This Week's Random Quote...

"I remember lonely and
what it tasted like before
your name took root in my throat,
before everything reminded me of your mouth.
I don’t know how I lived that way…"
-Warsan Shire


<3

Raekwon -- Ice Cream

90's Hip Hop has my heart. I'm sure of it.

"french vanilla butter pecan chocolate deluxe..."

"I'm Not Sure When We Forgot that We Are GIANTS."

This video is a collaboration between Reebok and "spoken wordsmith," Joshua Bennett.

"The most honest parts of me,
Are the ones I spend the most time retreating from.
I'm not sure when we forgot that we were giants,
When I stopped thinking that the sunrise
Was just an entire world's dream from the night before,
That God mixed together into sky paint...

We are so much better than the desk jobs
And the childhood fears we chain ourselves to.
Believe me.
There's an opera in your chest right now,
its melody is the key to your ribs,
that you've been looking for for all this time.
So, sing it like a vow, like it's a theme song
To the best day of your life."

I sat this evening and watched this video over, and over, and over again. Some things speak to me in ways the I, myself, am unable to articulate. All I can say is, this poem is amazing... and every fiber of my being relates.

I've been following Joshua Bennett's successes since I watched him years ago at Youth Speaks. He's grown since then, and his poetry is still blessing me.


*QUIVERS*

Big Sean's Album Release in One Thousand Words

Mr. West was in the building.

LOL... and my bro caught me slippin on the morning after.
Didn't I tell you guys I'd show you the real me?
(Note that I'm wearing a Big Sean tee. #DORK)

I love my job :)

Summer 2011 Artist Spotlights

Hello, my loves.

This summer I want to do a few more artist spotlights and I need your help. If you know of some local, unsigned talent who need a platform to showcase their work, let me know. I'd love to feature them on Shake Something!

Send contact info, YouTube and/or mixtape links to nadia@shakesomething.com ...


xoxo

Nadia

Watch This: Frank Ocean -- "Dust"

It's not the official video, but it's great art.
Have had his mixtape on repeat since March...

Frank Ocean "Dust" (Stop Motion Animation) from Sam Frank Productions on Vimeo.

Ahhhh! Rock the Bells 2011 Lineup Announced!

Rock the Bells is the premiere hip hop event of the year. This year's headliners include Lauryn Hill, Nas, Erykah Badu and Common. I'll definitely be in attendance when the tour hits Governor's Island on September 3rd! :-)

BLOG 42: There's Nothing Tragic About Me.

Between the Dark Girls trailer circulating around the web and the widely publicized comments by Satoshi Kanazawa in Psychology Today in which he claimed women of African descent are scientifically less attractive than women from other racial groups, I'm feeling a little... Angry? Disappointed? Confused? I can't exactly pinpoint the emotion, but I know that it's not a positive one. Why are all of these media outlets -- these individuals who have a voice that could do so much for racial harmony-- choosing to write and distribute such elementary fodder?

We are a human race. That's not to say that there are not notable differences between the cultures and historical difficulties experienced by certain races of people. It's just that pointing out those differences and, in some cases, presenting them as a basis for placing one race in a category as "better" than the other really grinds my gears.

CONTINUE READING...

Random: How To Shake Something.

I don't know who made this chart, but it's cute...only cute.