Source: TV ONE / TV One Brand Nubian member and Hip-Hop veteran Lord Jamar is no stranger to controversy, so his latest statement regarding women in Hip-Hop doesn’t come as a surprise. During an interview with Bosschick Raine for the online show “Battle Code”, Lord Jamar stated that he doesn’t feel women rappers aren’t appealing as artists because he can’t relate to their subject matter, despite having the first lady of Flipmode, Rah Digga , as his podcast cohost. “I don’t f*ck with female rappers,” he said before elaborating. “The same reason I don’t f*ck with white rappers or wack rappers: I can’t resonate with what a woman is talking about. Now listen, can I appreciate a sista that can rhyme good? Yes. Rah Digga can rhyme. She’s dope. Bahamadia, dope. But do I wanna listen to a female rhyming about female sh*t? It doesn’t resonate with me.” When asked about female rap legends like Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte , Lord Jamar revealed that he holds those two ladies at a different standard than most. “I love Lauryn Hill, but some people will say that’s not Hip Hop,” Lord Jamar continued. “You got some people that’ll say [ The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ] was damn near an R&B album. I loved Lauryn Hill. She was one of the only female albums that I actually really did listen to on some ‘this is the soundtrack for a minute.’” In regards to fellow pioneer, MC Lyte, Jamar stated that her “tomboy” persona allowed him to bypass her gender and listen to her rhyme before stating the obvious that his point of view like his music choice is very misogynistic. “Lyte was different because we were younger. It was a different time and Lyte was almost like a tomboy at that time, so you kinda knew girls like Lyte, but Lyte’s music was more harder too,” Lord Jamar explained. “I like real Hip Hop. Like I said, I’m an alpha male. So, certain themes are not gonna resonate with me. Female themes, themes of sucker sh*t, white people themes. There’s a lot of shit that I wouldn’t resonate with. But I resonate with positive, militant, gangsta, sometimes misogynistic music. I’m just keeping it real. I’m just telling you what I like.” Check out the video below:
Source: Sean Drakes / Getty When I found out that I was going to Kerby Jean-Raymond’s Pyer Moss show, I couldn’t feel my legs for a minute and it felt like the room was spinning around me at 100 mph. Granted, I had been to one of the designer’s shows a few seasons ago and had loved every single second of it, but this time, it was extremely different. In just two short years, Kerby has gone from a Black designer to watch to the designer of the moment, and dare I say, a designer of the century. He’s the type of public figure that urban kids can quickly identify, among the Off-Whites and Balenciagas splattered on every streetwear roundup. He’s the fashion designer whose clothing is clean and respectable — he’s not really gimmicky or peacocky just for the sake of show, but his clothes pack a bunch and are well-tailored. He’s the Black designer who straddles this fence between resources and talent, one minute discussing in magazine spreads how he received death threats for his Spring ‘16 show, and then the next minute taking out Kings Theater to well over a thousand spectators as the entire fashion world stopped for a moment in time. Attempting to write about the Pyer Moss S/S 2020 Collection feels like trying to explain what water tastes like to the malnourished, or what love feels like to one who has only known trauma. I suppose I should also point out that other than the extraordinary rise in Kerby’s career over the past few years, the other reason why the invitation to his show was downright unbelievable to me was because I wasn’t being asked to attend as press. I was simply being asked to attend on my own accord. Working press during NYFW is a marathon, indeed, but it’s also exhausting as hell. Fighting to get quotes, to snap photos, to ensure you’ve received all the assets you need before jet-setting off to the next show or to your laptop to sit down and write, write, write, can feel emotionally and spiritually draining. There were moments throughout the season I had to work press for shows, and that was totally fine: Building TheBlondeMisfit.com has been the act and labor of love that I have sought to create space in, but being Black media and press is also a who’s who game. Sometimes you don’t get the quote, or you don’t get the angle. Sometimes the larger outlet does steal your material and you’re not acknowledged, or everyone else’s team of five has the same responsibilities as your team of one. So to know that for one night, the show of my dreams only asked for me to sit back and enjoy without the added responsibility of work afterwards? I was moved, and after seeing the show, I was thankful. Source: Sean Drakes / Getty There are a lot of show reviews on Pyer Moss’s latest collection, and honestly, I stand by them all. There’s interviews, backstage looks, features, and so much more. This third collection focused on the contributions of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, also known as the Black woman who invented Rock’N’Roll. With jewelry done by Johnny Nelson, an entire choir named “The Pyer Moss Tabernacle Drip Choir Drenched in The Blood,” parts of design by Christopher John Rogers, and more, the show was not just Black. It was undeniably Black. The choir sang hits from influential Black women in music, from Lil’ Kim to Tina Turner, as beautifully dripped clothing walked the runway. We saw tailored suits, pleated asymmetric skirting, plunging necklines, and evening wear ready for the red carpet. We saw the color block moto jackets in partnership with Sean John, and the iconic “Vote or Die” T-shirt re-emerge in today’s troubling political climate. But throughout the show, I couldn’t help but find myself putting the phone down in an attempt to just enjoy this moment — it wasn’t the Black models, or the Black clothing, or the Black choir, or the thousand people filled into this theater for this Black man and his team. It was the message of what fashion can be and what it should be. View this post on Instagram At @pyermoss last night. I