Baby I'm A Star

As I write this post I'm jamming to one of the greatest musician and artist of all time- Prince [1]. I decided to title this post in accordance to what I was listening to (Baby I'm A Star- From the Purple Rain Album), as it is a perfect fit for what I've been contemplating.

I'm a late 80s baby, but I've grown up with an old soul, a grandfather who played either only NPR [2] or Oldies 98 in his car, and a father who would tell me stories of his first time hearing Parliment Funkadelic and whose vast collection of cds has provided me with the stylings of artists like Rick James, Teena Marie, Steely Dan, Prince, Bootsy Collins, Boz Scaggs, Sade, and of course the Jacksons- just to name a few. I remember growing up spending many an afternoon in front of my father's sound system, putting in cds and listening to them all the way through. I distinctly remember falling in love with Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 cd and wanting to burn Rick James' Reflections album because of the song 17 [3]. Even now my itunes has more old school funk and soul than any of the newer stuff.

There are countless artists from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and even the 90s, that will go down as having created some of the greatest and most timeless music. As I get older and increasingly rely on cars to get around,  find myself tuning into the radio stations and being dissatisfied with what's currently popular. With the exception of a few artists like Kanye West, Bruno Mars, B.O.B, Janelle Monae (yall need to get up on her), and Cee Lo Green, I really can't find myself totally loving the music that's out currently. Though I must admit Nicki Minaj finally came out with a pop song that is just too darn catchy to ignore.  Maybe it's because I've grown up on funk, soul, and r&b. The current music fad, however, seems to focus on pop, and I guess it just isn't my thing [4].  But then I got to thinking. Is any of the music we listen to now memorable, timeless? Will Katy Perry's E.T. end up on the Oldies station when we hit 50? Would we even want to listen to that?

I would love to hear what you all have to say about the current music getting airtime.

What recent songs would you consider timeless? What do you think you'll be listening to when you're 50? Any music that you would suggest that won't kill my soul is actually good? What old school music do you still play?

[1] Yeah I said it. And what? Who you got? Tito Michael Jackson?
[2] Car Talk anyone?
[3] This was some scandalous stuff to me when I was 14. 
[4] I admit it. I'm biased against most mainstream pop and I have little experience with the current crap music that's on the radio now. 

The Attention Span of Flies

I am feeling a tremendous amount of pressure with this being my first post. Well, perhaps not tremendous considering few people are reading right now. It’s okay though, because like our President, we gonna do big things!

This brings me to my topic of concern. Irrespective of personal or political beliefs, Osama bin Laden’s death is, without a doubt, a big thing. Some disagree with the significance of his death, others disapprove of the methodology in our approach in seeking justice. However, killing Osama bin Laden is viewed to be a symbolic victory in our long fight against terrorism. It is safe to assume that his death will dominate the media for weeks to come.

But what about that awful event that occurred that previous Wednesday? You know, that day when approximately 100 tornadoes ripped through the Southern states of Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia and Kentucky? It has left thousands homeless and over 350 dead- a number likely to increase. Prior to Sunday’s news, I was concerned about the coverage of the tornado disaster, considering it scant and basic. Our collective neglect of what is a national tragedy is shameful, especially with the amount of damage it caused. Recovery efforts are expected to cost billions of dollars. Shaw University-the nation’s oldest HBCU- will not be able to continue classes for the rest of the semester. This, here, sounds like a big thing.

Americans have showcased the capacity of our emotions when in response to events that carry great emotional weight. We cannot allow for one celebratory moment to distract us from one involving human suffering just because it is convenient. The death of Osama bin Laden might offer some closure for years of pain but for the Southern states affected this is only the beginning.

Let the Fun Begin!

In the spirit of celebrating all the hooplah surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden (checkmate?), the royal wedding (you'd think it happened in America with all the media coverage), President Obama showing his long form birth certificate (oh birthers how you entertain me), Mariah Carey having her kiddies (finally! those kids just didn't want to leave the womb!), and Justin Bieber getting egg on his face (okay he danced out of the way- but still), I finally got off my lazy butt and created this blog for the three other lovely ladies I call my besties and myself. It's been months in the making since I first said that we need to move our email communications to a more open platform, and I finally delivered.

This little ditty was created for us four beautiful, talented, educated, hilarious, sarcastic, and sometimes bitter but always true women to express our views on pertinent issues, converse with each other and you the readers, create a forum of learning, have fun, and of course escape from the pressures of reality. We hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoy writing this, and please feel free to give us any advice on how we can improve.

This is my third blog and in the past I struggled with keeping up with posts and falling into a pattern of laziness, which ended up causing my blogs to stall. However, the three ladies I am writing this blog with are a part of my motivation for posting often and well. Please bear with us as we tweak content and design.

I hope you will be as entertained as I am whenever I converse with these gals. Enjoy a little escape from the job, those kids you're beginning to regret having, that neighbor who doesn't understand that playing loud music after midnight on a weeknight is inappropriate, ridiculous gas prices, your mother, that friend always asking for money, or just reality. Laugh a bit, get a little angry, cry once in a while, and soak it all up. I hope you enjoy our little Sister Escape. Let the fun begin!