Cult of Self

I planned on this being a way to kick off Black History Month, because all these things feature people of African Descent, but their race and some nationally recognized month doesn't diminish nor enhance their talent so I'm posting it whenever.

I would love to be more vocal on this site without losing the interest of my readers or sounding like a complete nincompoop. I'm sure you all have lovely attention spans, it's just this is something that is very subversive and I'm not quite sure how to formulate a remotely cohesive response in only a few short paragraphs and I'm just so in shock every time I watch this and so I just say nothing, as apposed to wasting your time with the millions of things this makes me want to say and be. My basic sentence composition skills are on point, eh?

So, I'll try this.

Allow me to speak candidly, if you will. I'm not one for labels. I don't label myself a feminist, I don't discuss politics, even though I'm politically aware, I don't talk religion. However, the one thing that holds so much value to me is my cultural identity. It more than likely has to do with my environment and my parents for instilling within me a great sense of self worth and cultural appreciation since practically birth. So, it is the greatest feeling to see someone who looks like me creating and thriving and adding to this beautiful mosaic of what it means to be BLACK and to simply, be.
Watch this stuff now. Look, I know I seemingly obsess over nearly everything that ends up on my blog and I know most of it is not for everyone, but if you come across this site today watch at least the first 30 seconds of something I've included in this post. I already feel like I haven't included nearly enough things, but if you do watch, then my commentary isn't worth a hill of beans and hopefully you will have felt something and thought something about it. If it is something you'd like to share leave a comment below. Yadda Yadda I'm rambling onto the VIDEOS!

So, I watched Paris Is Burning a documentary film I've wanted to see almost as long as I've been into films, but never watched in it's entirety.

Paris is Burning is documentary film making at its FINEST. Seriously every frame, every close-up, every confessional, every word, EVERYTHING. Boy do I mean EVERYTHING is amazing and life changing. I love this movie not in the voyeuristic look at the poor downtrodden people of color making the best of their shit circumstances way, but because it feels so familiar. Like I'm being spoken with not at. It made me wonder just what are young contemporary artists of color doing today. Not necessarily of a certain sexual orientation. Just what are people who look like me doing, now? Where is the solidarity? The shared struggle. The quest for identity and DOPENESS. Just watch.

And then, last fall, I found out about Mykki Blanco.

I'm sorta conflicted about posting this even though I've wanted to do so for MONTHS. Part of me wants to keep artists like this to myself, because they're just so amazing and  after seeing how others have completely written off Azealia Banks, I don't want Mykki to suffer the same fate. Yes, I'm aware I sound delusional for saying this about grown ass people that I don't even know personally, but I'm touchy about my art, especially when it's provocative and polarizing.
So I downloaded the mixtape and blasted it in the confines of my room and read all Mykki's (or Mikey's) interviews and watched this short doc TOO MANY times. All this time later I STILL have nothing bright to say, other this is important. This is gonna be something incredible.

While we're on the topic of Black Males challenging tremendously antiquated and conservative gender roles many people of color are subject to that died out for most in like the 50's let's talk about LE1F. Imma just leave this here. Chiefly because this is the JAM.

And soaring down the infinite black hole (redundant?) that is my Tumblr dashboard I found Venus X.

Wanting to confirm that she is nearly half as awesome I she looks, I can now confidently say, YES. That and then some.

Venus X, nee Jazmine Venus Soto, is a prominent DJ in the New York club scene. Her infamous, and now defunct, parties GHE2O G0TH1K (''ghetto gothic'') bridged the gap between, Punk, Reggae, Dancehall, European Hardstyle, Metal,  Bhangra, Rap, Top 40 Hits, RnB and a slew of other music I am too unexposed to know, at the moment. It was a free form space for New York youths (and the more advanced) from all walks of life to come and sweat it out on the dancefloor without judgement. She is incredibly bright and culturally conscious yet still so curious which is always such a stunning quality in anyone and even moreso from someone who's done so much at such a young age.

This Q&A with miss Soto is beyond all.

I wanted to be a muse for Mickalene Thomas.

Origin of the Universe

Mickalene Thomas is New York based artist specializing in collage, photography, and painting. Her MASSIVE paintings feature black woman in 60's and 70's inspired silhouettes and surroundings. They are covered in rhinestones, they are gauche, they are skillful, they are off-kilter, they are painful, they are beautiful.

Mirror Mirror

I remember hearing about Mickalene in high school and wanting so bad to make artwork like her, but not feeling adult enough to tell a story or portray an experience on canvas anywhere near as beautiful as hers.

Les Trois Femmes Noires

Details

Nick Cave Soundsuits

1) This is not that Nick Cave (he's awesome though). 2) I do not know what's happening but this looks like religious tribal wear festooned out of materials from Jo-Ann's Crafts children's section. 3) I LOVE EVERYTHING. 

Nick Cave was a classically trained dancer with the prestigious Alvin Ailey theater company for years, before embarking on his 20 year long stint of creating his intricately designed and undeniably p-h-e-n-o-m-e-n-a-l soundsuits. My mind can't even deal right now, so watch this video whilst I implode or something.

2012 brought me, The Untitled Mag.

Although their site is currently on hiatus their Tumblr is alive and kicking. I love the Untitled Magazine because it does not focus on only black women, but they include stories from nearly every marginalized group you can think of. Best of all nearly everyone on the staff is under 30. Their site was not updated as frequently as one would hope, but all of the content was relevant. Hopefully with the new site revamp there will be so much more to read and discuss. 

While you're at it check out the Black Feminist Manifesto, Trill-Wave Feminism, and the Crunk Feminist Collective, Black Contemporary Art, and Shadow and Act, some of my favorite sites for the goings on of many talented brown people in the realms of art, activism, politics, cinema, sports, science, etc.