never thought I could belong in fashion, and I still don't think that I do. I'm hypercritical of myself and my talents, and I oftentimes wonder if I'm taking on too much and if I will fumble the bag. But I have had so many people, family, friends, and you all, who have loved me from near and far, who have poured into me and have affirmed me in this space. To know that wherever I plant my seed, it blossoms. Whatever I touch, it gets to grow. That the work I've put in hasn't gone unseen, and that I have little angels all around me working those overtime hours. This is because I have given God all of my gifts, and have asked Him to order my steps and my anointing. I've asked Him to show people that TheBlondeMisfit isn't on man's timing, but on God's. HE will put you in the presence of great men and women, and to be in the presence of the impact that @kerbito brought to fashion literally made me cry. It is divine orchestration that proves I was meant to be there. That I am doing fine and that God is making a way. I may not always know what's on the other side of fear, but I know who holds the keys. It was an honor to wear THREE black designers last night to the most undeniably groundbreaking, thought-provoking, memorizing, and Blackest show I have ever seen. Thank You Kerby for letting God use you as a vessel for the people, and for reminding me how powerful purpose truly is. A post shared by Jamé Jackson (@theblondemisfit) on Sep 9, 2019 at 11:13am PDT Friends and family know I believe I’m a fashion ‘outsider’, thus the ‘misfit’ misnomer. Even as I learn and meet more people, take up more space, and fill more rooms, I learn that the collective thought of fashion has changed over the years, and that there are still misunderstood misfits in fashion. There are still people who are thinking in colors, and shapes, and hues, whereas the majority are still thinking about what they had for breakfast that morning. As the models did their final walk and the choir belted out a gospel song that’s lyrics sought for God to make one over again, tears streamed my face as I realized I was sitting in on a moment of history. A reclamation of Black women and our bodies and our narratives, not just in fashion, but in history, was taking place right on the stage in the presence of a multicultural and multidimensional crowd. I felt the spirit in the theater, the same spirit I feel on Sunday mornings when I head to church and reconcile that God’s gotten me through another week, or the same spirit I feel when I give honor and praise in the wee hours in the morning when I know I am spiritually under attack. It’s the same spirit I know my mommy and grandmommy felt walking the floorboards as they prayed to a Creator to make a way out of no way, and surely, He always did. I felt God’s face shine upon us and confirm that we, as a people, would be alright. But more importantly, I saw what divine manifestation can look like for another when you walk in purpose. That is what is missing from these show reviews I’ve been reading, who have accurately discussed the beauty of the clothing, or the choir, or the resounding speech that started the show. The show reviews that probably gave you the backstory of how droves of people were standing outside the Theater for blocks and blocks, hundreds, if not thousands of people there just to see if they could buy a ticket. I’m sure you’ve read the reviews of people discussing the power and the magnitude of Kerby’s show, some even calling it his “church” and what’s next in fashion. But walking away, I saw the purpose of something so much more than clothing or a review. Sunday night is a hope for anyone out there with a dream and a prayer, with faith the size of a mustard seed, that if it’s of God, He can truly change the game with your gifts. He can change the industry with your talents. The clothes and the music and celebrity sightings are all gravy to the entré, which brings us back to center and makes us question for the rest of our lives are we operating in purpose or are we solely skating by. I want to thank Kerby for relighting a fire within me and all who attended. For honoring the Black women who have come before, and will undoubtedly come after us. And for all of those who understand now more than ever we can reclaim that power and use it to channel true change in the industry. I never want that feeling I felt to die, nor the feeling that being an ‘outsider’ is wrong when God is using your vision for a larger purpose. The world stopped for Kerby, they can stop for us as well. DON’T MISS: #NYFWNOIR: Studio One Eighty Nine Brought The Motherland To New York Fashion Week #NYFWNOIR: Maki Oh Continues To Define Afromodernism To The West #NYFWNOIR: Here’s How This Black Designer Got Beyoncé To Wear Her Shoes [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3058068″ overlay=”true”]
Source: GP Images / Getty When we think of celebs debuting a new hair lewk, The Weeknd is the last person that comes to mind. A true fly below the radar type of guy, the singer mostly gets attention for his soothing voice and high-profile relationships. Many of us know the Canada native for his chunky locs and cropped cut styles. So, once we found out that the “ Try Me ” singer was generating buzz in the hair department, we were immediately intrigued! The true epitome of the saying “new hair, who’s this?,” the singer debuted his new TWA at the TIFF premiere of his upcoming film, Uncut Gems . The star hasn’t been in the public eye lately so once the photo made its rounds, it’s safe to say we were all shook. If you ask us, the star is serving major Lionel Richie meets Tito Jackson vibes with this mane move. It’s definitely out of the box for the singer (real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye), but in true creative nature, there is absolutely nothing wrong with changing up your look. While we’re still getting over our shock of his head-turning new ‘do, Black Twitter has been having a field day! From hilarious jokes to predictions of a new album on the way, we can always count on our Twitter family to give us a good laugh. Keep clicking to check out some of the funny and lowkey true tweets about The Weeknd’s hair transformation.
