SPLIT-LIFE LIVING

So yesterday, I sensed that my day would grow to be a dull bore unless I got active and did something about it. Initially, I planned to lounge around, watch TV, snack heavily and possibly blog a little. Nah, that sounded too blah. So I did a little self-shoot and also photographed the thrift/vintage finds you can find a couple of posts below. (Note the nude wedges and the turqoise-high-waist-denim-shorts mentioned in Thrift finds )Yeahhh, so I got somewhat productive. Yay me! I'm definitely about to post roughly about 17 photos of myself.......in ONE post. I think that's me breaking a world record. I can't help that I'm intoxicated with the appeal of each one. Sheesh. Might post some more at a later time, who knows?







Notice the difference in contrast in the photo above?






Hit the jump.
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AUDIO: THE WEEKND x "ROLLING STONE"

The Weeknd - Rolling Stone by The_Weeknd
I was just speaking about The Weeknd earlier this evening. I tweeted: The Weeknd's "House of Balloons" mixtape contained excellent-hypnotic-melodies, it's gonna prove quite difficult to outdo.
Considering House of Balloons is part of a trilogy "which includes "Thursday" and "Echo of Silence" to be released in the summer and autumn respectively." All one can do is anticipate. With the release of "rolling stone", I can boldly state that the chances of him outdoing his last project seems incredibly scintillant. With House of Balloons , he set the bar extremely high for himself. Individuals with a meticulous sense of hearing are thinking, fuck, he better create music that's gonna make me shit rainbows and morph into a unicorn. 'Cause face it, his music has a unique way of commanding moods to change and mirror the sentiments behind each note, each word, and each melody.
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VIDEO: MOS DEF x TALIB KWELI x "HISTORY"

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VIDEO: KENDRICK LAMAR x "HIII POWER"

Words cannot fully express my appreciation for Kendrick Lamar as an artist. His music has served as melodic therapy to me countless times and I am sure it has to many people. I like my music conscious, therefore, he appeals to me in a sense unimaginable to most. I had the privilege of watching him perform live; his essence is very powerful. OMG, no words. I, for one, am delighted with the presence of revolutionary music. Not just from him, but from Lupe as well. If there are any other artists out there that I failed to mention, forgive me. Oh, I would like to add that I am especially delighted to learn that this track was produced by J.Cole .
Watch, indulge, enjoy.
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TEFF, THE DON x THRIFT FINDS VOL.1

So, as I previously mentioned in the post titled SoHo-sailing , I had a fairly successful trip to the thrift store last week Thursday. And I did mention I was going to photograph some of my finds and share it with ya. I'm saying it like I snagged a haul of goodies. ha! Sike, nah; just three great items. I have to do it in order of favorites, starting with a black vintage velvet Donna Ricco dress. Its full price ranges at about 190-200+, but I snagged it for $45. Not bad, right? Not bad at all.


Check out the detail on the back: the bows placed at the top and mid-section. I bought it for my siblings' grad. ceremony. As much as I'm in love with them, I might end up adding 'em to the online store coming in the fall. It's a size 10, fits well, but it makes me look shorter than I already am. -_-




I'm infatuated with high-waist denim shorts and I've pretty much been daydreaming about buying a pair with floral print. My luck, I found a pair and they are perfect.



Aren't they beautiful? Yes, indeedy. Last, but not least: a snazzy-turqoise-high-waist-denim-shorts. I didn't take much pictures of it. Blah! Deal with it. I'm actually using a cropped picture from a self-shoot I just did a couple of hours ago.

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VIDEO: MARQUES HOUSTON x "CIRCLE"

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VIDEO: PAC DIV x "FALLIN"

I spy a polaroid-covered-wall--ahhh! I was just speaking with my sister the other day about getting a polaroid cam and doing the same. It has a great outlook, does it not?
Much love to Pac Div ; "fallin" is one of my favorite tracks off of Mania! .
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PLETHORA OF AURA

Aura of what precisely? I'm not at all certain. You be the judge? lol anyway doe. These pictures are from yesterday's outing. I'm really growing tired of being around people who aren't at all familiar with skill of photographing. /: I can't begin to express to you how annoying it is. So here we are, my sister, my cousin and I, on our way back home and I decide to stop by this park to take pictures. All of a sudden, I became overwhelmed with the desire to take a piss. lol sorry I couldn't think of any other subtle way to put it. So yeah, I ask my sister to take the pictures real quick so we can head home soon after. After numerous attempts, I handed the camera over to my cousin assuming her photo taking skills were a bit more neat than my sister's; they were. Most of these shots were hurried due to the fact that it was exceptionally chilly outside coupled with the fact I had to take a fucking leak. lol. Blogger does a horrible job at accurately documenting the time and date of my entries so with that said, it is currently 6:38 A.M. on May 24th, 2011. I hate that it does that and I'm not sure how to change it! Ugh. Moving on, I can foresee plenty nights spent on exchanging sleep with moments spent on the computer either blogging or editing photos over the summer. It's inevitable. I tend to have long-busy-days, followed by long nights in the summer, leaving no room for slumber.




