Cud Life @ NOKIA Theatre
Kid Cudi arrived on the scene just as I began to approach a crossroads in my life. I wasn’t quite sure why but at the time I couldn’t be more excited about A Kid Named Cudi. My ex and I would sit up late in the middle of the week and debate whether or not he had staying power; market appeal. The following year what I perceived to be sadness laced all through Man on The Moon was something like the liquor I drowned my sorrows in. I remember very clearly playing it as I packed my suitcase the night before a departing flight from Seattle. I was heading back to Cali to clean up the time bomb of a six year relationship that exploded all up in my face just a few days prior. While I clearly find Scot Mescudi talented and without a doubt in his own lane, I was actually contemplating not going to the June 22nd date of his Cud Life Tour with obvious reason. Well maybe it’s not so obvious so I’ll just spell it out; Cudi has a way of projecting his state of mind through his music. He sound tracked the final years of my very long term relationship and quite frankly I became a fan-fan while I was drunk on heartbreak. I wasn’t sure if backsliding was good for my health. Turns out it was exactly what I needed.
Best Before Age 30…
Am I about to get pulled off the shelf? - a spastic rant
A post by Mel
Tell the truth. When you go to buy milk at the grocery store, you don’t reach for the gallon in front do you? You go three maybe four gallons back looking for one with the latest expiration date right? It’s okay I do it to. Who wants milk that’s closest to expiring? Not me. Friday I will be that much closer to 30. And I’m starting to wonder if maybe I’m that gallon in the front. The one everyone passes up, because it’s the…oldest! <insert internal sobbing here>
Sister Toldja Spills Her Tea
Today after many hours (days really) of assortment planning, and style forecasting I took to twitter for my routine mental health break. There is always something just chillin’ in my time line waiting to make me giggle (who am I kidding, I don’t giggle I laugh; hard), or make me think, or piss me off if it’s one of those days. Well this afternoon was no different, and I must say while the way this whole thing played out on twitter was entertaining it caused me to step back and think. I stepped back, and I thought to myself ‘self have you accidently slipped and let some gem of an idea escape into a virtual universe just waiting, perfectly packaged for a “loyal reader” to pull a heist on your ass and run off with said good idea?’Clearly I myself haven’t up to this point, but it could happen. It could.
Well this is just the kind of thing that happened to one of my favorite tweeters (I haven’t been following that long, but the woman is blessed truly and very entertaining), @sistertoldja. In her own words Sister Toldja is a “Writer. Media Personality. Provocateur. NOT your next best friend, but I love you still.” Yes I pulled those words off her twitter account bio, but notice how I’ve put them in bold font prefaced it with the phrase “in her own words”, and created a nice space between quotation marks for them. This my friends is how you credit someone and avoid plagiarism, but moving on.
Dear Future Girlfriend,: This Nice Guy Will Finish Best
An honest self examination that not only men can benefit from but women as well. I have often found that “nice guys” are just as big a jerk as the “bad guy”, and if you don’t believe me just pay attention to how he responds to rejection…you will get a slew of reasons why that have nothing to do with him.
“Out of the many debates taking place on the social networking sites I frequent, the two which irritate me most revolve around the subject of dating: the “Black woman’s dating crisis,” a subject about which I can say little that hasn’t been said more eloquently by people who are more…”
My First Featured Piece!
So here and there as I make my way through the twitterverse I have been asked a few times to write for other blogs and or websites. Well this is the first of what I hope will become many pieces of featured work.
The article is about HipHop - of course right? - from a fans perspective. Click the link to see what I had to say. Below you can read from @quanstar how the story came to be.
“I have had the pleasure to come across many a talented person through the Twitterverse. MelleMel is one of those folks. She has this bangin blog called The Sound of It All that covers all things on her mind, one of those being hip hop. I asked her to write me a story from a fans perspective, and she did. Please read this wonderful article by this young lady. Thanks.”
Musings in the Meantime...: I must get this off my chest...
I was recently, well not recently - months ago now, asked to write an article about my thoughts on music (HipHop) as a “Fan” (what is that anyway) and what I wanted from it today. It’s been backlogged because I couldn’t figure out what my true thoughts were and I’d no idea what I wanted. Hi. My name is Mel, and I am an ageist music snob. You see I started writing last night and I realized I’ve long treated music (ok HipHop) as a child. One who’s innate authenticity from a decade ago, when it became what it is, was all I ever expected from it. It has since moved into it’s rebellious phase, throwing two heartfelt middle fingers up to the world, trying new things, meeting new people, and rediscovering who it is just like any other teen out there. It’s not my job to tell music (ok we know by now that this is about HipHop for me right?) what it has to be. It’s only my job to support it’s growth, and appreciate it for everything it is today. Whew! I think I’m ready to write that article now that I got that off my chest.
PSA: my epiphany on the subject does not change the fact that I think music yes effing HipHop sucks right now for the most part due to the lack of creativity, innovation (within the “industry”) and yes I’m gonna say it, authenticity. And I do still kind of think that it’s the 90’s kid that has effed it up for the rest of us. I know, but admitting the problem is step one isn’t it? I’m checking into music ageism rehab, but could the rest of you get it together? Please and Thank You. The End. Oh and I didn’t read the linked article - but I will.
