*sigh* I feel like I'm always seeing this girl's ta-tas. She IS hot though - "baddest bish in heels" according to her. I absolutely LOVE the track but what do we think about the video?
5 months ago
*sigh* I feel like I'm always seeing this girl's ta-tas. She IS hot though - "baddest bish in heels" according to her. I absolutely LOVE the track but what do we think about the video?
So I've been banging on about Bluey Robinson recently, who had his showcase not long ago and announced he's been signed to Sony (CONGRATS from the Block, Bluey!) but I honestly think there are more girls than boys carrying the baton for the NEW generation of UK soul (and by soul I simply mean music sung from a place in their soul).
There are a few girls doing their thing on the scene, and they'll definitely get mentioned in due course, but today I'm focusing on two ladies who are representing soul with their different sounds. Last year I did THIS POST - some seem to have disappeared (where are you Jessie J/Natalia/Alex Mills?) and the other two ladies (Tawiah & NY) are both keeping it active in their respective scenes (even though we're still waiting on an EP or album from Tawiah). But I had to blog again about Rox & Szjerdene. Both amazingly talented and beautiful, I'm waiting anxiously to fill my mp3 player with their tuneage in 2010.
Since getting "My Baby Left Me" in 2008, which got rotated heavily on my radio show, I've been waiting for something from this lady. Now everything is about to take off for her; she's preparing promo for her first radio/video single and she's been tipped as one of the 15 in BBC's Sound of 2010 list (The Block coulda told you that much!) now I'm just waiting anxiously for an album.
Szjerdene's vocals are as stunning as her physical appearence; she first came to my attention last year when Origins Media shun their spotlight on her and I got hold of her song "Wait A While". I hadn't heard from her for a while until Soul Culture featured her. Then around two weeks ago, on a night when only Eric Roberson and Amel Larrieux were providing my soundtrack, I received a tweet from the talented lady herself featuring the first video below (apparently she's slyly got talents in mind-reading too...I was listening to this Amel tune on my laptop when I got the tweet!) I can't wait to hear even more original material from Szjerdene - and I think she's got some stuff coming soon.
Tahirah...x
The mind boggles over why talented artists are producing free mixtapes are better certain people's big budget albums. I'm not complaining - good music is priceless, so if it's priceless AND price-less, I'm loving it. Therefore we'll be doing a regular #MixtapeMondays.
The first one comes courtesy of talented West Londoner Obenewa.
I was about to launch into a press-release-esque spiel about the mixtape, how it captures every vibe, how Obenewa's soulful vocal compliments every sound,
DOWNLOAD IT NOW & NICE UP YOUR IPOD/COMPUTER/PHONE IMMEDIATELY
She's up for a mixtape award. Vote HERE (some of The World Is My Block's other favourites are up for nomination in various categories so get voting)
Yesterday the Block went RED as we highlighted World AIDS Day.
Of course we weren't the only ones dripped in red - the cause was highlighted from twitter to Starbucks and beyond with celebrities and corporate throwing their weight behind various charities dedicated to fundraising AIDS research and raising awareness.
I was one of the thousands of people with a little red ribbon adourned on my body, but it led me into actually THINKING about the AIDS situation rather than buying into the slightly glamourised hype around it.
At the end of 2008 the estimate was that around 33 to 36 million people around the world are living with the virus. In the UK an estimated 80,000 people are living with HIV or AIDS with around 20,000 people not knowing they are infected.
We take a pretty interesting stance on it over here. Because our figures seem considerably less than, say, the ratio of people living with AIDS in the US (and of course, Africa) it seems to get less coverage and the stigma around it is just as high as it's ever been. As usual, the big focus around this year's World AIDS Day (and specifically the Red campaign) is Africa, but I'm urging people to look closer to home.
Wherever you are, I guarentee you - you at least know somebody who knows somebody who is infected with the virus. So take a minute to educate yourself, dispell ANY warped myths you have around it (no - someone with AIDS or HIV isn't dirty, you can't catch it by drinking from the same mug, and - you should definitely know this one - most AIDS sufferers are not druggies/gay/overtly promiscuous).