Why do I look sinfully-short in pictures? *runs off into the distance, crying hysterically*


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VIDEO: CHRIS BROWN x K-MAC x "REAL HIP-HOP SHIT"

Breezy ... Real Hip Hop Sh!t from Mechanical Dummy on Vimeo.

K-Mac's lyrics--decent. I'm new to his work, so yeah, that's my opinion for now. Overall,I think this was beautifully-done.
You know what I love? --delighting in the growth of an artist. Oh, and Chris YumYum Maurice Brown as well. Yeah, I know, I had no idea he had two middle names either. I'm so random. Bye.
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VIDEO: SCHOOLBOY Q x AB-SOUL x "DRUGGYS WITH HOES"

Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul like, faithfully intoxicated, but they make good music. It took a moment for Ab-Soul's sound to grow on me, but it's safe to say Top Dawg Ent. is, seemingly, constituted of Kings of equal talent. Much respect. Peace.
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MIXTAPE: BIG K.R.I.T. x "THE RETURN OF 4EVA"

Big K.R.I.T. - ReturnOf4Eva by Q-CA
This entire mixtape is easily a classic. How did I arrive at that conclusion? I searched it on datpiff , hit play and was not at all filled with urge to skip a track. Not only that, the mixtape ran out and replayed itself and I had no idea. Everything from the lyrical content to the sentiments that arise upon the duration of each track: bliss. I'm not a fan of the fact that he's downplayed and regarded as not being praise-worthy right along with most southern rappers. I believe he contains more substance than most. In addition to that, his genuine humility is absolutely commendable. I had the privilege of watching him perform twice, as well as meeting and photographing him. Upon our second encounter with each other, he recognized me before I spoke and went forth to tell me when and where we met. Like, how many entertainers can do that? His words, "...in the midst of all the glory, I hope you find God." immediately comes to mind. I have so much appreciation and respect for Big K.R.I.T. as an individual and as an artist given that the humility you hear portrayed in his lyrics are genuine. Yeah, and that's my story. lol.

SUMMER PROJECT: STREET-LIFE SERIES

Like most people, your actions, interests, ideas and opinions are an externalization of your character. For me, as an artist, my art is a perfect representation of myself. I have attempted to employ organization to my art countless times, but have failed miserably. I will not say I am necessarily giving up, but I will say I have learned to find comfort and satisfaction with the way that I conduct my presentation of my work. I am chaotic, inconsistent, and savagely unorganized. I won't call it a problem. No, it's not at all a problem. Each time I cook up ideas for photo-series, I always break out of the structure; I hate structure. I have a free mind and I delight in expressing aspects of myself freely; my art shouldn't be exempted from that. This summer, I have decided to extend my photography more into the candid free nature of street-life photography. In case you are not aware, I go to school in North Carolina. I am constantly condemning the overall appeal of the area I stay at in NC simply for the fact its character does not appeal to me. Maybe it will, but I just won't surrender myself to being in its captivity. Now that I am back home in New York for the summer, the place where I feel possesses unspeakable amount of character. Along with a street-life series of photography, I will also dabble into conceptual and street-fashion. Perhaps, some fashion photography. It shouldn't prove difficult to find able and willing participants. Initially, I advertised the want of subjects/model on tumblr and facebook and surprisingly got some immediate feedback. However, the whole organization thing posed as an enormous bump on the road. I delight in spontaneity, like I previously mentioned, so I think I would rather take the route of asking acquaintances, associates and friends to be my subjects. Or simply approach random individuals on the skreet. Yeah, I said skreet. All in all, I hope to continue telling stories through my photographs. If you delight in my work, stay tuned.
Here are some photographs I've captured so far:





hit the jump...

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FEATURED ON: FRESH WALL STREET BLOG

I was reached out to by Allen of Fresh Wall Street about two weeks ago via email. He showered me with praises on my blog, style and individuality and proceeded to request my approval on a feature on his blog highlighting the previously mentioned facets of myself--I agreed. Immediately, I anticipated receiving the usual interview questions and so on; a couple of days went by and nothing. Eventually, I received a tweet noting the completion of the feature and ecstatically clicked the link to see. I have to say, this is the best write-up I have ever read that pertains to me. I love that he included pictures of me from way back when (lol) rather than just using current pictures. He captured my essence beautifully with his words. I literally smiled the entire time while reading it and I am absolutely humbled to receive such praise. Not to through slander at the other blogs/sites that have featured me, but I have to admit, it's a breath of fresh air to read a freely written write-up as opposed to the somewhat rigid structure of an interview. I am more than appreciative of the fact that someone deemed me worthy of receiving any kind of recognition, positive recognition that is.

