Last week, Terrence J and Rocsi said goodbye to the 106 & Park stage after seven years. Terrence J. has a new gig hosting Entertainment Tonight (definitely a good look) and Rocsi is pursing other opportunities, like acting, I believe.
Terrence J & Rocsi host their last show on the 106 & Park stage | http://www.bet.com
The BET crew (old and new) sent them off proper-like and made way for the new wave. Here they are –
L-R –> Miss Mykie, Bow Wow, Paigion and Shorty Da Prince and yes, there are four (count em, four) new hosts.
Mykel “Miss Mykie” Gray – I’m still not sure how to pronounce her first name, but this Houston native and Howard Univ. grad commands attention with a decidedly funky look (I’m loving the big hair) and infectious personality.
Bow Wow- “Mr. 106 & Park” himself is switching up the style a little bit, re-connecting with his core audience (and his peers) and keeping his name and face out in the music streets, while he collects a check and plans new moves. Can’t be mad at that.
Kimberly “Paigion” Walker- Again with a name I can’t pronounce and, well, “my name is my name.” A Detroit native, this Western Michigan Univ. grad started off as a high school reporter and turned into a local radio star. Now she’s bringing her talents to the big(ger TV) screen and a national audience. Nice.
Shorty Da Prince– This St. Louis born youngin’ who’s been in the business since he was 12 (!) was a popular radio host and industry regular before the 106 & Park gig. At 22, he’s young, eager and looks like a pleasant guy. Oh, he’s also bunned up with Paigion. Interesting.
Many congratulations to the new co-co-co-co hosts on the new opportunity- they were selected out what I can only imagine was a huge pool and it can only open more doors and make way for even greater opportunties. The real question though, is do you still watch 106 & Park? Will you?
Surprise! Beyonce shows up at P.S. 161 in Harlem and gets it poppin' as part of the "Let's Move" campaign. Image courtesy of Getty Images.
As First Lady Michelle Obama implied yesterday, who doesn’t like Beyonce? Even if you don’t, you gotta respect her work ethic. After remixing “Get Me Bodied” to fit the theme for Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” Campaign, B showed up to P.S. 161 in Harlem to do the “Let’s Move Flash Workout” with students. Gotta love it. Shout out to everyone getting (and staying) in shape.
You may have heard her called the “Young Feminist Phenomenon,” (from her rap label) or “The Young Harlem Phenomenon” (from her movie poster). If not, you should get to know her. She’s young (16), she raps (since she was 9!), she sings, she acts (currently starring as Jessica on “The Electric Company”), she dances, and she definitely reps for the young ladies. Her life seems really sweet, but it hasn’t always been this way.
P.Star (real name Priscilla) grew up poor, in a single-parent household after her HIV-positive mom left when she was only three. Her dad raised P. Star and her older sister as best he could, but when he couldn’t find work, they struggled —food stamps, homeless shelters, all that. When P. Star was nine, she decided she wanted to rap and has been grinding ever since to make it happen. I went to see a movie about her life, called “P. Star Rising,” where she really lets everyone see how she lives- the good (recording, touring, performing) and the bad (fights with her father, trying to find her mother, really struggling to make it). I wanted to get to know more about her, so I reached out and met up with her at one of her recording sessions last year.
In the studio with P. Star.
Here’s what I know- she’s very friendly in person, tiny, and matter-of-fact. She’s not ashamed or embarrassed about her struggles (in fact, she hopes that other teens going through similar things will know that she can relate) and she’s not in any rush to grow up. She’s happy just being a teenager and living out her life.
How do you balance work and school?
I am home-schooled and have been since about the sixth grade. When I started doing the hip-hop thing I was in fourth or fifth grade and it got very difficult for me at school because I was going out to clubs at night and I was tired during the day. I didn’t want to fail because my dad would kill me. And a lot of people were getting to know me because of MTV’s Made, and people bothered me at school. So I was just like maybe we should do this home schooling thing, this tutoring thing, so I can have time of my own as well.
What’s your personal life like?