Music is relative.
Always.
No matter from whence it came, music is never limited by the listener’s age or era.
There is no music of “my generation”, no specifics to what songs any aged person should (or is “more inclined to”) know. Age means nothing in terms of music - if it did, none of us…All ageist music snobs should read this post.
Wale is looking for #ThatThing
I don’t think I am surprised at Wale’s softer side. Attention Deficit definitely had it’s share of broken heart stories…and having gone back to The Mixtape About Nothing, it seems matters of the heart, falling in love, have long been on his mind.
What does surprise me is Wale’s candidness in how he expresses himself. Even his vulnerable self. It’s endearing. Of course, he must know that’s why women will read his blog. And if he doesn’t know it, Honey Magazine surely does. He may be able to do the regular 25 year old working guy stuff now, but writing stuff like this post…and knowing lots of thirsty woman out there are just waiting for their chance to get a crack at him, I’m afraid to say I doubt he will have that luxury for much longer.
“After failed relationships, failed ‘flings’, failed attempts at being a gigolo, player, or anything under that umbrella, I made a self declaration that 2010 will be the year of #thatthing. #thatthing is an absolute anomaly. It’s unexplainable. It soothes, it kills, it holds, it harms. It literally can grant life or death with one touch.”
Go Go Answer: @Wale for the full post.
Attack on Women’s Health? Go To The Mattresses!
According to the site Change.org, women caught carrying more than three condoms while congregated with other people late at night could be arrested for prostitution in D.C., New York and San Francisco.
Cut scene to after the club, where you would find several women, congregating late at night, all carrying condoms (we hope) not because they are hookers but because they take their health seriously, and refuse to leave it to someone else to protect their bodies. Since when did responsible proactive safe sex become a crime? So now we are going to criminalize those women responsible enough to carry a few Trojans, or risk even greater epidemics of STD’s, an increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, abortions etc etc etc?
Sure your conservative gray haired man, cheating on his wife (big stereotype here I know, but calling a woman with three rubbers a lady of the night is just as absurd) is going to claim that the only way to get a hold on the sex related issues above is to promote abstinence. And while that may very well be the case, why condemn those who don’t abstain for being responsible? Are you kidding me? And why women? Why is the issue of a woman’s right to take control of her own health decisions always under attack?! Don’t want us to have abortions, but now we can’t carry protection to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Risk your bodies or go to jail ladies, your government has spoken. SMH - or how about we take part in the democracy we live in?
Go here and take back your right to be a responsible decision making adult! Its time to go to the mattresses on the issue of women’s health.
Jack Frost Biting @ Your…Tush?
Photo via LookBook.nu
Cold much? Yes I know it’s winter. But don’t you feel like it’s just a tiny bit colder just teeny bit longer in the season these days? Think back two years now? How about five years…if you can. Yeah, the fact of the matter is it is too damn cold and not just on the east coast this year. I am in SoCal, the sunshine state (I think) and I find myself sleeping in hooded sweatshirts and socks.
Well you aren’t crazy, experts say we are at the starting line of what could be a twenty year “mini ice age”.
Rules Were Made to be Broken; by Those Who Are Great
I am not one for rules. Especially not when it comes to writing. In my opinion good writing is marked by style, voice and the written arrangement’s ability to jump out of the page at you manipulating your state of mind, and emotional stability. (I’ve probably broken several rules already…and I highly doubt this counts as good writing. Thing is - I don’t care).
Some people write as a business. And while it is always nice to make money doing what you love, you cannot be great if monetary gain is your primary motivation (IMHO). But since structure, (some) punctuation and grammatical accuracy help
M.I.A. - Musician or Not?
Photo: MTV News
I am a fan of M.I.A. and I have every intention on purchasing her upcoming album (still untitled). I am even more excited that she had this to say about her artistic growth, “It’s my third album, and I have to kind of confront whether I am a musician or not.” I believe her to be, but only numbers will tell.
For more on this story click here.
"Quanstar Brings His A Game"
Here is another interview I did via twitter, this time with Atlanta emcee Quanstar. Centered around his documentary his upcoming (one day) book, as well some other projects he had in the works at the time…Check it out!
“One man juggling single parenthood, two jobs, and a dream struggles to make it as an independent artist in the world of hip hop. From planning the Bring Your A Game Tour to putting it all back together after sponsors back out, he who wants it does whatever it takes to get it. Whether it’s touring across the country in a car, or performing with a mic in one hand, son in the other - Quanstar is that dude, and “Do It”: A Documentary is his journey. Filmed over a period of six months the film pulls back the smoke and mirrors that has become hip hop.When Quanstar sent me the link for his documentary it was a couple of days before I actually sat down to watch it. I was in no rush. Didn’t really think I was going to be writing because of it. But of course then I watched it. I had to write something and decided on a twitterview – this is what Quanstar had to say about the film.”
