Nicole

So this track spilled out of their recording studio and I'm sharing. Sounds good and I can't for the album release on May 18th. Enjoy!

Nas & Damian Marley featuring Dennis Brown - Land Of Promise

via:hypetrak.com

The Original...which is my ring tone at the moment

The answer to the original by Shani - Hold me

Gyptian ft. Nicki Minaj - Hold Yuh Remix

Lets just say this is the first verse I've heard from Ms. Minaj that I understood and liked at the same time.

Somebody loves me and thinks I'm sweet :)

WE THINK YOU'RE SWEET

As a CRUMBS VIP you are entitled to 30% off you total purchases at any of our locations

One of the reason for my NYC trip was to see FELA, Race or Fences on Broadway. We went to TKTS booth at South Street Seaport to purchase discounted tickets. After waiting for about 15 minutes in the line we got tickets for FELA for $75.

Fela Anikupapo Kuti is a Nigerian composer, musician, performer and human rights activist. He was arrested more than 200 times by a Nigerian government unhappy with his use of music and political meetings to address human rights issues in his homeland. In 1977 during a second government-sanctioned attack, over 1,000 Nigerian soldiers attacked his Kalakuta compound. Fela suffered a fractured skull as well as other broken bones. His 82-year old mother was thrown from an upstairs window, inflicting injuries that would eventually kill her. The soldiers set fire to the compound and prevented fire fighters from reaching the area. Fela's recording studio, all his master tapes and musical instruments were destroyed. Known simply as Fela, when he died in 1997, he was an international superstar who left some 70 albums as his legacy. Nearly 1 million people attended his funeral.

Fela's Afrobeat music is blend of jazz, funk, salsa and calypso, with juju, highlife, African percussive patterns and harmonies.

The play was amazing! I laughed, cried (on the inside) danced and sang. I was in awe the entire time. The performers gave an unerring account of a night at The Shrine, Fela's nightclub.

Brunch at Negril Village was GREAT!

I had the Jerk Chicken and Waffles. I will let the pics explain how much we enjoyed our food.

Last night Juliette and I decided to stay in the city and not head ALL the way back to the BX after a night of drinks and jokes with her coworker Philip. I have very high standards so we did extensive research. We stayed at Smyth in Tribeca. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The hotel is new and the rooms were CLEAN and HUGE by NYC standards. I highly recommend this hotel if ever needing a place to stay in NYC. I took this pics with my phone so the quality is not so great.

I'm spending the weekend in NYC with my cuz Juliette. When I arrived at her apartment she surprised with me some long over due cupcakes from Crumbs.

She has been torturing me with pics for months and I'm happy her co-worker Phillip encourage her to start my weekend off with some yummy cupcakes. Their tag line is "Made by hand. Baked with love." My Blackout was over flowing with love. It's their richest chocolate cake filled with chocolate buttercream mixed with chocolate ganache, topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting and chocolate crumbs drizzled with chocolate.

Perfectly formed. Lovely to look at. Delicious to eat. Cupcakes delight both the eyes and the soul. Made with the finest ingredients, they remind us that the best things in life are simple. Made by hand, baked with love, handled with joy. You can enjoy your favorite Crumbs treats in the comfort of your own home - just like Mom used to bake. Delivered straight to your front door, perfect for any occasion, without needing an occasion at all.

These cupcakes are perfect. They come in three sizes. Not to sweet. PERFECT! I'm hooked. Thank God they ship to the 48 contigious states. I still have my Brownie cupcake which I'm going to save and enjoy on Sunday...If I can wait.

Jeggings

More Topshop...

Jeggings is a new-ish term in the fashion vocabulary. The name itself comes from the merge of two fashion terms, namely jeans + leggings = jeggings. These jeggings are resembling skinny jeans, however they are more comfortable and wearable. They are good for that suck-it-in, painted-on look without the loss of circulation in your lower half. Jeggings fit very well and darker washes are even slimming and lifting certain areas like the bottom or the thighs and create the illusion of longer legs. This type of extremely tight jeans never goes out of fashion. Jeggings are pretty versatile and can go with lots of things, from tunics to dresses and long sweaters. For a glam look, wear them with chunky heels, clogs or platform sandals and accessorize with bow or a stylish necklaces. Please don't forget to add some bangles...enough so people hear you coming. The Vila Patchwork Denim Jean Leggings and Heavy Stitch Denim Jegging are a must have!