One of the most important - and harrowing things to realise is it can affect anyone. Beyond that, sexual health is important anyway, because while you might not think AIDS is an issue, every Tom, DICK, and Kadijah under 25 has risk of catching clamydia over here! So girls, make sure you got your own stash of rubbers and boys, don't be silly with your willies and don't be afraid of the clinic. Once we drop all the ignorance, we'll really be able to challenge and fight for the cause beyond wearing red string (or sexy red laces) next year.
Blocker Nee-Nee posing with some World AIDS Day toast in Central London
Tahirah...x
Possibly the ugliest little dolls ever....but I LOVED my cabbage-patch baby when I was growing up! AND they've existed for OVER 25 YEARS!
While they're not so popular on the dolly market anymore there seems like there's still a place for cabbage patch dolls in today's world - one in particular went into acting and scored herself a role named Heather found herself a role in Eastenders!
You know dem ones when it's just one of dem days...?
*sighs*
Yeah...dem ones.
Like I said, every Saturday on BANG Radio I'll be inviting some Head-Chicks-In-Charge from around the Industry to be my Sparkle Girl.
Definition of a Sparkle Girl - "She just has something about her, the way she walks, how she talks, what she says? She's about her business...and she looks good doing it. She kinda seems to shine, doesn't she? Well she is a sparkle girl."
This week I was joined by TWO Sparkle Girls...
Sian is an editor, blogger, journalist, PR consultant, 75-other-things-as-her-email-siggie-is-as-long-as-my-arm, super-talented rude-girl. Sian's interests include skankin to grime tuneage, writing hilarious blogs and parring stupid people. Blogger, editor, freelance journalist, self-proclaimed Greek Goddess and equally as talented rude-girl; Loukia likes daggering to dancehall, chasing rudeboys and saying "HIYYAAAA!"
In what was definitely a little bit of radio gold, we chopped it up about MANY things, from man-dem to music. The girls picked some big tunes: Loukia's tracklist was JME - Over Me, Missy Elliott - All In My Girl & Busy Signal - Unknown Number, and Sian had us rocking to Blacks ft P Money - Fall Back, Fabolous ft R Les - Fabolous Life & Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind. If you missed it, fear not...listen back now:
Now you've checked out the highlights CLICK HERE to download or stream the full show, listen to us chop it up and rock to huge new tunes from Trey Songz, Timbaland, Robin Thicke, Wale & Solange, and classics from Mariah Carey, Mary Jane Girls & Lil Mo
And of course, lock in next week...Saturday 2-4pm GMT
In what was definitely a little bit of radio gold, we chopped it up about MANY things, from man-dem to music. The girls picked some big tunes: Loukia's tracklist was JME - Over Me, Missy Elliott - All In My Girl & Busy Signal - Unknown Number, and Sian had us rocking to Blacks ft P Money - Fall Back, Fabolous ft R Les - Fabolous Life & Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind. If you missed it, fear not...listen back now:
We spoke about the industry - are many so-called journalists just "bedroom bloggers"? Do UK artists need more media training?
Then we spoke about the girls - what does it take to be a Greek Goddess? And what is Sian's superpower?
Finally we spoke about the boys! Does Loukia really want a rude-boy? Find out what Sian think's Nandos is more important than! And we answer one of the great mysteries about girls...
And of course, lock in next week...Saturday 2-4pm GMT
Tahirah x
It's past 4am.
I have a radio show later today (you know THIS one? Yeah...it's going to be big, lock in if you read this in time Blockers).
I decide that now is the appropriate time to look for a CD that had a jingle on which I hadn't burned or edited on my laptop.
I've had around...ooh...2 months to do this?
But I decided NOW was the right time. And a relentless urgency comes over me when I decide I want something done when I want it, so I went to go and get it.
