Afro Punk Babe and Mall Fun Featuring Myriyah

I know Myriyah is probably not going to like these fan-tab-ulous pictures but I love them!I always wanted to feature different women besides myself on my blog and Myriyah is definitely helping me fulfill my goal. This Afro Punk young woman is giving off strong confident vibes. She also DIY-ed those chic ripped jeans and has a BLUE AFRO! What is really cooler than that? I am glad that my friends are having a great time and are SUPER STYLISH. A lot of Fashion Bloggers only focus on themselves, but my dream and goal has always been to get women of different shapes, sizes, and racial backgrounds on my blog. That way everyone can have representation. I love how laid back this look is and we had fun.

By the way I really wanted that bag from Aldo it was only 55 dollars and I might be coming back for it! 

Afro Punk Babe and Mall Fun Featuring Myriyah

I know Myriyah is probably not going to like these fan-tab-ulous pictures but I love them!I always wanted to feature different women besides myself on my blog and Myriyah is definitely helping me fulfill my goal. This Afro Punk young woman is giving off strong confident vibes. She also DIY-ed those chic ripped jeans and has a BLUE AFRO! What is really cooler than that? I am glad that my friends are having a great time and are SUPER STYLISH. A lot of Fashion Bloggers only focus on themselves, but my dream and goal has always been to get women of different shapes, sizes, and racial backgrounds on my blog. That way everyone can have representation. I love how laid back this look is and we had fun.

By the way I really wanted that bag from Aldo it was only 55 dollars and I might be coming back for it! 

Kehlani and The Negative Effects on Women and Social Media

March 26, 2016- Saturday was a tragic day for the new R&B singer Kehlani Parrish. Kehlani was seen in bed with PartyNextDoor in a picture of the two holding hands on Instagram. Kehlani has been dating the NBA player Kyrie Irving for a couple of months now. So since the picture has been released it has been said that she cheated on him. While there is no word from the NBA player himself there seems to be a lot of words said by his friend Chris Brown. Kehlani also deleted her instagram account, but also released one last picture of her in the hospital bed. This was right after she attempted suicide by taking a bottle of pills. Read full article on The Fader.

Kehlani and NBA star Kyrie Irving

The issue in my opinion is not that she cheated but how badly she has been slut shamed by Chris Brown and others. The issue is that so many people went on her Instagram account calling her a whore for cheating on Kyrie Irving. Chris Brown went on a rant on how “girls are always complaining that guys are messing with other girls”. He also said that she was doing this for “attention”. Is social media really going too far? I know that we have freedom of speech but is this really what our generation has come to? Bashing people for making human mistakes? Why is it that we hold celebrities to a higher standard than other people?

Just a few weeks ago Justin Bieber said on Instagram that he loves his fans, but he does not want to do anymore meet-and-greets because it is a lot to live up to their expectations. Being a celebrity now and days seems way harder now, because followers and fans now can say whatever and celebrities see them. It’s not just celebrities now we all are getting attacked by online “trolls”. Some articles talk about the social media trolls and overuse of social media tying into depression. Maybe Kehlani was not doing this for attention, but because she was already depressed, and the result of that was deleting her Instagram. EveryDay Health talks about social media causing people to lose face to face interactions which can lead to negative thoughts. It also talks about people being more comfortable with saying things behind the screen than face to face. Most of what Chris Brown had to say about Kehlani was opinion but it really showed that he has a very negative view on women. Kehlani was attacked very heavy than most males would have been for cheating on their significant other. This comes from the mentality that boys will be boys. When it comes to women we are supposed to be more faithful and loyal. If women do cheat they are already seen as a “whore”. Chris Brown not too long ago was penalized for abusing Rihanna yet, the world has magically forgotten that. It seems as though people often forget and forgive faster when it comes to men. Social media does seem to have a negative effect on everyone. It brings in so many issues and it can weigh people down. My advice for anyone reading this article is to maybe try to think about how you might make someone feel when you post a negative comment under their picture. I know this is old fashioned but put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It might be easy to think that celebrities got it all together, but they are human just like you and me. Spread love please and not hate because someone people may not be together mentally.