Bows Galore

More Topshop...

Bows aren’t just for little girls - they’re all grown up on the Spring 2010 runways. Tiny bows, small bows, large bows or over-sized, regardless of the size, bows are guaranteed to add feminine and romantic touches to any ensemble. Bows on headbands, necklaces, rings, watches, shoes, clipped to a shoulder and looped over a belt are all great ways to wear this look. The best part is that a bow can go on anything: back or front of a dress, belt, bag, hat or headband.

They have taken the bow trend seriously... I LOVE IT!

RDX "Skip" from Rive Video Promotion on Vimeo.

Patched Denim

More Cheap Monday...

As most of us know, denim is very versatile. It works as a neutral item and can be paired with almost anything to create formal or casual looks. Anyone can wear denim depending on the cut of the pieces. Fuller figures look slimmer when accentuated by more form-fitting cuts. Patches can be of different colors, shapes and materials. Patches are great because they can distract the eye from the problematic areas. If you don’t like your hips, find a pair of jeans that has patches on the knee part. Patch jeans are really hot pieces of this year’s denim fashion and will definitely give you a trendy, funky look.

Tonight, Juliette made me watch Life on the Discovery channel and I'm happy I did. Life is a series that provides an overview of the extraordinary strategies our planet's animals and plants have developed to stay alive as individuals and a species.

I totally fell in love with the Bower birds aka Gardeners or Stagemakers. The male Bower bird has some serious swagger building his bachelor pad to get some tail feather. I know this is random of me but you have to see this...

Primers

More Smashbox...

For my carnival makeup, I usually wear MAC Prep + Prime with my pressed powder but this year, I was convinced to use a creme foundation . Going without a primer was not an option since I've never worn creme foundation and didn't know how it would hold up after 12 hours of sweating in the blazing sun. At the end of Carnival Tuesday, my makeup was still there, every last drop that I had put on 12 hours earlier. I don't wear any foundation everyday, but when I do I always use a primer. It makes the world of difference especially if your skin is as oily as mine.

Primers prepare the skin for the makeup application by creating a protective base for longer- lasting, natural looking foundation application and wear. The primers give the makeup something to grab onto and help your makeup last longer, because the makeup primers create a smooth and perfect surface. Most of them are oil and fragrance-free and have a silicone/gel formula that allows an even and precise application. They work especially well for people with oily and combination skin as they control excess shine and absorb the oil. A makeup primer is also appropriate for those with very dry and sensitive skin as it nourishes the skin and calms inflammations. If you apply makeup primer before the foundation it won't rub off or smear. A primer should be applied after your moisturizer and before the foundation. It's essential to let it sink in for a few minutes, give it enough time to penetrate into your skin. Apply it with your fingers to the areas where your makeup doesn't last longer, usually chin, lips, eyelids/ or over to the whole face. Apply your foundation as usual.
Benefits of using makeup primers:

Smooth the skins surface

Even out skin tone

Create a perfect surface for your makeup

Disguise skin flaws and imperfections

Pamper and nourish your skin

Create a protective base for longer-lasting foundation

Reduce redness and inflammation

Moisturize your skin and keep it hydrated all day long

Stop oil and shine

Makeup primers work especially good for those with oily skin by reducing excess shine on the forehead, nose and chin

Protect your skin from the harmful UV rays, some primers have a sunscreen and SPF 15 or more

Makeup primers create a perfect makeup base

Makeup primers fill in fine lines and wrinkles

Make enlarged pores appear smaller and less visible

Keep cosmetics out of the pores and won't clog the pores

Allow the foundation to go on smoother

Allow your skin to breathe normally as they don't clog the pores

The makeup glides on smoothly and blends easily

Source: beauty-advices.com

After reading this article and watching the video... all I kept thinking is that 'I want to wear a mask like she is wearing during the interview for carnival' lol. She must have inspired Rhianna and Lady GaGa.