My career is like my personal life because honestly, I have a great time with what I do. But of course I have a personal life — going out to the movies, hanging out with friends, talking, chatting, all those kinds of things. My dad lets me have my personal time but there’s always time for work.
You’re already on a TV show. What’s the “Electric Company” about?
“The Electric Company” is a TV show on PBS. I’m one of the main characters and I got into that when I was 13. We did a pilot, they picked up the show, they liked who I was, and they wanted to keep me a part of the cast. The whole show is just absolutely amazing. The Electric Company was an old show back in the 1970s. [When] we brought it back, [it became this] whole new modern, urban world, and it brings these kids out to music, dance, and learning, which is
what’s so great about it.
What’s next for you?
Because of this movie, we’re still traveling and doing a lot of promotion and premieres. We also have the soundtrack for the movie, P. Star Rising, which is pretty exciting. We also have this new type of sound that P. Star has that not a lot of [established] fans are familiar with. I’m excited to get [both] the album and that sound out and have kids come along with me and just to make a bigger fan base.
Track Master.
What’s it like being to young and being able to do something you love already?
It’s a blessing. God has blessed me with a talent and a great gift, and with opportunities. A lot of doors have opened and I actually got to take that opportunity and do what I wanted to do. So I really have to say that I’m blessed, it’s amazing and I don’t take anything for granted.
Any advice for other teens?
Honestly, I have to say that dreams are kind of like wishes. Dreams are whatever you want them to be. and as long as you’re dedicated to it, as long as you know what you want, don’t give up. Don’t give up. Whatever anybody says to you, that you’re wack or corny or whatever, don’t believe that. Everyone has their own creativity and thats what’s so important nowadays. Do what you have to do. Don’t stop.
You know who I love? Gabby Sidibe. Why? Well, have you ever heard her speak, read an article about her, seen her act, or do her thing on TV shows? No? Well she was on Jay Leno last night. Here she is-
Cuteness! She’s so confident and comfortable in her confidence that you just have to see it (if you didn’t at first) and respect it. And respect her.
And did you see her when she was on Ellen back in October? She as getting.it.in. If you missed it, thank goodness for youtube. Check it-
How could you not live this chick? Confidence is SO the business. That is all.
UPDATE: So, perhaps I should have qualified this. I do love that she is so confident and is making major moves in her career; however after being given the interview runaround, “yes-I-can-do-it, no-i-can’t,well-I-can-do-this, now I’m just avoid contact, let me just delete my myspace…I’m not feeling the love. I guess a lot can change in 15 minutes, huh? It’s understandable, on some level. But hey, we keep moving and will still (cautiously) rock with the girl.
On Friday night, Rihanna spoke to Diane Sawyer on 20/20 about dating violence and her relationship with Chris Brown. This was her first time speaking out about “the incident” (let’s call is what it is- the night Chris Brown battered her) publicly. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call it a “publicity stunt” for her new album (because, let’s face it, the timing is certainly no coincidence) but the fact that she is speaking out about it publicly remains a powerful thing. I stand by that. So, if you missed it, catch the full interview here-
and here,
and here,
Ladies, dating violence is very real and it is very serious. It can happen (and it does happen) to anybody. Speaking out about what it is, who and how it affects us helps take away the stigma. If you are being abused or know a woman (or man) who is, understand that the shame is not yours, nor is the blame. Get help, and sometimes it helps to speak on it.
Oh, and in case you missed it, Manhattan Homegirl Alicia Keys and Brooklyn Homeboy Jay-Z performed the unofficial NYC Anthem, “Empire State of Mind,” at game 2 of the World Series of Baseball the other day. Here’s the video-
And they also released the official video for the song, finally…
So, a couple of days ago, Teyana Taylor, an 18-year old Harlem Homegirl, did a very interesting interview with radio personality Egypt. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, who is Teyana Taylor?
Well, some of you may know her from her “My Super Sweet 16” episode on MTV, or her “Google Me” song/video;
You may recognize her from her unique look- decidedly b-girlish w/colorful clothes and sneakers and big hair,
or even her constant presence on some blogs (she got a lot of flack for taking up for her friend Chris Brown following his battering of then-girlfriend Rhianna). Others, who know who she is, may still be wondering, what exactly does she do or why is she famous? Well, I’m a big fan of encouraging people to define themselves. So, according to her myspace page, aptly named “rockstarteyana,” she’s a “singer/songwriter/stylist/rapper/dancer.” Get it.