Kehlani and The Negative Effects on Women and Social Media

March 26, 2016- Saturday was a tragic day for the new R&B singer Kehlani Parrish. Kehlani was seen in bed with PartyNextDoor in a picture of the two holding hands on Instagram. Kehlani has been dating the NBA player Kyrie Irving for a couple of months now. So since the picture has been released it has been said that she cheated on him. While there is no word from the NBA player himself there seems to be a lot of words said by his friend Chris Brown. Kehlani also deleted her instagram account, but also released one last picture of her in the hospital bed. This was right after she attempted suicide by taking a bottle of pills. Read full article on The Fader.

Kehlani and NBA star Kyrie Irving

The issue in my opinion is not that she cheated but how badly she has been slut shamed by Chris Brown and others. The issue is that so many people went on her Instagram account calling her a whore for cheating on Kyrie Irving. Chris Brown went on a rant on how “girls are always complaining that guys are messing with other girls”. He also said that she was doing this for “attention”. Is social media really going too far? I know that we have freedom of speech but is this really what our generation has come to? Bashing people for making human mistakes? Why is it that we hold celebrities to a higher standard than other people?

Just a few weeks ago Justin Bieber said on Instagram that he loves his fans, but he does not want to do anymore meet-and-greets because it is a lot to live up to their expectations. Being a celebrity now and days seems way harder now, because followers and fans now can say whatever and celebrities see them. It’s not just celebrities now we all are getting attacked by online “trolls”. Some articles talk about the social media trolls and overuse of social media tying into depression. Maybe Kehlani was not doing this for attention, but because she was already depressed, and the result of that was deleting her Instagram. EveryDay Health talks about social media causing people to lose face to face interactions which can lead to negative thoughts. It also talks about people being more comfortable with saying things behind the screen than face to face. Most of what Chris Brown had to say about Kehlani was opinion but it really showed that he has a very negative view on women. Kehlani was attacked very heavy than most males would have been for cheating on their significant other. This comes from the mentality that boys will be boys. When it comes to women we are supposed to be more faithful and loyal. If women do cheat they are already seen as a “whore”. Chris Brown not too long ago was penalized for abusing Rihanna yet, the world has magically forgotten that. It seems as though people often forget and forgive faster when it comes to men. Social media does seem to have a negative effect on everyone. It brings in so many issues and it can weigh people down. My advice for anyone reading this article is to maybe try to think about how you might make someone feel when you post a negative comment under their picture. I know this is old fashioned but put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It might be easy to think that celebrities got it all together, but they are human just like you and me. Spread love please and not hate because someone people may not be together mentally.

Why are Millennials so Attracted to the 90’s Style and What Does This Mean for Consumers?

90's Hip Hop Culture: Kehlani and friends Fader photoshoot

March 22, 2016- The 1990s style has been back for quite a while now, and mainly that is due to the underground, now famous music artists, such as Kehlani. The 90s style has influenced all types of fashion iconic styles. On Instagram there are a lot of fashion inspirations from Aaliyah the 90’s R&B. Such as the actress now emerging musical artist Keke Palmer. The birth of the 90’s style was due to millennials going back to the street styles that they once saw their older sister and brothers wear. Music artist helped market the 90’s style even more. This then helped stores see what they could remake to sell to the public. Consumers are now able to not only just go to thrift stores, but also go to current stores like Forever 21, Spencers, Charlotte Russe, etc. and get street style 90’s clothes.