I get downstairs to the living room...ALAS...it's not there. So I begin to look. Looking for a CD in my house is like looking for a needle in a haystack - we've got far too much music for it to be that easy. During my search I find:
- 3 necklaces I forgot about & a pair of earrings
- My camera case I was looking everrrrrywhere for (I won't tell you where I found it. It was dusty - that's all I'm saying).
- EVERY CD UNDER THE SUN EXCEPT FOR THE ONE I NEEDED
- Including my Musiq - Juslisen, Gwen Stefani - Love. Angel. Music. Baby, Jagged Edge's JE Heartbreak, Faith Evans debut...some random "hip hop history" compilation that it seems like I haven't even opened yet...
- EVEN MY DAMN INTERNET START-UP CD
Eventually I found the CD I wanted. I've now realised the jingle is only 2 DAMN SECONDS LONG.
*huffs* ...when I grow up - I want to be organised.
Anyway - bump to this. Doesn't this remind you how amazing Faith Evans is?
I'm not the superstitious type.
I don't believe a day and number could allude to instant bad luck so Friday the 13th is meaningless to me.
But according to THESE GUYS, Friday is the most unlucky day and 13 is a classically unlucky number, going back from Bible days so the marriage of the two is just asking for trouble. And many parts of society unknowingly adhere to this fear of 13:
More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor.
Many airports skip the 13th gate.
Airplanes have no 13th aisle.
Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13. (eh? are they sure about that?)Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.
Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
& my favourite...
If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.
PAR! I know you're now sitting and doing a letter count on your name.
Anyway.
The twitter crew are already starting to tweet about their "bad luck", getting wet in the rain without insufficent attire (because that's obviously because of Friday 13th - not because you didn't check the weather!), trapping body-parts in car doors, losing keys etc, etc...
Because I'm a "non-believer" I'm going to try and defy the theory, seeing if I can create GOOD luck by doing the stuff that's supposed to be bad luck.
1. Looking for a ladder to bop under
2. Smashing mirrors
3. Watching horrors - obviously starting with Friday 13th (me and Jason will be jammin today)
4. Dashing salt over my shoulder
[insert 5-13 more "unlucky" things for me to do here]
Let's see what happens by the end of the night! In the mean time though, let's rock out to Stevie Wonder's Superstition.
Tonight I had a gun pointed in my direction at close proximity.
I'm not going to get into the intricate details for obvious reasons - the long and short of it was, someone was getting chased by people who were very serious about their intention to hurt this person and I was potentially in the firing line. I am 100% fine and I'm counting my blessings.
I've decided to blog about this and bring it to the Block because I think it's something we need to be discussing.
Obviously I don't know the situation around what happened tonight - but strongly doubt that whatever it was wasn't worth anyone's life. The f*cked up thing is, whatever the situation is, it's blatantly beyond a point of reason where the parties involved will figure out it's not worth bloodshed or jail time until it's too late.
While I reside in a part of London that has often been regarded as quite dangerous, luckily I've never seen anything even remotely on the same level of what I witnessed tonight. However, like most people I've come into contact with across the globe, I know at least somebody whose been affected by gun and knife crime on some level. People have lost their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, cousins, friends etc either to the prison system or in a senseless killing.
A little while back I did THIS POST where I kind of poked fun fun of the "anti-knife" campaign reaching fried chicken boxes (I maintain that it's a pretty wack idea), but at the moment I'm pondering what WILL actually get people to wake up? I'm under no rose-tinted illusion that knife or gun crime is ever not going to be an issue, but I still feel a lot more needs to be done to get people (young people particularly) valuing life a lot more.
Now the media sensationalism has finished shining it's warped spotlight on youth crime and has been focused for the last year on the recession, it seems like it's something people have stopped talking about it - but many communities still need to be having this kind of dialogue. From volunteering with young people who are considered "the problem", to having cousins / family / friends who've gone and go through life in inner-city London - it's not like we don't all recognise there's something serious to sort out.
