THE NEXT UP
BY SOULSIMPLCITY
So I came across this great interview with Nas. If you watched my previous blog entry I mentioned the millennial generation and the older generation; my generation. I shed some light on how the hustle is different and how there mindset is a lot different from ours; (which i love) and how they think outside the box. But Nas's interview explains why ultimately this is the case with the new generation. Its a great interview. its actually an hour long, but this section is 3 minutes. check it out! Co - founder Cameron Wilson talks about the same ol' same ol' in urban streetwear and the upcoming "Forever Fresh line by Soulsimplicity.com
Just when thought the cheating rumors and allegations circulating Beyonce' and Jay Z were enough, here comes "boycott Beyonce'." During the kickoff of The Formation World Tour in Miami tonight, fans spotted a new batch of merchandise that features the bold words “Boycott Beyoncé” written on the front. The phrase, seen on tees and phone cases, is a clever response to the wave of criticism Bey received following the Super Bowl 50 halftime show. Critics claimed the “Formation” performance was a “race-baiting stunt” as well as “a slap in the face to law enforcement,” mostly due to the Black Panther Party references. Soon after the show, critics began to organize protests and even called for a Beyoncé boycott, which was ultimately a big ol’ fail. If you were a kid like me in the 80's, Im sure you grew up with the love for Prince. Like Michael Jackson, Prince was iconic, the music was musical and yes the style was, um different but somehow very dope. You see, the 80's wasnt just about the music. All the the superstars and Icons of that decade, came with total the package, the style music, and finesse, which is what we call today, "swag." Let's take a look at an article i read on Complex:
It’s impossible to imagine the course of music history without Prince. In his near four-decade career, the artist born Prince Rogers Nelson has built a legacy on his boundary-pushing in music and style. In fact, he did it within his first four years of releasing albums. Once he put on his purple jacket, ruffled white blouse, eyeliner, and heels for 1999 and Purple Rain, Prince immediately ascended to icon status. Taking influence from the ‘80s New Romantics, Prince challenged rigid notions of masculinity with his aggressively androgynous look, opening the door for similar-spirited artists like Kanye West, André 3000, and Pharrell Williams. But the color purple isn’t the only thing he’s known for style-wise. Unlike other artists, especially from his generation, Prince’s wildly creative aesthetic is still constantly evolving. And his influence is as pervasive as ever. In fact, he hasn’t slowed down at all. To celebrate the release of the two new albums Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum, it's only appropriate to take a trip through Prince's Style History. Before Prince was known as “The Purple One,” he started out with a low-key androgynous look. On his second album cover, he went with a Farrah Fawcett blow-out and a very pared down approach, proving how iconic his look is—even without clothes. Prince’s self-titled album, Prince has the rare ability to look stylized even without wearing clothes. While promoting his Dirty Mind album, he fittingly ditched his pants, referencing the album’s cover art on stage where he wore black underwear, thigh-high socks, and scarves. From the jump, it was clear Prince was going to go to extreme places in his style. With his first top 10 album 1999, Prince unveiled his signature look: purple tailored wear, a white romantic blouse, and a Jheri curl. A year after the peak of new romanticism, he put his own spin on the trend, dialing up the glam in a shiny purple trench with a studded shoulder, a pair of purple gloves, a scarf, and a leopard guitar strap. Because Prince never lacked confidence when it came to clothes, he even dressed his Revolution band members in Prince-certified looks, and probably loaned his drummer his white ruffled shirt and suit. Prince’s outfits only got zanier after Purple Rain. When he played Los Angeles’ The Forum in 1985, he was in the midst of his swirly jacquard suits phase. Prince went extra all-out for this legendary show though, accessorizing his metallic-woven pastel suit with a pink boa. Prince’s Jheri curl days were long behind him by the time he was promoting “Kiss” off of the album Parade. After going with looser curls for Purple Rain, he cut off his tousled locks. Prince also went shorter with his clothes, frequently baring his abs with crop tops and matching pants. When he played Wembley Arena in London, he recycled the top from his “Kiss” single artwork, pairing it with matching button-laden pants. Prince had mostly moved away from the color purple by the time he went on tour for his Purple Rain follow-up, Sign o’ the Times. He started experimenting instead with glasses. His most iconic pair were his oversized round sunglasses, a relic from Purple Rain that he continued to wear. High-waisted pants and polka dots were two of Prince’s favorite things in 1988, while on tour in support of Lovesexy. His favorite combination of both was a black and white polka dot suit complete with black and white polka dot heels, which Yayoi