Kehlani 90's Tomboyish look

These new millennials are definitely attracted to the 90’s style, and maybe that is because many feel like the 90’s music was better. Maybe the millennials like the feel of nostalgia in that they are getting from their music, clothing, and culture. Taylor Swift a popular artist released her album titled, ‘1989’ in 2015. This was the beginning of officially declaring that the 90’s style was back on the market. A lot of artists took the initiative to follow this trend of mixing and sampling 90’s hits in their music. Chris Brown sampled Keith Sweat’s Nobody for his debut hit Who’s Gonna. Kehlani a previous underground artist had sampled Montell Jones’ ‘This is How We Do It’ for her song ‘How we do us’ in 2014. This started to let young people know that the 90’s were officially back. Not to mention this past summer released the movie ‘Straight Outta Compton’. This movie was set in the 90’s and based on the rap group N.W.A. This music biopic actually out sold the Johnny Cash biopic, and the Ray Charles biopic. This movie was really big for people under 30, which let many know that this is something that the younger generation is definitely interested in seeing rather than the older crowd who had already lived through the N.W.A era.

90's Hip Hop Group: For the Biopic "Straight Outta Compton"

Still there is still the question as to why are millennials so attracted to this 1990’s trend. With a short interview with Anathiel John-Charles, a high school senior from Chicago’s South side school Kenwood Academy, there were some interesting responses shared.

What do you think contributes to this generation’s fascination with the 90’s era?

Anathiel: Well I would have to say it might be because many of us were born during the 90’s and we were always just curious to know what the 90’s were actually like. A lot of people in my high school here at Kenwood are fascinated with how artsy they can be with their clothes and just expressive with fashion.

Do you listen to any music artist that you know take heavily from the 1990’s style?

Anathiel: Mainly, just Chris Brown and other artist.

Are they properly portraying the 90’s vibe you would say?

Anathiel: I would say that the 90’s style cannot and will not be completely recreated, because a lot of people do want to hear some modern music. So I believe that they just try to blend them, but

I do have to say Kehlani does do a very good job with portraying the 90’s vibe.

Do you think the 90’s style will fade out soon?

Anathiel: Like all trends I do believe that it is eventually going to fade out, but people have been keeping up the 90’s vibe for quite a while now. So maybe it might stick around longer than we thought. I think that we are so in love and caught up in the 90’s style and music that it may take this trend longer to die out than any other.

It seems as though most kids in this day in age feel like even though the 90’s vibe has been here for a while it might be here to stay. The fall and spring trends for 2016-2017 have said that the 70’s and 80’s would be back according to Vogue magazine. What does this mean for the 90’s vibe? In the music world it seems as though the 90’s vibe will still be here so ultimately even though other decades might appeal to the millennials. The 90’s are here to stay. The 90’s style also could mean more business for thrift stores.

According to Hashtagify.me.com the hashtag #90sfashion also links to more thrift store tags such as #hellathrifty. More and more people are starting to go to thrift stores since fashion only really repeats itself and alters the image.

The hashtag #90sfashion has been used 54 million times on Instagram. This shows how much people are into the 90’s trend now and days.

The 90’s was a great era in time in some and in some other way it was not so great. Many people maybe just love the feel of listening to genuine rap, poetry, and wearing poetic justice braids. Lots of artists’ are tweaking their sounds to appeal to society. What does all of this mean for consumers? It means that there will be a lot of throwback collections and things that give off that 90’s chill vibe. It also means that thrifting is in right now and clothes can be cheaper if you are on a budget.

Why are Millennials so Attracted to the 90’s Style and What Does This Mean for Consumers?

90's Hip Hop Culture: Kehlani and friends Fader photoshoot

March 22, 2016- The 1990s style has been back for quite a while now, and mainly that is due to the underground, now famous music artists, such as Kehlani. The 90s style has influenced all types of fashion iconic styles. On Instagram there are a lot of fashion inspirations from Aaliyah the 90’s R&B. Such as the actress now emerging musical artist Keke Palmer. The birth of the 90’s style was due to millennials going back to the street styles that they once saw their older sister and brothers wear. Music artist helped market the 90’s style even more. This then helped stores see what they could remake to sell to the public. Consumers are now able to not only just go to thrift stores, but also go to current stores like Forever 21, Spencers, Charlotte Russe, etc. and get street style 90’s clothes.

