clear: sexual exploitation and human trafficking happens all throughout the United States and can be closer to your home than you may think...

And to think...here I am singing this song that has been planted into my brain "Its hard out here for a pimp...." and watching movies like Hustle n' Flow that in some ways praises pimps and prostitution, and here you are hit with the harsh reality of it. No Hollywood, no props, no script. This is an actual situation that can be handled and solved if everybody simply can take the initiative to realize that it exists. Girls are to be loved, empowered and cherished...not sold for their bodies.

I encourage everyone to visit the website: http://www.gems-girls.org/ganfs/home.html

Please, Please, Please keep yourself aware of the issues surrounding you, no matter how privileged you are.

xoxo,

Lolita

Today.....

During a disscussion on probability, one of my teachers made two statements (both of which I thought were two very outrageous statements). The first which was "I'm pure African-American" and the second which was "Its ashame, before you know it theres gonna be a whole bunch of mixed babies runnin around at the rate were going."

*cough*

Being a Political Science major and being quite fond of history...there are two important things I have learned. The first of which is that there is NO such thing as any person on this earth being "pure" (since that is what this particular teacher wanted to call it). The second which is that all throughout history, mankind and the governments that we have elected have continuously tried to label and categorize people: "Black", "white", "hispanic", "Native American" and uh oh "Other"...etc. Is it right? Not in the least. For centuries people of all different backgrounds and races have mixed, mingled and produced the beauty of which is the human race. I would love to see a day in which we stop classifying people and can stop checking boxes on our standardized exams that label us as a color.

One day...one day, maybe there will be a box that all of us can check that will be simply marked:

BROTHER or SISTER

And perhaps this was just one of those random rants that go through my mind daily.

xoxo,

Lolita

"Onto the Next One" Jay-Z Video

So Jay-Z brings to us one of his newest pieces of visual art from his latest album The Blueprint 3. After watching this video...I was just left blank. In fact, perhaps I was also a bit creeped out but oddly enough I LOVE it. Or maybe I shouldn't love it because I really cant understand what this man is trying to portray. I feel like Hov was trying to show a whole bunch of symbols. I have no clue. You see for yourself.

xoxo,

Lolita