Why has such a disillusioned, reckless view on the quality of life seemed to seep further into so many people? Is it a feeling of worthless ingrained in certain people? Selfishness? A lack of faith "in thex system"? A lack of support and role models - particularly for young black men? What's going on here? And what can we do to play our little part to mend it?
Tahirah
You know dem ones where you see the SEXIEST person...then they start chatting and their sexiness depletes to nothingness? Yeah...dem ones.
Tahirah...x
Spotted in a terrible chicken shop in Old Street, North London...with these boxes they should rename themselves Ethical Fried Chicken.
If you can't read what's scribed on the fried chicken box it says:
"READ THIS
IT COULD STOP YOU GOING TO PRISON
IN PRISON
You CAN'T go to chicken shops whenever you want
You CAN'T hang out with your mates
You CAN'T see your family whenever you want
You CAN'T wear whatever you want
BUT RIGHT NOW
You CAN choose not to carry a knife
CARRY A KNIFE AND YOU COULD GET UP TO 4 YEARS IN PRISON"
So umm...it's a bit of a problem if our social situation alludes that not being able to go to the chicken shop would be the biggest deterrent for someone to put down a knife...if chowin down on £1 chicken and chips is the biggest thing you've got to worry about you REALLY don't have any real worries in life and you realllly don't need to be carrying any type of weapon...maybe not even a pencil.
It kinda reminds me of them reallllly bad government issued tunes, when the government try to relate to the "kids" by getting some known rappers or MCs to rhyme "don't shank, skank, stay in school, be cool!"
THAT said...if it works, it works!
"Bruvvvvv put daaan the shank fam! It ain't worth it, not if you can't even get a chicken burger in da pen ya getss me?"
So I could write a long review.
I'm not going to.
Eric Roberson BREATHES music. So does his band. Watch this clip from Jazz Cafe on 8th (the day before I went):
THEN BUY MUSIC FAN FIRST.
Erro and I at Jazz Cafe in May 2008
Tahirah the "Music Fan"...x
From my earlier post you'll know I went to the MOBO Awards in Glasgow, Scotland. While that was the main point of the trip, it ended up being just a small component of Lady V, Dev and my adventure. READ THE MADNESS
A week ago I was up in Glasgow pretending I was going to sample haggis. Before the show, I had a plan. A very serious journalistic review on the MOBO Awards 2009 was supposed have landed on The Block by Saturday. It was going to start with something to the effect of "for the first time ever, Britain's most established platform for recognising and awarding music Of black origin was live in Glasgow, Scotland..."
Then in the aftermath of Tahirah, Devill and Lady V's adventures in Glasgow 2009 - a review of the MOBOs were the last thing on my blogging agenda. But before I give you a rundown on the madness AROUND the big sparkly event, I might as well set the scene by telling you my thoughts on the awards.
READ ON
It's Awards season and I'm getting a little bit excited. Fresh off the hype of the MTV Awards, I've booked my flight to Glasgow for the MOBO Awards on September 30th and my girl Lady V is already planning on picking out frocks.
I'm predicting that this year's MOBO Awards will be the most interesting for a minute. The UK underground scene are actually getting a real look in this year and the nominations have been pretty reflective of the level of creativity, morale and positivity surging through the British Black music scene.
But forget all that - it's the controversy I'm looking forward to this year! I'm looking for some kinda excitement. So if we're more than 25 minutes into the show and there's been nothing mahoosively exciting or no bloopers, make sure you clock the stage hard - if Beyonce's Single Ladies wins "Best Video" and one of her 'representatives' hits the stage saying "Beyonce can't be here today..." before they can finish their sentence, a girl with dreads rocking a "The World Is My Block" T-shirt carrying a box of apple juice will stagger onto the stage and drag the mic off of one of him hollering, "I'MMA LET YOU FINISH...BUT UMMM...CHIPMUNK SHOULDA WON THIS AWARD! HE HAD THE BEST...THE BEST VIDEO THIS YEAR WITH UMM...MIGRANE SKANK!"