Kehlani 90's Tomboyish look

These new millennials are definitely attracted to the 90’s style, and maybe that is because many feel like the 90’s music was better. Maybe the millennials like the feel of nostalgia in that they are getting from their music, clothing, and culture. Taylor Swift a popular artist released her album titled, ‘1989’ in 2015. This was the beginning of officially declaring that the 90’s style was back on the market. A lot of artists took the initiative to follow this trend of mixing and sampling 90’s hits in their music. Chris Brown sampled Keith Sweat’s Nobody for his debut hit Who’s Gonna. Kehlani a previous underground artist had sampled Montell Jones’ ‘This is How We Do It’ for her song ‘How we do us’ in 2014. This started to let young people know that the 90’s were officially back. Not to mention this past summer released the movie ‘Straight Outta Compton’. This movie was set in the 90’s and based on the rap group N.W.A. This music biopic actually out sold the Johnny Cash biopic, and the Ray Charles biopic. This movie was really big for people under 30, which let many know that this is something that the younger generation is definitely interested in seeing rather than the older crowd who had already lived through the N.W.A era.

90's Hip Hop Group: For the Biopic "Straight Outta Compton"

Still there is still the question as to why are millennials so attracted to this 1990’s trend. With a short interview with Anathiel John-Charles, a high school senior from Chicago’s South side school Kenwood Academy, there were some interesting responses shared.

What do you think contributes to this generation’s fascination with the 90’s era?

Anathiel: Well I would have to say it might be because many of us were born during the 90’s and we were always just curious to know what the 90’s were actually like. A lot of people in my high school here at Kenwood are fascinated with how artsy they can be with their clothes and just expressive with fashion.

Do you listen to any music artist that you know take heavily from the 1990’s style?

Anathiel: Mainly, just Chris Brown and other artist.

Are they properly portraying the 90’s vibe you would say?

Anathiel: I would say that the 90’s style cannot and will not be completely recreated, because a lot of people do want to hear some modern music. So I believe that they just try to blend them, but

I do have to say Kehlani does do a very good job with portraying the 90’s vibe.

Do you think the 90’s style will fade out soon?

Anathiel: Like all trends I do believe that it is eventually going to fade out, but people have been keeping up the 90’s vibe for quite a while now. So maybe it might stick around longer than we thought. I think that we are so in love and caught up in the 90’s style and music that it may take this trend longer to die out than any other.

It seems as though most kids in this day in age feel like even though the 90’s vibe has been here for a while it might be here to stay. The fall and spring trends for 2016-2017 have said that the 70’s and 80’s would be back according to Vogue magazine. What does this mean for the 90’s vibe? In the music world it seems as though the 90’s vibe will still be here so ultimately even though other decades might appeal to the millennials. The 90’s are here to stay. The 90’s style also could mean more business for thrift stores.

According to Hashtagify.me.com the hashtag #90sfashion also links to more thrift store tags such as #hellathrifty. More and more people are starting to go to thrift stores since fashion only really repeats itself and alters the image.

The hashtag #90sfashion has been used 54 million times on Instagram. This shows how much people are into the 90’s trend now and days.

The 90’s was a great era in time in some and in some other way it was not so great. Many people maybe just love the feel of listening to genuine rap, poetry, and wearing poetic justice braids. Lots of artists’ are tweaking their sounds to appeal to society. What does all of this mean for consumers? It means that there will be a lot of throwback collections and things that give off that 90’s chill vibe. It also means that thrifting is in right now and clothes can be cheaper if you are on a budget.

Dese Chanel Bags is a Bad Habit:Beginner Fashion Illustrations

Fashion Illustrations have always been something that I was interested in but too shy to dive into. When I first started out painting I was in awe of Monet's work. I mean Claude Monet IS my favorite artist. I have a loose painting hand and the impressionist style fit that. I was younger around the time I first started out, and I was too scared to tell my art teacher that I absolutely loved fashion. So now as a Sophomore in college I have finally started to fashion illustrate. In a way fashion has helped me become way more confident than I was in the beginning. I still have a ways to go but I am growing. 