Back to the point. She did an interview with Egpyt that shed a lot of light onto her personality. Here are a few highlights: she’s a “fat girl” at heart, she’s a virgin (in ALL senses of the word) AND proud of it, she teaches Bible study at a local church in Harlem, she has a lip gloss line coming out called “Dope Lips,” she describes her music as “poprock,” and she has a big crush on Shia LeBouf. She also discusses her relationship with Chris Brown, blog rumors about her, and what’s up next for her (songwriting- she has her own publishing company-, more modeling and magazine covers). I like.
While, I was a little taken aback by her staunch support of friend Chris Brown, (she said, “I don’t condone what he did. It’s never right to hit a woman. But I’m gonna be by his side anyway.” ) while acknowledging his wrongdoing, (Can friends hold each other accountable and still remain friends? idk) there is a lot to be gleamed from this interview, particularly on the virginity tip-
Egypt: “Wait Wait Wait…your still a virgin?? I’m really happy to hear that.
Teyana: Yes. The one thing people can never say is that I’m a hoe. I have a purity ring. The only time you get in trouble is if you attempt to do something. If your laying up on a boy then something is going to happen. So I just keep my legs closed until I am ready for that. I can’t have a boyfriend because the only thing they want to do is have sex. I don’t want no fingers up there, no penis, nothing!!! Uh uh (shaking her head no).”
So…you all have heard about the upcoming movie Precious, right? It’s based on the book Push by Sapphire. Have any of you read it? If not…wow. I read it back in the day when I was probably far too young (I snuck and read a lot of books with very mature content back in day, though- tee hee) but I remember it and recently went home and found my original hardcover copy (ok. it was on my bookshelf, so ‘found’ is an exaggeration, but still). I’m thinking of re-reading it before the movie premieres on November 6, but it’s one of those books that troubles you to your soul- like Beloved by Toni Morrison…sometimes, you can only stand to read it once, anything else is kind of traumatic. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, check out the trailer:
Riiight. Want a little more? Here’s a summary of the film from a recent New York Times Magazine cover story– “Graphic as the film is, it is less so than “Push,” the 1996 novel on which it is based. Written by an African-American poet and writer known as Sapphire, “Push” relied on intentionally misspelled, broken and slangy English to convey Precious’s sense of despair and rage. The novel mixes poems by Precious with sexually extreme scenes, like those in which she is forced to perform oral sex on her mother. It is almost relentlessly bleak: when Precious discovers she is H.I.V.-positive, she is certain of her imminent death. Daniels’s movie, by contrast, offers a greater sense of possibility. He doesn’t ignore her disease, hardships or struggles, but he also liberates her from them. Precious is a stand-in for anyone — black, white, male, female — who has ever been devalued or underestimated.”
Now, the movie is a definite must see…but I want to focus, for a moment on the title character, newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, a Brooklyn-born, Harlem raised homegirl who is getting.it.IN. And not just in the film. Looking at Gabby, I’m sure you assume something about her, if you’re honest. She’s dark-skinned and overweight, either of which is not generally considered desirable in our community (and you can define “our” any way you choose); the combination of both, definitely not. But don’t get your girl wrong, she’s not the shy, quiet, keep my head down and try to hide inside myself, invisible to boys chick that some may mistake her for. On the contrary, she, unlike many young girls clearly knows her worth and has self-confidence like no other. Don’t believe me? Check her out in the New York Magazine story.
“They try to paint the picture that I was this downtrodden, ugly girl who was unpopular in school and in life, and then I got this role and now I’m awesome,” says the actress. “But the truth is that I’ve been awesome, and then I got this role.”
‘Daniels, who saw hundreds of audition tapes from across the country (350-pound actresses don’t grow on trees), was blown away by Sidibe. “She is unequivocally comfortable in her body, in a very bizarre way. Either she’s in a state of denial or she’s so elevated that she’s on another level,” he says. “I had no doubt in my mind that she had four or five boyfriends, easily.”