Click here to read the write-up, if you care to. I love the content of his blog so much! Enjoy.
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A 1000 WORDS: TOMMASO AQUILANO x ROBERTO RIMANDI

I learned about designer pair Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimandi while flipping through my copy of Harper's Bazaar 's August 2009 issue. Wait, I am not certain of the month, but I am certain it's from 2009 and it displayed fall fashion. The beauty of this very issue of Harper's Bazaar is its ability to harbor relevant,, timeless, and captivating fashion. I've probably perused the content of that magazine and my other issues of Harper's magazines countless times. But, yeah, back to the partnership of Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimandi of Gianfranco Ferre; to my knowledge, they've been a part of the House of Ferre for roughly 4 years. The following photographs contains products of their sophomore year with House of Ferre. I'm especially fond of the use of black velvet!!! Velvet is my absolute favorite fabric in the world; the texture, the appeal of it, especially in the black, forest green, maroon or burgundy. Ugh. But yeah, I digress. I'm also especially fond of the angular-detailed peaked shoulders, the use of fur (not sure if it's real or faux), the belted jackets, the ruffled necklines ( especially that one Shakespearan-blouse), etc. Their overall vision for this collection appeals to my idea of what women fashion ought to consist of: bold. I just compiled some of my favorite looks into some collages, there's more. If you're curious to see more, let Google be your aid. (:


Aren't they exceptionally amazing? I'm working hard at keeping up with their work, you should too.

HOUSE OF BALLOONS

I'm not sure how many of you a familiar with The Weeknd 's mixtape titled, "House of Balloons", but I feel as though the following photographs give off that feeling. Probably because I played the mixtape while photographing, as well as while editing these photos. So I figured, "hey! why not name the blog post after the mixtape?" Funny, yet not surprising enough, I photographed these between the hours of 12 and 3 a.m.: the hour of inspiration. There are more shots from this self-shoot, but as usual, I'll post 'em all in due time. LOL...maybe.





Sike, nah, I will.
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SOHO-SAILING

I've been back home since Wednesday and I've literally been on the move ever since. Yesterday, Friday, was the only day I've had a chance to do what I actually wanted to do as opposed to doing what I need to do. lol I know that sounds backwards, but a balance between wants and needs should be established. Yeah, so I was out in the SoHo area with one of my sisters shopping for an outfit for my siblings' graduation ceremony and after-party. Don't get carried away with me awarding the celebration afterwards an "afer-party"; it is, but a mere birthday dinner. lol it's still a party though. I scored some great finds at the thrift and finally bought my first pair of heels. Ha! Every pair of heels I've ever owned this far in my life, has been bought for me by others. It felt kind of....empowering. lol. I'm an advocate for the idea that there are other ways to exhibit your womanhood than to wear makeup heavily and strut around in 6+inch heels. I'll take some photos of my thrift finds and my shoe-zeeeees.
Oh. I'd just like to state it took my sister roughly 30 tries to get at least 5 decent photos of me--pitiful. You can imagine how awkward it was for us, more specifically me, standing there patiently waiting to be photographed. Ugh.

Click the jump for more
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VIDEO: DOM KENNEDY x "DESIGNER SHIT"

DOM KENNEDY - "Designer Shit" from The Topshelf Company on Vimeo.

I was fortunate enough to share a stage with Dom Kennedy the same night he performed "designer shit" for the first time at NC A&T's aggie fest. The overal appeal of the video is equal to the appeal of the song itself: classic, laid-back, smooth. I love it. Enjoy.
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VIDEO: BIG K.R.I.T. x "DREAMING"

Big K.R.I.T. - Dreamin from Motion Family on Vimeo.

Return of 4eva is a classic, by the way.
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VIDEO: KENDRICK LAMAR x "CUT YOU OFF"

Kendrick Lamar - "Cut You Off" from CALMATIC on Vimeo.

Woke up with this song stuck in my head. The lyrics exudes so much truth; much love to the poet, Kendrick Lamar
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ABSENCE OF COLOR

Sometime last week, I'm absolutely not certain what day this might've been, these pictures were taken. lol is that too vague for ya? lol my memory is slipping as stress accumulates; I hate to bear witness to this process. Lately, in order to regain part of my sanity, I've been making more time for myself and my thoughts, and less time for everything else. I believe that the strength of the one's heart determines the extent of their sanity. At the moment, I have a lot bearing on my heart; pertaining to school and other of life's happenings. I usually photograph, write, and sketch a lot during moments like these. It is essential that I create especially when such a thing as stress exists. Moving on though...lol



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A 1000 WORDS x JEREMY SCOTT SP. 2010

One of my favorites. Incredibly infatuated with this caveman-The Flinstones-themed collection. The multi-colored winged sneakers, no words to describe its overall appeal.
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AUDIO: SCIENZE x 7 DAYS OF AESTHETICS [DAY 1]

#7DaysofAesthetics - Day 1 by ScienZe

ScienZe's music is yet to disappoint. Visit www.ScienZeclass.com for more.
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