Most people sell their fashion illustrations, like all art pieces, or they work for fashion companies that need their art for clothes or advertising purposes. Marketing is also a key factor into selling fashion illustrations so that they can be made known. A lot of hard work on and off my computer or cell phone goes into my blog and my social media platform. As a full time student and an aspiring full time fashion blogger there is a lot of stress that goes into it all. I spend at least an hour and 30 minutes on one painting. Then I have to post it on Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. That way I can increase my followers and hopefully get some recognition from other fashionistas. The goal of my fashion illustrations are not to make money but to grow as an artist. I just started out with this and I still have more to learn. Right now for me the challenging part are the faces on my fashion illustrations. I paint a lot and have painted many faces, but for some reason I get nervous when it comes to drawing smaller faces. Hopefully, by next year I will be doing better at drawing faces. 

Some people are wondering if fashion illustrators will replace fashion bloggers. I do not think fashion illustrators can replace fashion bloggers, but I do think that they can work together. The process for fashion blogging and illustrating are very similar. I think fashion bloggers and illustrators both get the same benefits when it comes to the fashion world.  I think they will both continue to coexist. In a way, people could do what I am doing have a fashion blog and illustrate. It is a ton of work, but you will always make time for something that you love. 

Dese Chanel Bags is a Bad Habit:Beginner Fashion Illustrations

Fashion Illustrations have always been something that I was interested in but too shy to dive into. When I first started out painting I was in awe of Monet's work. I mean Claude Monet IS my favorite artist. I have a loose painting hand and the impressionist style fit that. I was younger around the time I first started out, and I was too scared to tell my art teacher that I absolutely loved fashion. So now as a Sophomore in college I have finally started to fashion illustrate. In a way fashion has helped me become way more confident than I was in the beginning. I still have a ways to go but I am growing. 

Most people sell their fashion illustrations, like all art pieces, or they work for fashion companies that need their art for clothes or advertising purposes. Marketing is also a key factor into selling fashion illustrations so that they can be made known. A lot of hard work on and off my computer or cell phone goes into my blog and my social media platform. As a full time student and an aspiring full time fashion blogger there is a lot of stress that goes into it all. I spend at least an hour and 30 minutes on one painting. Then I have to post it on Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. That way I can increase my followers and hopefully get some recognition from other fashionistas. The goal of my fashion illustrations are not to make money but to grow as an artist. I just started out with this and I still have more to learn. Right now for me the challenging part are the faces on my fashion illustrations. I paint a lot and have painted many faces, but for some reason I get nervous when it comes to drawing smaller faces. Hopefully, by next year I will be doing better at drawing faces. 

Some people are wondering if fashion illustrators will replace fashion bloggers. I do not think fashion illustrators can replace fashion bloggers, but I do think that they can work together. The process for fashion blogging and illustrating are very similar. I think fashion bloggers and illustrators both get the same benefits when it comes to the fashion world.  I think they will both continue to coexist. In a way, people could do what I am doing have a fashion blog and illustrate. It is a ton of work, but you will always make time for something that you love. 

Samaria and Why You'll Remember Her Name

When we think of culture or even diversity we tend to think about it in only one aspect. When we think about music and culture we barely think about how it affects our everyday lives. Music has the ability to define where we have been and what places we are from.

Right now, a new artist is on the verge of blowing up, and her name is Samaria. Samaria is a 19 year old from Oakland, CA, and her music has a 1990’s R&B vibe to it. Still, her sound is so distinct that it is not truly just R&B or soul. Samaria’s sound cannot be placed into the box. Race and music have a very close relationship and even from the beginning of mankind. The main reason why her music has been on the radar for a while though is because she is telling her life story through her music.

