In case you’re not familiar with “Bangs the Great,” the Sudanese-Australian “rapper” who’s been an internet sensation a la “It’s So Cold in the D” and “Why Must I Cry” for the past couple of weeks, then watch the video below: Every now and then, awful videos that aren’t made bad on purpose pop up on the web. It’s the reflection of the fact that we need more damage control. Tons of people should be told the truth but part of the problem is that people don’t know how to communicate effectively. There’s a way to criticize without being cantankerous, Read the rest of this entry »
30 Oct 2009
Catching Up With Nikki D, Not a Fan of Nicki Minaj
Nikki D chats with Gangstarr Girl about the state of women in hip-hop and shares her thoughts on Nicki Minaj.
22 Oct 2009
Visit Chez Lucienne Next Time You’re in Harlem
I accompanied a few New York City based bloggers to check out Harlem’s Chez Lucienne, a French restaurant owned by a local couple.
18 Aug 2009
Roc 4 Life Contest Winner: Introducing Atlas’
Roc4life.com and GangStarrGirl.com teamed up back in May in search of a dope female mc for the “Roc Your 16 Bars” contest. It was tough competition as the ladies really stepped it up but in the end, Harlem native AtLas’ was the winner. Get to know her as she talks about her affiliation with MC Lyte and her love for hip-hop.
29 Jul 2009
Blogging Beauties NYC
Some time last year I discovered a fly beauty blog named Clumps of Mascara, and have been checking back every day since. Brittany, the publisher, is the coolest. And although my blog isn’t technically a beauty blog, she knows that I’m a product junkie and graciously invited me to a beauty blogger networking event in NYC last Saturday. It came at a great time for me because I’ve decided to expand my post material. “Bloggin’ Beauties” was the brain child of Brittany and Yana (of My Own Judge). The lovely ladies who came out were treated to free manicures by Read the rest of this entry »
27 Jul 2009
God Mama of Hip-Hop/Soul Solute: Grace Jones
I just found out that Grace Jones will be performing at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday, and am bummed because my unemployed-self can’t afford to buy tickets willy-nilly. (Anyone wanna donate to a struggling journalist?) However,the least I can do is honor her legacy because she doesn’t get the props she deserves when it comes to her immense influence on pop-culture, especially hip-hop and soul music. Her first name might be Grace, but she personifies fierce! Grace Jones has influenced hip-hop and many-a-diva from Rihanna to Patra to Lil’ Kim to Lady Ga Ga–from their senses of fashion to Read the rest of this entry »
18 May 2009
Tiye Phoenix Kills Everyone In Site (Video Interview)
“Sometimes we must completely destroy that which we build so that we may rebuild all over again. it’s just a cycle of life.” –Tiye Phoenix Check out why she named her album Half Woman Half Amazin. Tiye Phoenix, veteran mc, is an unsung shero of hip-hop. The rapper, beat battle champ and singer has more talent in one beaded braid than most if not all of your favorite rappers. The Baltimore native studied classical piano as a child and eventually evolved into a skilled artist gifted lyrically and vocally. She entered the scene in the late 90s when she formed Read the rest of this entry »
13 Apr 2009
Katerina Graham: The Renaissance Diva
Pearl Bailey, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne and Diahann Carroll were pioneering women in entertainment history who turned every creative project they touched into silver. They were beautiful, elegant and known for being triple threats—singing, dancing and acting with all their hearts and souls. Their ambition, charisma and charm gained followers worldwide, and created legacies that will never be forgotten. But in today’s entertainment world, divas are known for being mired in controversy, meaning, they tend to become famous for being party girls who clutter tabloid pages with drunken and drugged debauchery. However, 19-year-old starlet Katerina Graham is a beacon of Read the rest of this entry »
31 Mar 2009
Women of Color Starve Themsevles Too Sometimes
I spotted this video at Straight From the A, where Rocsi reveals her struggles with diet pill abuse and an eating disorder. It’s amazing what you can reveal to a room full of strangers, but not to people who really know you. Rocsi is right, if people know your struggle it can help others going through the same thing. I feel bad because I’m guilty of calling Rocsi skinny–just to be negative–not realizing that we share a common ground. The first time I had ever heard a woman in hip-hop admit to having an eating disorder was on the Salt Read the rest of this entry »
9 Mar 2009
Rising Starr: Getting to Know Skull Gang’s Diva
In hip-hop, the most fascinating thing next to beef is usually the “First Lady†of the crew. But few lady starlets have been as elusive as Starr, the leading lady of Skull Gang. Every now and then she would pop up on a Juelz Santana hook or on a hood mixtape and pique everyone’s interest, but then she’d disappear again. In December the 22-year-old Harlem native appeared on Juelz Santana’s “Jingle Bellz,†and she also sang in Jim Jones’ Hip-Hop Monologues, leaving people wondering when she was going to do her own thing. The time has come. Her new single, Read the rest of this entry »