“I learned to love myself, because I sleep with myself every night and I wake up with myself every morning, and if I don’t like myself, there’s no reason to even live the life. I love the way I look. I’m fine with it. And if my body changes, I’ll be fine with that.”
“And, of course, Gabourey Sidibe is more likely to bitch-slap a boy than the reverse. Is she still juggling four or five boyfriends? “Yes, but I don’t want to get serious enough to call them boyfriends,” she says. “This one guy, I’ve deleted his number. I would text him at 7 p.m., and he’d be like, ‘I’m at BBQ’s.’ But the thing is, you don’t go to BBQ’s with your boys, you go with a girl. Then he’d call me at eleven. I’m like, ‘Why don’t you call me at six when you’re ready to go to BBQ’s?’ ” Her voice quickens with a touch of rage. “Don’t, don’t, don’t! I’m not a regular girl. I just got off a plane from France. You need to check yourself.”
WHAT?! How can you not LOVE this chick?! Want some more? Well, you can check girlie out on the COVER (say word!) of The New York Times Magazine.
Now THAT’S really a bIg deal. The story’s kind of long, but here’s a (relevant) little taste.
“Unlike Precious, Sidibe is well spoken and cheerful. “I’m not her,” Sidibe said emphatically. “But, when I was 14 or 15, I saw myself in a different way. Back then, I envied a life that I’d made up in my mind. I broke free of that unhappiness and I decided to change — I was going to be happy with myself. No matter what I look like, no matter what people think.”
May we all be so lucky…so support her on November 6th, y’all! I know I will be.
I have a confession to make. This evening, I did something that I said I would never do- I went to see “Good Hair,” the newish Chris Rock moviedocumentary comumentary (comedy masking itself as a documentary).
After I saw this trailer, I surmised that this film was not what it initially advertised itself to be (an informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking look into his why long, straight hair is considered “good” by many, particularly in the black community, which would help answer his daughter’s (and countless others’) question as to why her hair was not “good.” Instead, I got the distinct impression that the film would be more mocumentary (meaning, in this instance, a film mocking weave-wearing black women). So I decided that my $12.50 would be much better spent elsewhere. Then I heard a clip from a radio interview where Chris Rock was discussing the backlash the movie has received and he said that most people who were criticizing it, hadn’t even seen it. Fair enough, so I went to see it for the same reason I finally went to see a Tyler Perry film in the theaters- so that I can speak intelligently and factually about it. And here’s what I have to say.
Chris is a commedian…he might awant to stay in that lane. If I had paid to see this movie, I’d want my money back, but since I knew better, and I can’t retrieve the time spent watching it, I’ll take away an important lesson- trust your instincts. More specifically, I really disliked the wild and inaccurate generalizations made (by Chris) in the film, such as: you can’t (and better not) touch a black woman’s hair, black women are high maintenance because of the price of maintaining a weave, the cost of maintaining one may create some animosity between black women (who wear the weave) and black men (who help pay for it), black women’s hair (and its untouchability) may contribute to the breakdown in black relationships because it prevents black men from really getting close to black women and- my fav- may be a reason why black men are attracted to white women…because they can touch their hair and therefore, get closer to them….gtfoh with that.
Throughout the movie Chris seemed to imply that a) all black women wear weaves, b) reinforce every stereotype imaginable about black women and hair (i.e. they will pay to get their hair done with money they don’t have, they don’t swim or get it wet) without providing any counterbalance, c) that all black women have one texture of hair- nappy- and that if a black woman has long, straight hair, it’s a weave, d) natural hair doesn’t cost money to maintain; and he seemed to forget that d) that some women with natural hair also wear weaves, or hair extensions. Where was the nuance? Where were celebs like India Aire, Chilli from TLC, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott or Solange (although I think her hair cut was more recent) in this film? They weren’t.
