"Behind the Music 2" With Mary J. Blidge

Gotta love Ms. Blige!

I'm going to make this brief.

This is THE BEST Behind the Music story that I've seen in a while.  Mary J. Blige's story was aired tonight on VH1.  I was glued to the TV the entire time.

Words cannot describe how inspiring her story was.  She's the realest.  She truthfully told the story of her triumphs and trials.  And it ends with the perfect fairy tale ending: she finds hope, the ability to forgive, and the love of her life. It was almost as if you could actually feel her pain and her happiness.

They told her that one day she would sing for kings and queens... and she finally got a moment in a standing "O" performance at the Presidential Inauguration  for President Obama in 2009.

Ms. Blige is a true depiction of a star who made her dreams happen, and was able to turn her life around for the best and become a role model for all women.

Gotta lover her!

image: Soul Discoveries

J. Cole has me Thinking... What's Next for this Guy?

Thanks to my friend Christina (follow her on Tumblr), there's a new song for me to dissect.  Rap artist J. Cole has a song entitled "Work Out" that has me questioning his motives and his next moves/trend.

Listen:

Now J. Cole is HANDS DOWN a favorite on the rap scene.  But Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), Brown Sugar's dynamic duo, would have been a little disappointed with J. Cole on this one, I think.

Why?

Because it seems as if he's abandoned real hip hop on this one.  The beat is hot (love the Paula Abdul addition, too) and there's no doubt that it could possibly be a club banger (I'm bopping my head to it as I write this); but it's not his style at all.  Lord knows I'm not comparing him at all to Drake, but I see it more as a transition into new music-- singing on his own hook and rapping on the next.  Is this what Mr. Cole wants to do?

Honestly, I think it was just a test, just to see whether people would be more in tune with this type of music (which is what's getting more air time), to see if he's a flexible artist, or whether he should stick to what he's best at.

On the contrary, I want to hear more "Lights Please." I want to hear more of the verses I heard on Miguel's hit, "All I want is You." "Loosing My Balance...," "In the Morning," "Nothing Like It..." these are the reasons why I fell in love with his music.  No garbage lines were permitted in these brilliant selections (just to name a few).

In my opinion, everyone has a gift, and J. Cole could run the mic in any hip hop battle he chooses.  And it's okay to have a couple of songs like "Work Out" (since they only have a short shelf life); but songs like these won't allow him to exercise his skills as needed.

What's your take? Am I over analyzing this one?

Feelin' The Beat: John Legend and the Roots Put a Spin on a Powerful Classic

One thing I'm learning to do in this adult life is to really get in tune with myself, who I am, and my purpose.  Sometimes, it's hard, but when you figure out one piece to the puzzle, it makes life easier!

And while it's only a portion  being added to my personal music interests, I'm finding myself more and more connected to old school music, music that my parents used to listen to; ole' skool beats and raspy-sounding voices.  Guitars, pianos and acoustic sounds reaches deep within me, causing me to close my eyes sometimes and just feel the beat.  This is what real music is all about.

Normally, I'm up on my music scene, but I have to give my brother the credit for introducing me to this one (thanks Kap!)

Picture it.  1973 (in my Sophia's voice- The Golden Girls).  Bill Withers writes and dedicates this song, "I Can't Write Left-Handed," to one particular soldier who made it out of war alive, but missing a limb:

Pretty deep, right?  And as a mere reflection of this heartfelt piece, years later, we have a remake of this, with John Legend and The Roots:

Yup, they nailed it. Did you feel it as much as I did?

I think in this generation, we need more soulful music, the kind that tells a story and captures meaningful, respectful and powerful moments.

What's your take on music? Would you like to hear more soulful music like this?

#MusicMonday: Kelly Row's Album Release, 90's Music in Effect

  photo courtesy of  Style Bistro

I'm waiting for the release of Ms. Kelly Rowland's new album, Here I Am, to be released July 26.  When I really like an artist, I'll definitely support and cop the disc. And I think Kelly is well-deserving of this one.  Here first track was instantly catchy one; I can only hope that the album lives up to that hit (it was truly a BIG ONE).