Vogue Italia is featuring a video with Grace Jones. She helped define the 1980s aesthetics. Disco Queen and fashion muse, this graceful "panther" has never been tamed. She has been recently honored at the Grand Ball Cavalchina in Venice, receiving an award for her career

Name
Grace Jones.

Birthday
May 19th.

Born in
Spanish Town, Jamaica.

Lives in
London, UK.

Famous for
Being a living legend. Model, actress, singer, writer.

Special features
Her androgynous, impressive body - part feline, part robot. She has a vocal range of two and a half octaves, easily passing from contralto di soprano.

Things to know
Among her nicknames, she's been called the panther and the queen of gay discos. She's become an inextricable part of '80s iconography. "I know that people are intimidated by me, but that's just theatrics. I'm a fun person, I promise".

Career
She began working as a model in the early 1970s, and quickly became a key figure in the club scene - making the crazy nights at Studio 54 even more memorable, along with her friend Andy Warhol. She moved to Paris where she became a muse for Paco Rabanne (and where she lived with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange). She appeared in her first movie, Gordon's War, in 1973 and later appeared in other films like Conan the Barbarian and as a nemesis of James Bond in View to a Kill. But it's music that she's best known for, leading the way in the disco genre, and still now putting out electronic dance-pop albums like the recent Hurricane. Her version of La vie en rose from the LifeIsland album is a standout. Her music defined an era.

Good causes
She has leant her voice to many benefit concerts, including Pavarotti and friends.

Hobbies
Vices. Smoking, drinking, sex. She loves dressing up like a man. But as she always says, "Use, don't abuse."

Favorite food
Or more accurately, her favorite drinks. Wine, whiskey and even Sambuca (a double, after dinner). In an interview she calls herself "the Tequila queen".

Personal style
Sexual ambiguity. Her short, asymmetric haircut has gone down in the history books, as have several of her stage costumes. Even today she favors structured jackets, futuristic hats, leather accessories, bustiers. Preferably in black.

She hates
Rules.

Quote
"A legend is someone who's died". (The Sunday Times)

Relationship status
Among her famous partners: the actor Dolph Lundgren and the French photographer Jean-Paul Goude, the father of her son Paolo. She married a wedding singer, Atila Altaunbay, younger than her by 28 years, in 1996.

Pets
Onstage she's appeared with leopards and lions...

by: Fiamma Sanò for Vogue Italia

I posted this just to make you maaaaad :)

You cool down yet Jules??? The male dancers really caught my eye. Don't ask me how I made it through a whooooole minute and 49 seconds to see them...don't tell anyone but it was on MUTE. Anyway, the male dancers reminded me of Bruck Up...the reggae dancer from 19 o-long. Well...I just realized that he's the same Bruck Up that has song I Wear My Sunglasses At Night Ft. Shaggy. I'm working on my demo. You know anyone willing to give me FREE studio time?

I don't need to say why I'm in LOVE with this video. Kelis never fails to amaze us with her creativity and originality. Check the headpiece, costumes/wardrobe and makeup. The song ain't bad either...

I can't stop calling them 2EKwip... They got skills and have no problems letting you know. I guess I won't either if I worked with all the people Rock City has... Here are some new chunes.

Addicted

HollyWood

Sound of Lonliness

We Get Around

Bitter Sweet

Wanna Know

Music source: wegotitfirst.com

Island People Mas did not waste anytime in sharing their theme for 2011. I'm curious and excited to see what they'll design with a theme like Shades of the Universe.

The runways proved that Island People Mas aren't the only ones with the universe on their minds. Several fashion designers infused their Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 collections with space/universe inspirations.

Abbey Lee Kershaw, space cadet

Spring 2010 issue of i-D Magazine