But forget all that - it's the controversy I'm looking forward to this year! I'm looking for some kinda excitement. So if we're more than 25 minutes into the show and there's been nothing mahoosively exciting or no bloopers, make sure you clock the stage hard - if Beyonce's Single Ladies wins "Best Video" and one of her 'representatives' hits the stage saying "Beyonce can't be here today..." before they can finish their sentence, a girl with dreads rocking a "The World Is My Block" T-shirt carrying a box of apple juice will stagger onto the stage and drag the mic off of one of him hollering, "I'MMA LET YOU FINISH...BUT UMMM...CHIPMUNK SHOULDA WON THIS AWARD! HE HAD THE BEST...THE BEST VIDEO THIS YEAR WITH UMM...MIGRANE SKANK!"
OR while Jermaine Jackson and Shaheen Jarfagholi perform Shine you'll see me slide across the stage wearing aforementioned t-shirt and a glove with stitched on sequins...you know - just "feeling overwhelmed with the spirit."
Ahem. If you've been living under a rock for the past week by any chance, here are the social references I'm making.
Ahem. If you've been living under a rock for the past week by any chance, here are the social references I'm making.
Just a point to say, anyone feeling sorry for Taylor Swift. Stop innit. She's got THE biggest PR boost EVER from Kanye's drunken antics. And Kanye needs to go and have little a rest, because the Kanye I rate would never reach an award-show in a leather waistcoat and a bottle of Henny. That is all.
So...I thought I was all old skool and retro. I have a t-shirt that says I'm a Vinyl Pusher. Other than an addiction to the internet, I never thought I was too technology-dependent. In fact, me and technology kind of have beef -two of my phones died, my laptop chargers explode every 6 
months or so and my creative zen MP3 player - yes, not an ipod (I've been trying to go against "The [creative] Man" and stay away from apple products) - recently decided it wanted to shun me. Through all these technological fails, I've managed to persevere!
Until I realised I had to do my radio show without my laptop.
THEN I realised all my music is on my laptop or on MP3.
THEN I realised all my music is on my laptop or on MP3.
THENNN I also realised my CD collection is now outdated, or all unclean albums where the artists say naughty stuff like n****, b*****, h**, f***, m*****f******* [insert random profanity here] that can only be edited if the track is in MP3 format.
THEN. THEN. THEN - I thought I had salvation - I burned a couple of CDs with edited, current tunes on them before my laptop decided it needed a holiday! But...them I realised the tracklistings were all typed up and on my laptop.
Of course, I persevered through and had banging tunes, because I'm a rude-gyal like that. BUT I've resigned myself to the fact that I am not retro or old-skool and I am, indeed, a digital girl.
THEN. THEN. THEN - I thought I had salvation - I burned a couple of CDs with edited, current tunes on them before my laptop decided it needed a holiday! But...them I realised the tracklistings were all typed up and on my laptop.
Of course, I persevered through and had banging tunes, because I'm a rude-gyal like that. BUT I've resigned myself to the fact that I am not retro or old-skool and I am, indeed, a digital girl.
Notting Hill Carnival 2009: Hype...jerk chicken...gyal dem...hype...man dem...hype...police...hype...bottle fights...hype...bleeding...hype...alcohol...hype...crazy drunk people...hype...big tunes...hype...nuff big artists...too much damn hype.
Through the hype and chicken, I managed to form my own experience at carnival - BANG Radio were broadcasting live from The Tabernacle so Bashy and Ms Dynamite passed through...
Bish Bash Bosh couture...me thinks me needs a t-shirt in my life *cheap hint, cheap hint*.
Highlight of our interview - Ms Dynamite: "I'm going to be on stage doing monologues about...vagina."
Me: "On that note!...so Bashy, I'm not going to ask if you like vagina."
Bashy: "Vagina's a beautiful thing!"
READ MORE
SMDH at me embarrassing myself in the name of bubbles!
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