Until then, I think I'll listen to some throwback music, the 90's (whatcha' know about that?).  And since I tweeted about that this morning, one of my co-workers decided to send me an OH So 90's playlist for me to enjoy today.  I was jammin' like it was '92!

For the remainder of the evening, I'll work on a 20-minute exercise regimen (yep, I'm so serious about getting fit), probably a Jillian Michaels' video, that will work my entire body. Then, I'll probably pump up the volume on the 90's jams again until my favorite Monday night shows come on.  

Welp, that about sums it up.  Happy Monday, everyone! 

#SocialSaturday: Weekend Relaxation and Fun

I told myself that I would relax this weekend. After coming off an AWESOME vacation in L.A., it's truly a MUST that I stay at home, do a few chores, and spend the rest of the time doing absolutely nothing that requires rigorous activity.

I did however, plan to do two things for myself today:

1. Hair consultation: The beauty of natural hair is it's versatility. If I want to wear it naturally curly or as a twist out one day, I can; if I want to wear it straight, a blowout and a flat iron will do the trick. Anywho, I went for a complimentary consultation at TAG Concepts Salon off of Peachtree Road (Buckhead) in Atlanta. They specialize in natural hair. The stylist who I spoke with was wonderful; she answered all of my questions and I made an appointment for a steam therapy treatment before I cut it again, which will add moisture and help train it to stay straight.

2. I'm not a big Harry Potter fan, but I am a Transformers fanatic! I haven't seen it yest, so I think I'll head over to Regal 24 Cinema for a matinee.

That's pretty much what my #SocialSaturday consists of.

And yours?

1. Rita's Hair Salon  2. Image: X Former Movie

#FitnessFriday: Time to Get Motivated

Okay... I've been like a complicated relationship when it comes to getting down to the "nitty gritty" to work out. I've had some "good" weeks, where I work out at least four times, hard core exercising, followed by "bad" weeks of random, out-of-the-blue work out one day out of the week (if that).

What's wrong with me?

You would think that the summer time, hot weather and cute outfits in the store would be motivation enough. You would think that the vision of me walking through Atlantic station with chic shorts and a tank would even do the trick. And if those didn't push me enough, the planned vacation to L.A., and the idea of wearing that two-piece I wanted so badly would really push me over the motivation line-- it didn't work.

So now, there's this hair cut that I want-- I want it badly-- but in order for me to get it, I HAVE to lose between 10-15 pounds in the next three months. If I put my mind to it, I'm sure this will be a piece of cake, right? And if I play my cards right, Hopefully I can do it in two! I'm hoping to lose 1-2 pounds weekly.

Will I go back to my old eating habits? Absolutely not. The whole point is to not only lose weight, but to make it a lifestyle.

I will probably update my blog every Friday with my progress.

Hair cut, here I come!

What motivates you to stay healthy and fit? Any suggestions?

(photo courtesy of faqs.org)

Adding Social Media to my Personal Dreams

I came out of school, hoping to find that perfect job. Now don't get me wrong; I'm blessed to have a job, but I'm in search of something more meaningful, more purposeful.

What are dreams really made of?

We all had an ideal dream job at some point. I pictured (and still can at times) myself working in Hollywood, in the lime light (and every other light Ye mentioned in the infamous All of the Lights) as a publicist or an event planner.

Then there was the idea of me working behind the scenes in production, whether it be film or television (with Tyler Perry, preferably).

But it didn't happen that way. In the world that we live in, it's about hustling and bustling to get to the top. Many times, I find myself frustrated, wondering if my dreams will ever become reality. Trying my best to stay focused on God and staying positive through this journey, I find myself falling more for a dream that never existed until now-- working in the Social Media Sector.

At first, I felt like an old person who didn't want to part with the A-Track once cassette came into play; traditional media and PR was my thing, and I wasn't trying to hear anything else.

But it is now that I realize the importance of social media, especially in this type of economy. Turning a 'fun toy' so to speak into a profitable alley can help transform and transition the world into a better place.

What are my dreams now? Ever changing, just like social media. But if you mix this in to what my previous visions were, who knows what I can do on the red carpet with such technological abilities?