Kusama might have had in mind decades later when collaborating with Louis Vuitton. Graffiti Bridge, the sequel to Purple Rain, might have been a commercial and critical bomb but it at least yielded some choice Prince outfits. It also saw him returning to his blow-out roots with a voluminous hairstyle that recalled his self-titled album cover. Miley Cyrus has nothing on early ‘90s Prince who pulled off one of the biggest reveals in the history of the VMAs. After starting with his Diamonds and Pearls lead single “Gett Off,” once Prince, wearing a laser-cut yellow suit, took his first twirl, viewers got a glimpse of his entire backside. The unforgettable outfit still lives on today in another form—it might have been fresh in Beyoncé and Riccardo Tisci’s minds when they were teaming up on the wardrobe for her "On the Run" tour. In 1992, no one really understood Prince. He was already at war with his record label, fighting for artists’ rights, in his own bizarre way—by changing his name to an unspeakable symbol because he believed “Prince” was the property of Warner Music Group. If this had been 2014, in the wake of download culture and competing streaming services, his cause would have earned him much more empathy. But at the time, because he didn’t do much publicity, he didn’t have many allies. So Prince, in a very proto-Yeezus way, channeled his frustration into his clothing, wore a chainmail mask and sang out of a gun-shaped microphone. A master of shocking awards show appearances, Prince had the most surprising look at the 1995 Brit Awards. Unlike his frenzy-causing outfit at the VMAs, the wildest thing about his appearance wasn’t his clothes: it was the word “slave” written across his face, a defiant move against his record label after they prohibited him from getting out of his contract. In 1999, everyone from Cher to Whitney Houston was getting into dance culture, and Prince was no exception. Instead of their club tracks though, he likely took inspiration from Eiffel 65’s then-ubiquitous “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” when he got dressed for the VMAs. He not only donned a sheen blue jumpsuit, he wore braids with matching blue beads. And, if is that wasn’t enough of a look, he topped it off with a belly chain and a single oversized hoop earring. Prince was touring as recently at Apr. 14 2016, making the latest stop on his "Piano & A Microphone Tour" in Atlanta, Georgia. The style icon stayed true to himself throughout the tour and wore glitzy gold chains, unique suits, and a loose-fitting psychedelic top. Looking at tour pictures posted to social media, you can see Prince's silhouette: his lithe figure and meticulously carved afro cut into the spotlight. Read more: http://www.complex.com/style/2014/09/prince-style-history/mtv-vmas Even though Kanye West always manages to piss me off with this rants and unnecessary sh@&t, he still has some of the greatest creative energy that I've ever seen! So I guess his genius makes up for his crazy... Anyway If you’re a fan of music, art, and Kanye West, you might be interested in this upcoming exhibit inspired by The Life of Pablo.Coordinated and curated by Brianni Taylor, the NYC event is being touted as a celebration of the polarizing figure—honoring his vision and cultural impact through West-themed art and music. And, naturally, it took one of Ye’s biggest supporters to bring it all together. “I've always wanted to curate an art exhibit that was meaningful to me," Taylor explained to Complex via e-mail. "Overall I am a HUGE fan of Kanye West. I was anticipating his album every day […] once he dropped The Life Of Pablo, and I heard ‘Ultra Light Beam,’ in my mind I was like, ‘This guy is a genius... Only a day after the album's release, Taylor began to organize the interactive exhibition, which will feature music by DJ Q. Shepard and the work of 15 different artists. She says everything from canvas paintings to sculptures to fashion will be presented at the show. There will also be West-inspired treats, like cupcakes by Lexy's Cupcake Bar and ice cream made and served by Mikey Likes It Ice Cream. But that’s not all: Guests will also be treated to an open bar, giveaways, and raffle items; so it's not exactly your typical art exhibit, but Ye has never been the “traditional” type.
“I look at Kanye West as a visionary," Taylor says. "I think his music, his videos, his style, his vision as a whole is pretty much flawless. I feel that Kanye is such a great talent, and sometimes people let the things he says via social media or television dilute his real messages […] Kanye is very futuristic, way before his time, he sees things before it happens. I don't see a reason NOT to have an exhibition inspired by his vision, inspired by him.” The event will go down from 7 to 11 p.m. May 19 at the Avant Garde by MMC, 319 Grand St. It will also serve as a fundraiser for The Kids League, a foundation that creates development workshops for children in low-income neighborhoods. http://www.complex.com/style/2016/04/kanye-west-the-life-of-pablo-art-exhibit President Obama met privately with a gaggle of social conscious and/or highly influential rappers and singers on Friday at the White House to push for support of his My Brother’s Keeper platform, dedicated to helping young men and boys of color.
