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.

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.

Why The Justin Bieber Sorry Video Is A Form Of Cultural Appropriation to Me...

Sorry Video Link: https://youtu.be/fRh_vgS2dFE

Jamaican Dancehall video links: https://youtu.be/2LbkFFtbYQk

https://youtu.be/RO7-FRbozOc

https://youtu.be/fjqCr9hLBOc

https://youtu.be/QmxJm4w6cN8

Okay, I know a lot of people are going to hate me now and quite frankly I do not care. First off, let me just say I do not have anything against Justin Bieber, and I think he is talented and may God bless him.  The Sorry video angers me and a few of my friends and so since no one else has said anything I am going to say something. Cultural Appropriation is basically another culture taking another culture's cultural elements whether it be hair styles, food, style of dance, or clothing and claiming it as its own. My Great grandmother was Haitian/Dominican, but my friend who's family is from Dominica and Jamaica pointed out to me that those dances in Justin Bieber's video were heavily Jamaican dancehall styles. Also, not even just Jamaican dancehall some of those dancing my cousins, or even my friends, and I have been doing since I was little. There was not even one black girl in the  'Sorry' video. That was what kind of angered me because you guys are dancing and dressing how we dressed in the 90s and trying to make it seem like it is yours. I think it is so sad how we are losing our culture right in the front of our faces. Like it is so sad how every time we as a minority get something they want to take it and claim it as their own. No they did not explicitly proclaim those dances as theirs in the video, but at the same time they did not include a Black woman. I know that that is not the problem but can someone please tell me why just last year a black guy in Intro to Sociology 121 say that he doesn't like black women because they are always dressing nasty and dancing nasty in videos, but now the Caucasian girls are dancing just as hard as we were and trying to dress like we did in the 90s. Just because you are taking whining, tic tocking, and clothes from another time period does not mean you are not culturally appropriating my culture. My problem is not really with the Caucasian girls my problem is why can't we just perform cultural appreciation? Why can't we just admit we all like something from some cultures and give them credit for what is theirs? Life would be so much easier if people would just stop culturally appropriating and start appreciating or not taking anything at all but becoming creative and creating their own new culture. I do not know, but all I know is that African American men contradict themselves.

Many of you know that I go to a small Christian extremely conservative liberal arts college, and there are only a few black people here. I have heard and seen with my own eyes guys say stuff like I don't like black girls or she's too ghetto. It's like where are people getting this stuff? Like a lot of African American guys will date Caucasian women and act like they are the Queen of the Nile or something, but when it comes to us they can't even look at us. Then I tried to date(not really date but you know just see) outside of my culture and even they slammed me down. It's like no offense but the Caucasian girls win either way. They get the white boys, black boys, and probably everything else. It's like why as black women we have to wait to be happy and not that boys make us happy, but why do we have to wait. Why are we so devalued by our own men and culture? This is outrageous to me! It's so funny how I watch how a black guy treats me compared to a white girl on campus. Like they study with them, take them out on dates, and I am like God when am I going to get someone that treats me that well?  When are we going to start getting appreciated? When is the world going to change their slave days mentality and stop looking at black as impure and white as pure? I am a fed up black woman. This would make you mad too if black guys tell you oh I don't like black women because they dance too nasty, or are too loud, but look around you! White girls are trying so hard to be like us and then they get praised for it. Shaking my head, it's like we still get treated beneath all other races. Do not give me crap about feminism because Black women statistically make less then White men and black men, and even less that white women. So don't tell me that we are all in this together, because we are not. No I don't hate white girls but I am tired of them getting praised for doing things we started back in Africa and we get shunned for it. This is exactly why I don't tell white girls anything about me. I don't tell them about my hair, nails, clothing anything, because they use it against you. I do not have the time at all for this.

Okay, guys let me calm down and try to be peaceful. I know that God loves us all and that we all did derive from the same race, but it is impossible for the world to just start over, and now say there will be no more other races.  I think we all should just listen to each other and I think more than ever we all need the Lord to guide us, because there is so much going on in the world and these are the end times. I mean look at the weather. Prayer does change things and I believe that once we stop trying to look at each other and get ourselves right with God then we will be able to thrive. Also, just to let you guys know I am not mad or sad about not having a boyfriend, because I had to listen to God. I might see those girls getting treated so nice but God has something great for me. God has something better for me, and maybe I just have to be patient. I had to learn that I cannot compare myself to those girls because I never know who God has for me. So I am trying to just patiently wait on the person God has given me even if that means not dating in college. 

Thank you all for reading this! Try not to kill me or murder me with unkind words! Lol, I do not have anything against anyone I just had to get that off my chest and I want to write about something we all can relate to.