And how do you have a movie about “good hair,” featuring only one celeb with natural hair and maybe a couple (literally 2) of other women with natural hair in the whole thing? I’ll tell you how…you can’t. That’s why the title, and the movie, is so fraudulent. The film was not about “good hair,” it was about weaves and the Bronner Bros. hair show. That’s what Chris really wanted to make a movie about all along and he should have kept it honest and stuck to that.
That said, I did learn a few things from watching the movie- 1) the circumstances under which Al Sharpton permed his hair (James Brown advised him to do so for cosmetic reasons before a visit to the Reagan White House to try to gain support for making Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a holiday) 2) Maya Angelou got her first perm at 70 ?!? Seriously. 3) Where a l ot of the human hair comes from- India- and the process by which weaves are made. That was extremely interesting. The rest, not so much. Sure, I had a couple of laughs (far fewer than most of my fellow movie-goers) but I was far from impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no natural hair fanatic. Yes, I do have natural hair and yes I have had a perm and a press. But, I also agree with what Andre 3000 said, “Now question, is every nigga with dreads for thecause? Is every nigga with golds for the fall? Naw So don’t get caught in appearance.” And we shouldn’t.
However, Chris’ belief that telling his daughter that what’s in her head is more important that what’s on it is faulty because at the heart of her question was why she is not good enough, why her hair is not good enough, as is. (Btw, I wonder what his wife had to say to her daughter or about her own weave.) And this movie, sadly, will no more help her figure that out than the film will make any real difference. But maybe it wasn’t supposed to. Maybe getting the conversation started was his contribution.
Hey girls! It’s that time again…Here are the November issues of your favorite only mainstream teen magazines…(don’t worry, we’re working diligently on ours- it’s coming…soon!)
Teen Vogue
The folks over at Teen Vogue are at it again! This time teen supermodels Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman get some face time on.the.cover. Yesss!!! Now, as I wrote in a previous blog, there was a wee bit of controversy over the pregnant Jourdan Dunn appearing on the cover. Whatever you may think about that, we’re glad to see them on it. In the article they discuss the industry, their success, lives and relationship with each other. Check it out.
Notable articles:
Class Act: Nineteen-year-old Marie Mason held fund-raising dinner parties to finance a free school in Cambodia.
The Real World: Graduates are facing a shrinking job market. Teen Vogue reports on ways to beat the odds.
Slim Shady: Diet pills may seem like a quick fix, but the risks are heavy.
For all my aspiring fashion editors- there’s an article entitled The Graduates, about former Teen Vogue interns who’ve landed dream jobs in fashion. I’m sure there’s some helpful-ish advice and inspiration there. (Basically, use your connections. If you don’t have any, intern at Teen Vogue and get some.)
For all my fashion bloggers (and aspirings)- there’s an article entitled Big Shots, about bloggers who are making a name for themselves in the fashion world. Lesson learned- start something and you, too, can be getting it in!
There’s also a piece on Zoe Kravtiz, entitled Rock Princess, about her charmed life as daughter of Lenny of Lisa Bonet, her film and music career (?) and her foray into…beauty.
And a piece entitled Ink Heart about the serious responsibilities of getting a tattoo.
There’s also the usual fashion, what to wear, how to dress stuff…
And, over at Seventeen, Kristen Stewart holds he cover girl honors. Apparently, this is part of a series of interviews with the New Moon cast (Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and the new kids on the block) as well as some behind-the-scenes dirt to get you ready to see the movie (as if we need more reasons). Oh, they are also offering free tickets to see it, so you might want to check that out if you want to save your what is it now? $8 or so…
The Health+Sex+Fitness section has an article, Sneaky stuff in your food, on what’s hiding in your food- sugar, salt and fat- that you might want to check out. There’s also a quiz on depression, Is it just a bad mood…or more? and advice on how and where to get help if you need it.
There’s also an article Stop Bullying Now! on Demo Lovato’s mission to stop…what else? Bullying. It’s definitely a problem, so I’m all about finding solutions that help keep you safe.
And, as always, there’s the usual make-up make-up make-up, what to wear to look really good for your size on the low, horoscope, crazy ish that happened to me stuff as well. Here’s a complete list of what’s in the mag.
Homegirl NYC 