Hey errbody! I’ve taken hiphopmuse to a new level, and rolled over to a real live site. You may now find me at http://hiphopmuse.com. I’m official now. Let’s go people!

The internet is buzzing with the news that Kanyeezie could possibly face jail time for that little tiff he had with the paps at LAX last year.

If Kanye ends up going to jail, would that make him certified gangster? It’s almost a rite of passage for a hip hop dude (and I cringe to say for a black man, and shit, even chicks in the game) to go to the clinker at some point. Maybe if he goes in for a little while he can have time to think, be creative, and come up with some good music instead of being a hot mess in the streets.

I feel like Kanye would benefit from taking a sabbatical from the limelight. He ain’t been right since his mom passed. He’s been moving and shaking non stop since that tragic event. He may just need to tap out for a little while, grieve, heal, and regroup.

It’s ok Yeezie! We still luv ya, messy behavior and all. Just please get it together. HipHopMuse has you on her prayer list.

Peace out 0:-)

My boy DJ Val the Vandle is on the ticket for Paid Dues Festival this year, and I’m so proud of him! That’s quite an accomplishment. Sponsored by Guerilla Union, Paid Dues should be dope. It’s gonna be at the NOS Events Center in San Bernadino. A little drive from Los Angeles, but a nice drive and well worth it. The lineup includes a “best of” list of the future of hip hop. Personally I can’t wait to see MURS. I’ll be there (God willing) and I hope you will too.

So last night I watched “Candy Girls” on E!, the new reality show about hip hop video vixens. It didn’t totally suck, and I like reality shows so it was cool to me.

I won’t call it must see TV, though it was pretty interesting to watch. I think of myself as an intelligent black woman but I’m not above watching chicks make asses of themselves on TV. If it’s entertaining, dammit it’s entertaining. I know to visit other media when I need something more intellectually stimulating.

Now that the disclaimers are out of the way…the main benefit I see in “Candy Girls” is that we get a glimpse into the lives of video chicks. Love them or hate them, the video girl has always been a topic of interest in hip hop and this is the first reality show that is centered around them.

Are they hoes? Or are they savvy businesswomen? Or both? I don’t know if there’s a black and white answer to that question since the ride to the top isn’t always pristine.

The part I don’t like about the show is the attitude of some of these chicks. They’re probably playing it up for the show, but there’s quite a bit of backstabbing, taunting, and in-fighting among these women. It’s totally dumb. What is this junior high? If you’re a grown ass woman getting your hustle on, act like one.

I also take issue with race and class and how it’s depicted in the show. Olivia is mixed, and seems very disconnected from her blackness. On the same vein, the other girls tease her for not being black enough, which isn’t cool. All black people aren’t the same, and “blackness” exists on different wavelengths.

And what is this thing about making Olivia feel excluded because she’s never been arrested? Like being arrested is a black thing? And for a woman? What part of the game is that? I guess.

The way it’s depicted is the black girls are mean to the confused mixed girl and the Spanish girl. So it’s not a good look for anyone, really.

It reminds me of junior high school, the mean girls all grown up. Jealously, competition, hateration…

Yet I’ll be watching. Cause I like watching bad TV. It’s escapism, baby.

Peace,

HipHopMuse

Sidebar: Not to sound like a hater, but I honestly don’t remember seeing any of these chicks in a video. And I watch a lot of videos. Maybe I saw one of them and didn’t know :-/.

Apparently I’m late to the party, since the Youtube tags say this commercial is from the Superbowl. However, I saw this shit for the first time today and nearly fell out my chair.

It’s funny as hell but almost sad, because we all know Ed McMahon’s money is funny. He’s like 90 or something, it sucks that he’s struggling financially when he should be enjoying retirement. Especially since he’s had a pretty solid career as a television personality.

And let’s not even get on MC Hammer. When he was a “famous rap star” as noted in the commercial, he had a huge reputation for ballin’ out, making it rain, or whatever the 80s equivalent term is for being hood rich.