Samaria is from a mixed background she is Jamaican and Puerto Rican, and has said numerous times that her culture and race has had some strong influences on the music that she creates. So what does this mean for everyone else? It means just like Samaria we all have a certain connection to music and through that a way to tell our story. Even during slavery the slaves used music as their outlet and the way to tell the story of their hardships, and express how they have felt over the years.

A lot of times we hear generalizations like, “only black people listen to those songs or only Hispanics listen to that. Yet, what we fail to realize that could be because of the strong roots of maybe their ancestors in the song. Or maybe it is a music genre that most people of that ethnic group have been inspired by the most. For example, not all African Americans like,  R&B, rap, and gospel.

Gospel music goes back to the slave days when slaves would create hymns in the cotton fields. Rap originally told the stories of the everyday life and then just blew up. The background that everyone comes from can have a very strong influence on what we listen to and how that shapes our playlists. In one of her informal interviews Samaria said, “I remember growing up and hearing a mix of reggaeton and R&B.” Samaria is not making strong political movements, but what she is doing is using her personal style and images from her life to shape what she sings about. That is something that we all can relate to. One of her songs she says, “I’m sorry I am…sorry that I gave you any of me/ you will never have another chance to love me again.” These lyrics may just sound like typical 19 year old love battles, but paired up with her very flavorful beats and amazing alto voice—there is something that people can relate to. Samaria’s music and sound is unlike anything people hear on the radio. The beats are not overproduced, she is not trying to sound like something that she is not, and that is what is so golden about her music. That is what is golden about listening to an artist at their pure state. Before they blow up and make it big most of the time music artist are doing what they love.
This generation has lost the meaning of remaining true to yourself in the music industry. Now everyone wants to be the next Beyonce & Nicki Minaj. What they fail to realize what celebrities like them had to gain and lose to get where they are today. Just a few weeks ago, Beyonce started a great discussion on Black women, police brutality, and the Black Panther Party. A lot of people were encouraged and even began to embrace their blackness more, or some people were outraged at the fact that she used her fame and the Super Bowl halftime performance to make a stance on these issues. Yet, a lot of people tend to think that this was her first time embracing her black culture.

When even in the girl group Destiny’s Child she would shed light on issues that the Black woman was going through with men. Even in some of her videos there were all Black women, because subliminally they have always been her target audience. This goes back to the discussion on how culture influences music. Beyonce clearly stated in the popular song ‘Formation’, “You mix that Negro with that creole/ make her Texas-Bama/ I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros.” Of course Beyonce’s culture had a lot to do with this particular song. Just like in the 1920s-30s era during the Great Migration she drew everyone’s attention to the hardships we are going through now. Music is more than just a great beat and cool lyrics music has meaning and culture that lies beneath it. Music can be combined with other things such as culture, feminism, and even politics. This is not just to make people feel good and have a nice song to dance to anymore.

“You mix that Negro with that creole/ make her Texas-Bama/ I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros.”

"I wrote 'Right Now' as a tale of the girl who fell in love with the bad boy, I've always been infatuated with storytelling in music so this was my first shot I took at doing it."

One of the things that stand out about Samaria is that she said that "I wrote 'Right Now' as a tale of the girl who fell in love with the bad boy, I've always been infatuated with storytelling in music so this was my first shot I took at doing it." For a lot of traditions and cultures that was one of the first forms of communication. There was no technology no cellphones, or the internet so people would tell stories. Then there came the combination of storytelling and music. So what is your reason for listening to music? Is it purely for entertainment? Is it for empowerment? Is it to strengthen your spiritual life with God? Music somehow always connects us to our roots. So the next time when you listen to your favorite song or album try to see if there are aspects in that song that stands out to you.

Samaria and Why You'll Remember Her Name

When we think of culture or even diversity we tend to think about it in only one aspect. When we think about music and culture we barely think about how it affects our everyday lives. Music has the ability to define where we have been and what places we are from.