Today we got a chance to hangout with big time triple threat…well quadruple threat! Singer, songwriter, dancer and philanthropist, Ne-Yo. For those of you who don’t know he’s written the biggest hits for Rihanna, Beyonce, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie and much more. Ne-Yo is very much popping back on the scene, he talked about how he made the decision to take a quick break to focus on his children. His youngest son was born around the time his album was getting released so he felt the need it was important to be a father. You go Ne-Yo We asked if he loves singing or writing more and he said he loves writing period, he remembers the sessions, the vibe, he just enjoys the creative process! He talked about how he wrote ‘Irreplaceable’ He talked about the wildest rumor he heard and denied it for the a millionth time. The rumor stated he was gay and had a high school fling. He expressed that although he has respect for the LGBTQ community that rumor was a flat out LIE and he never knew the guy who made the claim. He played ThinkQuick and almost won until the word CURLY…mind you he has a song called Curly! Whew chile the ghetto! ThinkQuick He will start filming of World of Dance in February with J-Lo stay watch out for him and his new Christmas coming soon!
Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty SiR Featuring Sabrina Claudio “That’s Why I Love You” Music Video If you haven’t listened to TDE artist SiR ‘s album Chasing Summer yet, you’re doing yourself a great disservice and you should rectify it immediately. The TDE singer is giving you soulful realness that will have you nodding your head like a G and feeling feels like just left your therapist. His new single features Sabrina Claudio and it’s called “That’s Why I Love You”. Press play down bottom to check it out. Don’t sleep this project is a BANGER.
Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty Aoki Lee Simmons is clearly living her best Gen Z life this year! The 17-year-old, along with her 19-year-old sister Ming, are claiming their rightful thrones at her mother’s revived fashion company Baby Phat. “Selling Baby Phat direct-to-consumer through our website plays a big part in the sustainability conversation,” Aoki recently told Teen Vogue , adding, “It cuts out a lot of inventory issues and waste created from traditional retail.” You better werk Ms. Business Woman! View this post on Instagram “The point is that you don’t have to be one thing. You can be a model and scholar, you can be neither. You can be fabulous and studious. You can wear stilettos in the senate or you can hate heels. Neither choice makes you more or less of a phenomenal woman. I want us to move towards a society where when we talk about a woman in politics, we talk about her policy more than her shoes…though if that woman is a Simmons her shoes are probably fire too” – Aoki Lee Simmons A post shared by Aoki Lee Simmons (@aokileesimmons) on Sep 10, 2019 at 9:35am PDT In addition to all this corporate work, she’s clearly living her best life at Harvard! It appears that the college freshman has also found her sista’ squad at the Ivy League university. In a series of pictures she posted earlier this week, the daughter of Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee is all smiles with that Harvard #BlackExcellence, all dressed in white and looking fabulous! “Melanin too dark to throw us shade swipe for excellence! #blackharvard #blackconvocation.” View this post on Instagram Melanin too dark to throw us shade swipe for excellence! #blackharvard #blackconvocation A post shared by Aoki Lee Simmons (@aokileesimmons) on Sep 8, 2019 at 4:29pm PDT View this post on Instagram #aokileesimmons #blackharvard #blackexcellence #begreat A post shared by Shanell Luster (@shanellluster) on Sep 9, 2019 at 7:33am PDT View this post on Instagram #PoppinPic #AokiLeeSimmons and the #blackharvard freshman class showing off that #blackexcellence A post shared by The True 100 (@the.true.100) on Sep 8, 2019 at 5:25pm PDT Just beautiful! As we previously reported , the then 16-year-old was in tears when she found out that she had been accepted into the prestigious university in March. In the video, Aoki is visibly emotional, shaken by her good news, all while her mama is yelling, “Yay!!! You wanna go there? Are you sure? Yay!!! “I’m only 16 and I’m going to Harvard baby! Insert emotional crying face,” she captioned in her post. Adding, “ @kimoraleesimmons “thank god you got in on your own honey cause you can’t row” thank you so much to every single person who helped me along the way. I am excited and honored and so so grateful. #harvard2023.” View this post on Instagram I’m going to Harvard baby! Insert emotional crying face. @kimoraleesimmons “thank god you got in on your own honey cause you can’t row” thank you so much to every single person who helped me