Viola Davis' NAACP Image Award Acceptance: 'You Have A Story To Tell'

"You know, man gives awards but God gives rewards. And the reward of my life is that when I decided to become an artist, I wanted to tell the truth. Not to revise it, not to erase it but to tell the truth. My life is a culmination of bad memories, uglyness, sweetness, beauty... but it makes me fully human.

 And I feel like if you occupy this life for any given time, 

if you are breathing, if you are living, then you have a story to tell."

Continue reading on Examiner.com NAACP Image Awards: Viola Davis celebrates life, truth in acceptance speech - National Urban Pop | Examiner.com

Whitney Houston, An American Icon (1963-2012)

As you all know, the incomparable Whitney Houston passed away this past weekend.  While the media sifts through the hows and whats and whys, I just want to make sure that we all remember how her life, her music and her exceptional range of abilities as an entertainer made us feel.

In the 80s, her music made us dance. In the 90s, her music made us fall in love. In the new millennium, her music told us that we could overcome.  My fondest memory of Ms. Houston is a video that my parents have shown me over and over and over again of me singing and dancing to her version of 'Yes Jesus Loves Me' in the living room of our small house when I was five or six years old.  Her music reminds me of my childhood... of innocence.

Anyway, my favorite Whitney Houston song also happens to be from my favorite Whitney movie 'The Preachers Wife.'  The way she sings 'I Love The Lord' is so comforting. Enjoy... and always remember.




Whitney Houston -- I Love The Lord

REPOST: Happy Valentine's Day

 

Valentine's Day can be either really sweet or really bitter, depending on your relationship status. Lucky for me, I've never had to spend one single Valentine's Day without a valentine. There's a man in my life who loved me before he even knew me. He has sacrificed huge things in life for me and he still sacrifices more and more for me daily. And, every single year on Valentine's Day -- almost as second nature --  he reminds me that I'm loved. 

I realize that not everyone is as blessed as I am, and I pray that you, my readers, my loves, know that I am here and I love you...

With that said, this post goes out to my father, my friend and my confidant.
Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy Daddy! This is 'A Song For You'....

"I know your image of me is what I hope to be....

I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for in my life
You're a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you"

(best love song EVER!!!)

New Music: AMP Records -- 'Mutual Feelings'

Anything is Musically Possible (AMP) Records dropped this track this morning and I just couldn't help but post it.  It features singer/songwriter Ranier and was produced by the uber talented Austin Harris. Take a listen and let me know if you love it as much as I do...

For inquiries, Email: nadia@shakesomething.com

AMP Records -- 'Mutual Feelings'

"I know you wana love me, 

I wana do the same,

But we don't have to rush

We can take our time

I aint goin' nowhere...."

Here's a little clip of them making the track...

*puts hands up* :)

New Music: Mayback (of Cashflow Family) -- 'Dreams'

Mayback, one third of Summer Spotlight Artists Cashflow Family, set twitter abuzz over the weekend when he dropped his new track 'Dreams.' Take a listen and let me know what you think (nadia@shakesomething.com).




Mayback (of Cashflow Family) -- 'Dreams'




CLICK HERE to follow Mayback on Twitter.

CLICK HERE to for updates on Cashflow Family.

BLOG 47: Love Letters.

I took a break from writing in my most recent journal for nearly six months.  Things had just gotten too heavy.  But as part of my resolution in the new year, I told myself that in order to return to me -- the me who somehow disappeared while my grandmother was sick -- I had to return to writing.  Writing is my comfort zone; it's where I feel the most like myself.

On January 2, 2012, I began writing short notes in my journal. I wrote about my law school woes, my boy troubles, my love and appreciation for my family... all of my little, insignificant day-to-day everythings.  I just wrote... emptily, but with resolve.


Something happened last week, though.  I'm not sure what it was or what brought it about, but suddenly I could not NOT write in my journal. After spending long hours at school, I'd hurry home to the solace of my open notebook.  The words spewed from me as if every single thought and feeling that I'd kept bottled up was ready to be born.

Bad Girls Do It Well.

M.I.A.'s latest single/video:

M.I.A. -- Bad Girls

"Live fast

Die young

Bad girls do it well...

Get back

Get down

Pull me closer if you think you can hang..."

This video is EVERYTHING! I missed M.I.A.