Right now, a new artist is on the verge of blowing up, and her name is Samaria. Samaria is a 19 year old from Oakland, CA, and her music has a 1990’s R&B vibe to it. Still, her sound is so distinct that it is not truly just R&B or soul. Samaria’s sound cannot be placed into the box. Race and music have a very close relationship and even from the beginning of mankind. The main reason why her music has been on the radar for a while though is because she is telling her life story through her music.

Samaria is from a mixed background she is Jamaican and Puerto Rican, and has said numerous times that her culture and race has had some strong influences on the music that she creates. So what does this mean for everyone else? It means just like Samaria we all have a certain connection to music and through that a way to tell our story. Even during slavery the slaves used music as their outlet and the way to tell the story of their hardships, and express how they have felt over the years.

A lot of times we hear generalizations like, “only black people listen to those songs or only Hispanics listen to that. Yet, what we fail to realize that could be because of the strong roots of maybe their ancestors in the song. Or maybe it is a music genre that most people of that ethnic group have been inspired by the most. For example, not all African Americans like,  R&B, rap, and gospel.

Gospel music goes back to the slave days when slaves would create hymns in the cotton fields. Rap originally told the stories of the everyday life and then just blew up. The background that everyone comes from can have a very strong influence on what we listen to and how that shapes our playlists. In one of her informal interviews Samaria said, “I remember growing up and hearing a mix of reggaeton and R&B.” Samaria is not making strong political movements, but what she is doing is using her personal style and images from her life to shape what she sings about. That is something that we all can relate to. One of her songs she says, “I’m sorry I am…sorry that I gave you any of me/ you will never have another chance to love me again.” These lyrics may just sound like typical 19 year old love battles, but paired up with her very flavorful beats and amazing alto voice—there is something that people can relate to. Samaria’s music and sound is unlike anything people hear on the radio. The beats are not overproduced, she is not trying to sound like something that she is not, and that is what is so golden about her music. That is what is golden about listening to an artist at their pure state. Before they blow up and make it big most of the time music artist are doing what they love.
This generation has lost the meaning of remaining true to yourself in the music industry. Now everyone wants to be the next Beyonce & Nicki Minaj. What they fail to realize what celebrities like them had to gain and lose to get where they are today. Just a few weeks ago, Beyonce started a great discussion on Black women, police brutality, and the Black Panther Party. A lot of people were encouraged and even began to embrace their blackness more, or some people were outraged at the fact that she used her fame and the Super Bowl halftime performance to make a stance on these issues. Yet, a lot of people tend to think that this was her first time embracing her black culture.

When even in the girl group Destiny’s Child she would shed light on issues that the Black woman was going through with men. Even in some of her videos there were all Black women, because subliminally they have always been her target audience. This goes back to the discussion on how culture influences music. Beyonce clearly stated in the popular song ‘Formation’, “You mix that Negro with that creole/ make her Texas-Bama/ I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros.” Of course Beyonce’s culture had a lot to do with this particular song. Just like in the 1920s-30s era during the Great Migration she drew everyone’s attention to the hardships we are going through now. Music is more than just a great beat and cool lyrics music has meaning and culture that lies beneath it. Music can be combined with other things such as culture, feminism, and even politics. This is not just to make people feel good and have a nice song to dance to anymore.

“You mix that Negro with that creole/ make her Texas-Bama/ I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros.”

"I wrote 'Right Now' as a tale of the girl who fell in love with the bad boy, I've always been infatuated with storytelling in music so this was my first shot I took at doing it."

One of the things that stand out about Samaria is that she said that "I wrote 'Right Now' as a tale of the girl who fell in love with the bad boy, I've always been infatuated with storytelling in music so this was my first shot I took at doing it." For a lot of traditions and cultures that was one of the first forms of communication. There was no technology no cellphones, or the internet so people would tell stories. Then there came the combination of storytelling and music. So what is your reason for listening to music? Is it purely for entertainment? Is it for empowerment? Is it to strengthen your spiritual life with God? Music somehow always connects us to our roots. So the next time when you listen to your favorite song or album try to see if there are aspects in that song that stands out to you.