along the way. I am excited and honored and so so grateful. #harvard2023 A post shared by Aoki Lee Simmons (@aokileesimmons) on Mar 28, 2019 at 5:17pm PDT You got this Aoki! Have a wonderful semester. Tell Malia Obama , we said hi! RELATED NEWS: #BlackExcellence: 16-Year-Old Aoki Simmons Gets Into Harvard, On Her Own Merit Aoki Lee Simmons Reveals She Struggled To Accept Her Beauty In Comparison To Her Sister And Mother Meet The Amazing 24-Year-Old Single Mother Who Just Graduated From Harvard Law School [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3024355″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage / Getty Tracee Ellis Ross Announces “Girlfriends” Reunion Tracee Ellis Ross made a huge announcement that’s got fans of her 2000s feel-good black girl sitcom in a tizzy. The actress announced that ALL the ladies of “Girlfriends” will appear alongside her on an episode of “Black-ish.” The ladies; Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones, and Persia White also starred with Tracee in the announcement video looking EXACTLY THE SAME. “So we have an extra special episode of ‘Black-ish,’ and it’s a feminist episode, and I brought in some backup from some of my girlfriends,” said Tracee in the video. View this post on Instagram GIRLFRIENDS X BLACKISH ~ @therealgolden47 @misspersiawhite @itsmejillmarie @blackishabc my giiiiirlfriends are guest starring on #blackish tuesday, october 8! we haven’t all been together on camera since 2006. these are women i grew up with and love deeply and it was easy tap back into the magic of our chemistry and how much we love each other. it was giggles on top of giggles on top of giggles. girlfriends ran for 8 years and was important to so many people. being able to merge the worlds of @blackishabc and girlfriends was surreal for me and so much fun. A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Sep 12, 2019 at 9:02am PDT Entertainment Weekly got the exclusive on the episode titled “Feminisn’t” that airs October 8. The premise is as follows; “When Bow [Ross] learns that Diane [Marsai Martin] and Ruby [Jenifer Lewis] don’t believe in feminism, she brings Diane to meet the women in her feminist group. Bow’s friend Abby [guest stare Nadia Quinn] thinks the group needs to be more inclusive, so Bow invites three of her girlfriends to join. Meanwhile, Junior [Marcus Scribner] and Jack [Miles Brown] help Dre [Anthony Anderson] after he realizes he is out of touch with modern day feminism.” “Girlfriends” aired from 2000 to 2008. Will YOU be watching their “Black-ish” reunion???
View this post on Instagram GIRLFRIENDS X BLACKISH ~ @therealgolden47 @misspersiawhite @itsmejillmarie @blackishabc my giiiiirlfriends are guest starring on #blackish tuesday, october 8! we haven’t all been together on camera since 2006. these are women i grew up with and love deeply and it was easy tap back into the magic of our chemistry and how much we love each other. it was giggles on top of giggles on top of giggles. girlfriends ran for 8 years and was important to so many people. being able to merge the worlds of @blackishabc and girlfriends was surreal for me and so much fun. A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Sep 12, 2019 at 9:02am PDT The Cast Of Girlfriends Now Tracee Ellis Ross blew up the internet when she posted a video of a reunited cast of Girlfriends . In case you don’t remember, the show is one of the iconic, memorable black shows of all time. It revolutionized the way black women were portrayed on TV. Also, it showed four fine a$$ black women living their lives. Obviously, since the show ended, Tracee Ellis Ross has gone on to be a huge superstar and star of Black-ish. The other three women, Jill Marie Jones, Persia White and Golden Brooks are still acting and also living their best lives. Now, it looks like we’ll see them all together again on Black-ish . This has, of course, shattered Twitter. However, the above clip is also a reminder that these women are still fine as all hell in 2019. Want to get put on? Hit the flip and see for yourselves…
when roc nation puts some payola behind tinashe’s next single and she finally blows up… yes pic.twitter.com/0MtOKC7IBi — elijah (@hisnameiseli) September 12, 2019 Tinashe Reportedly Signs With Roc Nation, Fans Go Crazy Our girl Tinashe is having a very interesting week that started with her posting her phone number on social media and seems to be wrapping up with news of her signing with Roc Nation. Now, this is completely a rumor courtesy of Hitmaka (aka Yung Berg) that, if true, could launch her to the level of stardom that matches her talent. . @Tinashe if Roc Nation turns out to be a sh** label i WILL unstan, let me be VERY clear about that. pic.twitter.com/pKX5w1hEvq — MAGDALENE (@realestarab) September 12, 2019 Peep the Twitter chitter-chatter over Tinashe signing with Roc Nation on the flip.
