Happy New Year to everyone out there. 2008 was crazy hectic, but it wasn’t all bad. It had its good moments. If you made it to today, rejoice, because being physically present on earth is better than the alternative. Trust that 2009 will be better and brighter.
Be thankful that you made it to see a new year with new promises. Toast!
Love,
HipHopMuse
Ladies, going out this New Year’s Eve? Whatcha wearing? Here are a few picks to ring in ‘09 funky fresh dressed, impressed, ready to party.
forever 21 sequin dress
Sequins are in order for NYE. This dress is for the fun, flirty party girl who loves to be the center of attention. Which is great…but do not even think of adding neon tights to this look, that’s not the business. Pairing neon tights will garner bad attention, not good. Trust.
victoria's secret square-neck dress
This square-neck little black dress is simple, yet elegant and sexy. I would jazz it up with chunky metallic accessories, strappy heels or fly booties, and a bold clutch. Dramatic makeup, a simple chignon a la Sade and a glass of bubbly. The theme here is understated sexy.
laundry sapphire blue dress
This dress is absolutely adorable. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it’s beautiful. Sometimes one must sacrifice for beauty! And don’t feel bad for repeating this one. This dress deserves to come out more than once a year.
forever 21 metallic jacket
Top it all off with a metallic jacket. I’m totally obsessed with shiny stuff! What can I say? I’m a girl, and I came of age in the hip-hop, shiny suit, bling-infested 90s. I think this jacket is really fly, and it adds a bit of edge to each of these dresses. The fact that it kind of doesn’t go makes it work for me.
Celebrate!
Got Skillz? This severely underrated artist does the year end wrap up, like every year. That joint be like 15 minutes long, no lie. It always hilarious though. It’s a well-rapped culmination of the entire year, in like 100 bars. Check out the past 5 or 6 year end wrap ups here: http://therapup.uproxx.com/2007/12/the-rap-up-2002-2006.html. I just learned Skillz was from VA; DC Metro is killing the game in 08 and into 09.
This video has a sunny, breezy, feel good vibe to it. It kind of reminds me of DMX’s “Hows It Going Down.” A ghetto love triangle, set to hip hop music. “For Real” is for the ladies and the men who want to steal them from their men, lol.
Got my vans on but they look like sneakers…check out these watermelon joints spotted over at Exactly.net. Though I can’t see myself sporting these personally, I appreciate the inspiration behind it. Now all of a sudden I’m craving summer fruit…
While on the vein of skateboard styles, NY Times is reporting that skaters are capitalizing on the wave of foreclosures. Apparently with so many empty houses, there’s a plethora of abandoned pools for skateboarders to practice their jumps. Word is the kidney-shaped pools are the best ones to practice in.
Reality TV world is reporting that Whitney Port, former marginal character of “The Hills” and current star of “The City” doesn’t really work for Diane von Furstenberg. Not to say she isn’t employed at DVF, but the heffa ain’t never at work. Oh, and they’re also saying this “reality” show isn’t real and it’s scripted. Did anyone think “The Hills” or “The City” were real? It’s TV! Most of the content on TV is fake. We watch it because, well, often times there isn’t much else on in that time slot, and reality TV is like crack. It’s all escapism, baby.
Bush’s former aides say that he never recovered from Hurricane Katrina, according to AP. Well guess what? Neither did New Orleans, or the people who don’t have homes to go to three years after the hurricane. At least dude doesn’t have to live in a toxic trailer.
The soul of the south is forever changed, but not broken.
Peace.
I didn’t particularly care for Charles Hamilton’s flow the first time I heard “Brooklyn Girl,” but the more I hear the song, the more I like it. And this is coming from an LA girl, lol.
Heavy D has been away from the music scene for a cool minute now, it’s good to see him back. The former “overweight lover” is getting his sexy on in his new reggae influenced track, “Long Distance Girlfriend.” Nice song, glad to see him back.
Most modern, independent young women such as myself don’t have time to cook. It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s just that between having a full time career and having a life, we just don’t feel like it. It’s much easier to grab takeout or throw a pre-made meal into the oven than it is to cook a real meal.
Despite life’s demands, it’s worthwhile to make a home cooked meal for one’s self at least once a week. You deserve something as nice and thoughtful as a home cooked meal. Cooking involves creativity, and it can be a relaxing endeavor as long as you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to whip up something like you’re Rachel Ray. Shit, Rachel throws dinner together in a half hour, and she’s hella busy.
Making your own food is healthier and can help you maintain your sexy. When you make your own food, you control what goes into the meal, and the meals are usually more balanced. And, making your own food saves you money. You can save your leftovers for lunch the next day, and create new meals out of the original one.
As antiquated as it sounds, your man will appreciate you more if you get that ass in the kitchen. I know this may sound outdated to the modern, independent woman. It proves your drunk uncle right. Don’t give him too much credit though. Many men will share the burden of meal preparation. The truth of the matter is that most men value a woman that is willing to get in there and cook. If you hook your boo up with a steak and potatoes, you will have him hooked.
Here are some quick and easy ideas to aid you in your culinary endeavors:
Buy prechopped vegetables. Or take the time to chop up your veggies all at once, and freeze them for later. That way you when you’re ready to get in poppin’ in the kitchen you won’t have to spend time chopping onions, bell peppers, and the like. Huge time saver.
Get a slow cooker. I haven’t done this yet, but dammit if getting a slow cooker isn’t high on my priority list. If you want to get me one for Christmas, send me a comment so I can give you my address and you can ship it to me. Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning before you head to work, set the temp to low, and return home in the evening to a fully cooked meal. This is an excellent way to make beef or pork roast, chili, and other slow cooked meals. Do a google search for “slow cooker recipes” for meal ideas.
Drink a glass of wine while you’re cooking. Remember I told you that cooking is supposed to be relaxing, right? Enjoy a glass of wine and some music while you’re preparing your food. Create a fun, relaxing environment for yourself. A relaxed, positive mindstate is essential to creating a good meal. The vibes you give off translates to your food.
Here are links to a few quick and easy recipes. Get in there and whip up something! Show that the independent woman can put it down in the office and in the kitchen.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Thirty-Minute-Chili/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Fiesta-Salad/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Griddle-Style-Philly-Steak-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx – this one is a good way to utilize that leftover roast beef from the slow cooker.
Bon apetit!
I’ve been without cable for like, a month (thanks Time Warner. You were on the verge of being cancelled) so I’m just now getting around to seeing Kanye’s new vid for “Heartless.” I won’t be too snarky, because I think the video is really innovative and creative. But I’ll be somewhat snarky, because that’s what I do.
Kudos to Hype Williams for switching the style up with the cartoon theme. The Hype man has set the tone for modern hip-hop videos…I would venture out to say he’s set the tone for modern music videos across all genres, with his wide/split screen visual technique. The cartoon theme, though not unprecedented, isn’t something you see very often.
And cartoon Kanye is kinda sexy. That goatee…ooh wee! Is it normal to be attracted to a cartoon? Cartoon Kanye is almost hotter than real life Kanye. Ok, that was weird. But hey, it’s the next best thing until I get to the real thing. It could happen.
Ok, enough of the awkward weirdness. Check the vid.
Tis’ the season for cheesy holiday music. There are some great holiday songs out there, like Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” and Destiny’s Child’s “8 Days of Christmas.” But what about holiday music by some of our favorite hip-hop artists? Rappers certaintly aren’t left out of the equation when it comes to memorable Christmas songs. Read on for a few classic hip-hop holiday songs.
Snoop, “Santa Claus Coming to the Ghetto”
This song is included on an album called “Christmas on Death Row.” Doesn’t that sound a bit morbid? The idea of spending Christmas on Death Row doesn’t necessarily equate with holiday cheer if you ask me. Who wants to spend Christmas on Death Row, prison or the record label? I’m sorry Suge, I didn’t mean that. I was just kidding.
Westside Connection, “It’s The Holidaze”
Westside Connection is pretty hardcore, so it’s kinda weird to see three gangsters rapping about Christmas. The question throughout the song is, “whatchu gonna do for the Holidaze…” I don’t know, Cube, what should I be doing? What say you, Mack 10? WC? I just noticed that Superhead is one of the main uh, “models” in the video. Ho, ho, ho! Hey, it was appropriate.
TLC, “Sleigh Ride”
I miss TLC…the baggy clothes, the in your face attitude, the three original members. Rest in peace to Left Eye. This is a really fun Christmas song, it has a positive message about spreading holiday cheer.
Run DMC, “Christmas in Hollis”
Another ode to Christmas in the hood. Only Run DMC could truly make it a hip-hop Christmas. The scratching over the record and the jingle sound over the drums and bassline is crazy. Good crazy, not bad.
What are some of your favorite hip-hop holiday songs?
According to AP, it’s official: we’re in a recession. We’ve been in one since December 2007. Cue the sirens! Stop the presses! Ring the alarm! Drop and gimme 50! Who knew?</end sarcasm>.
The media must think people are stupid. We’ve known for quite some time that a recession is on deck. How did we know before they did? Do normal people have some sort of insight that the media doesn’t? Um, yea. I’m going to take the liberty and speak for everyone, and let you know how we knew it was a damn recession.
1. No holiday bonus. What part of the game is that? Many of us did not get a holiday bonus last year. Or an office Christmas party. The closest thing most of us got to having a holiday party was huddling with our coworkers in the breakroom over weak coffee and vending machine snacks. Feliz Navidad! You better be happy you have a damn job to get up and go to everyday, don’t push it by asking for extras. And please, please God let the direct deposit post when it’s supposed to. Sometimes companies are a little shoddy with posting payroll on time.
2. Mass layoffs. When a company breaks the news that they’re laying everybody off, that’s an indicator of a recession. Maybe not necessarily on a macro level, but it shows that things may not be going so well in your industry or field. There’s a shortage of money, and the company can’t keep afloat so they start cutting folks. One day, everything’s all honky-dory. The next day, upper management calls a staff meeting and tells everyone that they’re getting cut come January. Ouch! Polish up that resume, babies.
3. Crime goes up. In some areas of society, crime remains at a constant. The inner cities of America know this fact pretty well. But when rich white men start offing their wives to save dough, and finance workers kill themselves and their families because they can’t afford to take care of them, you know shit is bad. People are resorting to murder to save money. I guess the cost of living is too much.
4. Wyclef lost his house. A part of me thinks that as long as Wyclef has been making hits, he should be wiping his ass with Benjamins. Hello, he was in the Fugees! But then again, I know of the legacy of artists mismanaging their funds, and it’s possible that maybe he doesn’t have as much money as I thought. Someone please call 911!
**I didn’t include the stock market crash as an indicator, because a) that’s hella obvious, and b) I don’t have any money invested in stocks so I didn’t feel that one personally.
I’m sure there are other indicators that I missed. When did you feel the recession hit? Speak your piece.