The Hill reports that rappers Busta Rhymes, Common, J. Cole, Wale, Ludacris and Chance the Rapper attended the meeting, in addition to singers Alicia Keys and Janelle Monae. Other outlets report that Nicki Minaj, Talib Kweli, Pusha T and Rick Ross were in attendance. Senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and My Brother’s Keeper task force chairman Broderick Johnson also attended the meeting. All of those invited have either been active in social justice movements or have formed non profit organizations that fall in line with the goals of the organization, including Keys’ involvement around criminal justice. “Many of these artists have lent their voices and platforms to promoting these issues,” according to a White House official. “Through their own nonprofit work or artistic commitment, many of these artists have found ways to engage on the issues of criminal justice reform and empowering disadvantaged young people across the country.” Although there are no official photos from the White House about the private meeting, there were some shots from social media making the rounds. The president reportedly launched a nonprofit last May that will allow him to continue the work of My Brother’s Keeper once he leaves office. The AP reports that investors including foundations and businesses have committed more than $500 million to the foundation in grants and in-kind resources and $1 billion in financing through community banks, including investments in schools, mentoring programs, juvenile justice reforms and school redesign. Read more at the Hill and the AP. The impact that sneakers have on society today is undeniable. They've become a way we communicate our personal taste and ideas. It's not just about young people in search of hyped up or rare shoes —athletic footwear has a far and wide reach that spills over into other sides of society with sports and fashion (streetwear and high-end) at the forefront.
Sportswear brands have tapped into high-end luxury with sneakers, and plenty of luxury brands have implemented sneakers of their own on the runway. It’s evident that brands are trying to appeal to all types of consumers, but eventually hype dies and trends fade regardless of the quality. That means the latest streetwear brand sneaker collaboration and those thousand-dollar designer sneakers equipped with zippers, buckles, and tassels might not always have a spot in your rotation, if they aren’t already collecting dust. So, how do you find a happy medium between sporty and high-end when trying to pick out a new pair of shoes? The answer is to go after footwear with simplistic, yet classic styling cues — no glow-in-the-dark outsoles, crazy all-over prints, or futuristic designs. Sneakers with classic style can often be found right under your nose, too. Certain designs from sportswear brands have stood the test of time, so it’s only right they keep pumping them out. Silhouettes like the adidas Rod Laver and Puma Suede Classic come to mind right away. As for luxury brands, search for silhouettes with high-end quality that are reminiscent of other time-tested designs like the adidas Stan Smith, Vans Authentic, or Converse Chuck Taylor. A lot of these shoes gained their status for not only their clean designs, but also how they looked on the tennis and basketball courts, on the feet of b-boys, musicians, and football casuals, or for the fact that they can literally be worn with anything. With so many options from sportswear and luxury brands alike, we’ve weeded through all the duds to present the best selection for this season. http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2016/04/best-classic-designs-for-your-sneaker-rotation Last night, Kobe Bryant officially played his final game. But, before he left the court for the last time, Kobe gave an emotional speech about his career. After thanking his fans and reflecting on his time with the Lakers, he ended the speech with two words—"Mamba Out." While it seemed like it was just a typical Kobe sign-off, it was only minutes later that a range of "Mamba Out" merchandise hit his website. The commemorative tees, which also include the date of his final game, are up for pre-order for $25. Even though Bryant's illustrious NBA career came to an end, he definitely made the most of it with his extensive collection of merch. In the last week we have seen everything from $38,000 Black Mamba hats to $15,000 paintings of Kobe. We might never see him play again, but there is more than enough merch to ensure we never forget him. http://www.complex.com/style/2016/04/kobe-selling-mamba-out-shirts Taking unique beautiful and captivating pictures go beyond Photoshop and filters. There is also technique and structure that make a dope composition. Chances are, even the most confident, self-possessed woman has occasionally fallen victim to the scourge known as the unflattering photo. Even if we’re completely satisfied with the way we look in the mirror, a truly bad picture can harness a power so strong that we often find ourselves miserable for days, even if we think we know how to pose for pictures.
Read more: http://stylecaster.com/how-to-pose-for-pictures/#ixzz45XtEotD4 |
Editor, Tiffany Jeanelle Boswell
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