But hey, at least they’re making dough doing these Cash 4 Gold commercials. They’re not only spokespeople, they’re Cash 4 Gold customers.

Now that I think of it, hood rich people were onto something. Keep the cash in your mattress, or buy jewelry. If you invested in stocks it means shit now, but if you have a whole bunch of gold, diamonds, and platinum, you have a little bit of wealth.

*Off to search my jewelry box for miscellaneous gold pieces to cash in*

Spring is coming, and with the sunshine comes rain. Even when the weather is dreary, one can still express her personal style. Check out my picks for cute and fashionable rainboots to carry the urban fashionista through the spring showers.

Red


I love a bright red, especially against gray skies.

Leopard Print


Leopard print is bold and attention-grabbing.

Houndstooth


Houndstooth is sophisticated, classic, and chic.

Plaid


Spring plaid is uber-fashionable.


Picks spotted on Target.com.

This is one of my favorite club bangers right now. Perfect track for the weekend.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. One of the more heart-wrenching man made holidays. Being bomarded with marketing imagery under the guise of celebrating love sometimes doesn’t always fare well with single folks. Even when you’re happily single, you may still feel the twinge of being alone on Valentine’s Day. How should a single person spend the day? Like it or not, it’s here. Argh! What to do?

1. Spend time with a loved one . It doesn’t have to necessarily be a spouse or partner. It could be your good friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, your puppy – it doesn’t matter as long as you’re with someone you love. Valentine’s Day isn’t just for romantic love, it’s a celebration of love itself and that goes for anyone dear to you.

2. Spend time with the person you love most, you! Why not take V day and pamper yourself? You may spend so much time tending to the needs of others that you neglect the person you love most, yourself. Go to the spa. But some good champagne and get toasty in front of a warm fireplace (or space heater!) with a good movie or book. Hit up a movie or art gallery.  Engage in an activity that you enjoy and makes your heart happy.

3. Host a party. You know people who know people, so invite them all over for a get together. Make sure to diversify and invite guys AND your girlfriends, you never know what connections can be made. You may snab a sweetie for next V-day and you won’t need this blog post.

4. Go to bed. There’s nothing wrong with sleeping through a holiday you don’t really want to partake in. If you’re asleep, it will be over before you know it. Sometimes there’s nothing better than hanging out in your PJs all day in front of the TV watching marathons of your fave shows. Order in, watch the True Hollywood Story marathon, and chill. No pressure to go out and get dressed up. Plus its free, minus the tab for takeout.

Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. The point is to celebrate those you love, romantic or otherwise. And do what feels good to you. Don’t buy into the pressure of the faux holiday. Feel free to adopt my suggestions, or tell me some of your own. What are some good ways for single people to observe V-day?

HipHopMuse loves reggae. Nothing gets me going like a good riddim. Check Movado’s “So Special.” I’ll keep it 100 with you, I really have no idea what dude is rapping about, but I dig the parts where he’s like, “I’m so special, so special so special…” Hey it doesn’t have to be that sophisticated.

The video is pretty cool. It reminds me a little bit of “Cher Chez La Ghost.” Enjoy!

With only a little over a month left until spring, stores are clearing out winter goods to make room for spring. Yay, because that means boots are on sale!

Browsing endless.com today, I found some boots that I’m itching to add to my collection. Notice my selections are all flat; while heels are wonderful and sexy, sometimes the urban fashionista likes to switch the style up and stay grounded. It’s possible to still be sexy without wearing heels. It’s all in how you rock it.

Fly and futuristic. Definitely a welcome change from those Ugg-style boots everyone seems to be rocking.

These patent leather, knee-high flat boots are dope. Perfect over a pair of skinny pants, or with a skirt.

I love the rusty, cognac color of these. The strap and buckle details with the ruching underneath add edge and femininity.