Here is an example of African American 90's hip hop fashion:

Why The Justin Bieber Sorry Video Is A Form Of Cultural Appropriation to Me...

Sorry Video Link: https://youtu.be/fRh_vgS2dFE

Jamaican Dancehall video links: https://youtu.be/2LbkFFtbYQk

https://youtu.be/RO7-FRbozOc

https://youtu.be/fjqCr9hLBOc

https://youtu.be/QmxJm4w6cN8

Okay, I know a lot of people are going to hate me now and quite frankly I do not care. First off, let me just say I do not have anything against Justin Bieber, and I think he is talented and may God bless him.  The Sorry video angers me and a few of my friends and so since no one else has said anything I am going to say something. Cultural Appropriation is basically another culture taking another culture's cultural elements whether it be hair styles, food, style of dance, or clothing and claiming it as its own. My Great grandmother was Haitian/Dominican, but my friend who's family is from Dominica and Jamaica pointed out to me that those dances in Justin Bieber's video were heavily Jamaican dancehall styles. Also, not even just Jamaican dancehall some of those dancing my cousins, or even my friends, and I have been doing since I was little. There was not even one black girl in the  'Sorry' video. That was what kind of angered me because you guys are dancing and dressing how we dressed in the 90s and trying to make it seem like it is yours. I think it is so sad how we are losing our culture right in the front of our faces. Like it is so sad how every time we as a minority get something they want to take it and claim it as their own. No they did not explicitly proclaim those dances as theirs in the video, but at the same time they did not include a Black woman. I know that that is not the problem but can someone please tell me why just last year a black guy in Intro to Sociology 121 say that he doesn't like black women because they are always dressing nasty and dancing nasty in videos, but now the Caucasian girls are dancing just as hard as we were and trying to dress like we did in the 90s. Just because you are taking whining, tic tocking, and clothes from another time period does not mean you are not culturally appropriating my culture. My problem is not really with the Caucasian girls my problem is why can't we just perform cultural appreciation? Why can't we just admit we all like something from some cultures and give them credit for what is theirs? Life would be so much easier if people would just stop culturally appropriating and start appreciating or not taking anything at all but becoming creative and creating their own new culture. I do not know, but all I know is that African American men contradict themselves.

Many of you know that I go to a small Christian extremely conservative liberal arts college, and there are only a few black people here. I have heard and seen with my own eyes guys say stuff like I don't like black girls or she's too ghetto. It's like where are people getting this stuff? Like a lot of African American guys will date Caucasian women and act like they are the Queen of the Nile or something, but when it comes to us they can't even look at us. Then I tried to date(not really date but you know just see) outside of my culture and even they slammed me down. It's like no offense but the Caucasian girls win either way. They get the white boys, black boys, and probably everything else. It's like why as black women we have to wait to be happy and not that boys make us happy, but why do we have to wait. Why are we so devalued by our own men and culture? This is outrageous to me! It's so funny how I watch how a black guy treats me compared to a white girl on campus. Like they study with them, take them out on dates, and I am like God when am I going to get someone that treats me that well?  When are we going to start getting appreciated? When is the world going to change their slave days mentality and stop looking at black as impure and white as pure? I am a fed up black woman. This would make you mad too if black guys tell you oh I don't like black women because they dance too nasty, or are too loud, but look around you! White girls are trying so hard to be like us and then they get praised for it. Shaking my head, it's like we still get treated beneath all other races. Do not give me crap about feminism because Black women statistically make less then White men and black men, and even less that white women. So don't tell me that we are all in this together, because we are not. No I don't hate white girls but I am tired of them getting praised for doing things we started back in Africa and we get shunned for it. This is exactly why I don't tell white girls anything about me. I don't tell them about my hair, nails, clothing anything, because they use it against you. I do not have the time at all for this.

Okay, guys let me calm down and try to be peaceful. I know that God loves us all and that we all did derive from the same race, but it is impossible for the world to just start over, and now say there will be no more other races.  I think we all should just listen to each other and I think more than ever we all need the Lord to guide us, because there is so much going on in the world and these are the end times. I mean look at the weather. Prayer does change things and I believe that once we stop trying to look at each other and get ourselves right with God then we will be able to thrive. Also, just to let you guys know I am not mad or sad about not having a boyfriend, because I had to listen to God. I might see those girls getting treated so nice but God has something great for me. God has something better for me, and maybe I just have to be patient. I had to learn that I cannot compare myself to those girls because I never know who God has for me. So I am trying to just patiently wait on the person God has given me even if that means not dating in college. 

Thank you all for reading this! Try not to kill me or murder me with unkind words! Lol, I do not have anything against anyone I just had to get that off my chest and I want to write about something we all can relate to.

Here is an example of African American 90's hip hop fashion: