What’s he talking about? Kanye West Interview Interpretation

 

 

Kanye West 105.1 Interview

 

The interview that left some of us as confused as we were inspired. Kanye West met up with The Breakfast Club, the morning show that has kept their finger on the pulse of young urban culture for quite some time now. I’ve attached a link for those of you that do not tune in via iHeart Radio, listen, then come back.

 

The fashion passion rant:

Crazy? Like a fox. Kanye is trained in artistic communication. Consider his words as strokes on a canvas. He can see what he’s created, but there’s always much left for us to decide.

 

What I gathered from his rant is the fact that power is connected to the financial ability to subject the masses to your decision process. His deal with Nike opened his eyes to the fact that although he is extremely influential, his power is limited by his financial ability to push his ideas to the masses.

 

The infamous Adam & Eve reference:

“Eve made Adam bite the apple, and ever since then it’s been illegal to be naked. I’m trying to get you to change your perception of the law.”

 

I think he’s trying to say that he wants to influence more than the fad, but the standard in clothing. I’m expecting lots of deconstructing the rules in his upcoming work. Think back on the kilt he references in the interview, that was a Hip-Hop first. It seems as though he’d like to expand the way we consider “properly dressed”. What Adam and Eve had to do with getting that point across, who knows. I will give him this… Jesus spoke in parables, so maybe that’s his way of paying homage.

 

Old Money/ New Money theory:

This is the part of the interview in which he referenced Jewish people and their ability to have a relative back them up in a venture and compared what Dame Dash did in creating that family.

In my opinion, this is a concept that I wish more people would come to understand. Especially in my hometown of Cincinnati. A family/common resource is essential in catapulting a grassroots effort of an individual that is not already independently wealthy.

 

Kanye isn’t always easy to follow, but that’s why we enjoy him. He makes us think, and sometimes he just makes us laugh. Charlemagne tha god handled this interview exactly the way that we’d hoped and asked the hard questions. We just wish he’d found a way to get a straight answer. I’d love to know what you thought of the interview. Leave a comment below, don’t forget you can post anonymously.

 

 

 



Closet on a Dime (Fashion Files)

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There are some things that a fashion maven just wants. One of those things is a Boutique style closet space with a dressing area. Here’s how I created mine.

Step One: Gotta Have Racks!
I took a trip to my local big box store and found some adjustable double rod racks. The ones that I purchased reminded me of the put away racks at Macy’s and they have a great extension on the ends for accessories like scarves.

(Quick tip: Never hang your bags, store them on a shelf, it saves the handles.)

Step Two: Have a Seat!
As much fun a beautiful wing back chair may be to have in this space, you need to get a good short bench. Think about the ones that are in the shoe store, then make it fabulous. The bench should fit your behind and your most involved pair of shoes so shop to scale.

Step Three: NO WIRE HANGERS!
No matter where you are constructing this clothing oasis, nothing creates more issues than a bunch of miss-matched hangers. Velvet hangers are the key to adding that extra special touch. Why? First of all they grip even you most strappy and slippery garments and keep them off the floor. The new wave of them are also excellent space savers. The hangers from the dry cleaners should be recycled, just take them back to the store once you’ve put away your clothes or bring them with your next load.

Step Four: Shirts High, Pants, Low!
Nothing helps you cut your dressing time in half like having everything in its proper place. I’ve noticed that since I can see my clothes I feel much more put together, than thrown together.

This closet system works for both male and female clothing. I considered posting a picture of my system, but I’d like for you to draw from your own imagination and create something beautiful. If you find yourself stumped email me at marellewrites@gmail.com and I will send you pictures of what I decided to do.

ENJOY!

Loyalty…

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Loyalty has been an overarching theme lately. I wish that I could say that it’s the new generation or these kids are messed up, but it transcends all age, gender and color lines. So as I ponder this epidemic I started thinking, maybe people have forgotten what that’s supposed to look like. Maybe in this world of instant connectivity, we have abandoned the hierarchy of acceptable behavior towards those that we hold dear.

I get some emails from people that just want to share their thoughts with me and get my opinion, since these people don’t fit into a Girl He Ain’t Slick post I’ve decided to make a compilation of some of my responses to the issues presented that had a theme of loyalty.

1. It makes perfect sense to feel offended by not receiving a formal invitation to your friend’s party, however if you are very close, they may have just assumed that you would be there no matter what. Your friendship is probably bigger than the guest list.

2. No it doesn’t make sense that your aunt would be upset with you for leaving the house after her live-in boyfriend was accused of touching your child. Any mother with their right mind will protect their children. Why do people feel like you  have to wait until something horrible happens to kick into action? It takes a village to raise and protect a child.

3. Yes you should try to save a friendship if you believe that you are just having a small disagreement. However if you see the signs that this person is not capable of being there in the way that you two can be a positive addition to one another’s lives, let it go. Life is too long to be walking around with stress.

4. If your gut is telling you that you are being used, listen. Learn to say no and pay attention to the reaction that you receive. If all the love and attention goes away then you know what the situation was about all along.

Friendship Tips:
If you never borrow anything, you never have to pay anything back. Don’t lean on your friends for your poor decision making. Emergency does not include mismanagement of your own funds.

When in doubt, talk it out. It’s never OK to just stew in anger when the subject is a person that you’re close to. Ask the hard questions, be ready for the answers and keep calm. Save the hooping and hollering for someone in the streets that you don’t care about. Be respectful of the time spent building the friendship/relationship prior to the misunderstanding.

Do what you can when you can. Nothing is worse than saying you will do something prematurely. Be mindful of your means, and be upfront, there’s nothing wrong with taking time to think before you answer. True friends will recognize that there is a difference between what you want to do and what you can do.

Know your role. Don’t take on more than the friendship requires. If you are asked to be a shoulder to cry on, be honest if you’re not capable of that, don’t turn into an avenger when nobody asked for one.

I love getting your emails marellewrites@gmail.com so keep them coming.

-LOVE

Vulnerable….

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I went through a patch in life that many people I encountered imagined that I was extremely confident and on top of my game. I chose the word imagined because it was so far from the truth. I think I’ve spent my whole life trying to win in order to have some type of validation that I’m good enough.

The truth is that I’d walk around all day feeling like the outsider (and I still do at times, but I’m grown now so it doesn’t matter) so I made up this life in my head that I was weird to people because they were regular and I was extraordinary. I know it sounds horrible to read out loud, which is why I’m putting it here. I never felt like beating myself was good enough even though my Dad and Karate instructor would preach the honor of doing your best. I’ve carried this fear of not winning my entire life.

So what does that turn into when you’re an adult?

I put myself into constant imaginary competition mode for years. Everything I do, I identify a clear winner and loser. I never just give the win to myself and stroke my own ego which never gets me to high off my own steam. The things that have suffered as a result are my deepest desires. I attempted to build a business in 2010 ( go read the old posts, you’ll see) and although I didn’t walk away in the hole I felt like a failure. Not many people are able to turn a profit in the beginning but I set the expectations for growth so high that even when I walked out on top it wasn’t good enough. I used to blame my toxic thoughts on survival.

 “I don’t have a brother or sister’s couch to sleep on if I screw up my life chasing fairytales” is something that used to frequently come out of my mouth.

I realize that much of my problem was that people had an idea about who I am based on what they’d see or hear, and being the constant competitor I’d make sure that list was short and vague. I would prefer to never show my weaknesses because in my mind I felt like everyone was out to get me.

What’s changed since then?

I’ve accepted that the thoughts that I had floating in my head of inadequacy, failure, rejection were all planted there by myself. I know the things that I love and that I’m good at. People would never know that I’m an award winning pianist, because in my mind the competition wasn’t strong enough to for that to count. I’ve adjusted my scope on what counts as a win. Moving forward, I’m allowing myself to be more vulnerable, hence all these posts about my life. I also want to enjoy more than I calculate, I believe that will spare me a few premature grey hairs.

The Point.
Life is too long and it’s too short.

 It’s too long to be in a constant battle with an imaginary enemy. Yes we all want to be the best that we can, as we should, but allowing negative self talk to remain unchecked leads to a hard life for no damn reason. 

It’s too short to wait on the perfect situation for a win. There will always be people more popular, smarter, more in tune with the craft of choice, but you can control whether or not you allow someone to out WORK you. As I dive into my dreams I hope that you’ve been reading the posts this past month or so and you’ve been inspired to make your dreams come true.

I always love getting emails from you. You have honestly been the spark that’s kept my flame going. I appreciate you being part of my spiritual family and sharing light. marellewrites@gmail.com

http://www.gofundme.com/RebuildADream

Saved my life…

Here’s a small glimpse into my life…  (it’s long, but there’s a point I promise)

I grew up an only child, you all know that. Which means I’d spend a lot of time in my imagination. I knew that t.v. wasn’t real, but it helped me develop my own thoughts and behaviors. It all started with A Different World.
Before I got into pre-school I would watch that show on the weekends that I wasn’t with my Grandpa and I knew that I wanted to go to college before I fully understood what it was. Some of you remember the opening credits when Julissa tears up the paper and throws it in the air, well I didn’t know at the time that it was her marriage certificate, I thought that was just a part of getting excited about going to school. (here comes the funny) So when my parents found out that I’d been accepted into one of the best public schools in the city, want to guess my reaction? Yes I did tear that post card up and throw it in the air, I was on my way to college, first step, pre-school.

Both of my parents worked long hours so I’d spend a lot of time by myself over the years and I let the t.v. raise me. My grandparents kept me in a missionary Baptist church, but rather that WWJD (what would Jesus do?) I found myself in moral dilemmas asking; “Is this something that would make my family stage an alternate world in which I had to suffer a real life consequence in the safety of my home?”, as I was the honorary other Cosby kid in my head that just didn’t get talked about.

Living this way between the church and the t.v. I learned a lot about relationships, sex, teenage pregnancy, drugs, dancing in public and revealing clothes. It wasn’t until I got to middle school that I found out that nobody operated with any of the principles that I’d held dear. I found myself caring more about fitting in, not being called names or having to fight than nurturing the goal that I’d set for myself long ago in pre-school. I had always been a karate kid, I’ve played the piano and ran track competitively but all of that felt so blah when I hit about 12 and the only thing that people saw was the weird girl who’s face was exploding and was shaped like a board with balloons taped to the back.

One night while sneaking to spend some quality time with my best friend the television I stopped on a comedy show and this woman had me in tears with laughter. She was loud, cussing and she talked about herself the way that people would talk about me, but it made people laugh with her. She made it ok to be the loud dark skinned girl in my world because all I knew at school was “redbone” was the thing to be. She was clearly not a “redbone” yet she’s on television, and the people love her. She held me captive until the end of her set then she gave her name. “I’m Sheryl Underwood, that’s my time, and I want to give a shout out to my Sorors the phenomenal women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Z-Phi!” and she put up her hand and I  RAN to the computer (feel free to read that in Sweet Brown’s voice, it was that urgent for me).

Back in those days AOL ran the Internet and I waited patiently for the dial-up to connect, closed out my email and typed in her name on the search box. A pop-up for Sinbad’s trips to Aruba came up and I found a page that gave me a little info, then I found the sorority website. This brought me back to my A Different World days, I remember how excited I was, and how I found a new energy in my pursuit of going to college. I’d almost given up, I was attending a prestigious school but it was so damn scary and filled with drug addicts and whores that I didn’t think I was still interested in going to college because the word around town was that’s the best place to get you prepared to go.

The summer before high school I was put in a young entrepreneur camp and our goal was to run a hot dog stand at the Black Family Reunion. It was hot, we made a good amount of money, but the highlight of that afternoon was when I saw two ladies in Zeta Phi Beta shirts and I was able to tell them that I wanted to be one of them when I grew up. I got the best news ever, and found out they were building a youth group called the Archonettes.

Long story short, I became the President of that youth group. The life lessons, volunteer opportunities, trips, opportunities to express myself and get real answers are still priceless. Even though other life circumstances didn’t allow me to go to college right after high school, the ladies kept in touch with me over the years and I never completely lost my focus or passion to create a situation to have the life that I wanted.

Today I’m a proud member of  Pi Sigma Zeta that exact chapter that took me in as a teenager, and tonight when the 23rd International President Sheryl Underwood completes her set at the comedy club in my city with a resounding Z-Phi, I can answer back sitting with my sorority sisters and my life together. I feel like this deserves a Julissa celebratory paper toss. She doesn’t know it but she kind of saved my life. 🙂

Hope you enjoyed. Have an inspirational story to share? Feel free to send me an email marellewrites@gmail.com. Want more information about my sorority visit www.zphib1920.org

Character Building (Writer’s Notes)

Many of you are writers, at least a few of you that have taken the time to send me an email over the years. I don’t know if this is true for everyone but I thought I’d share one of my methods for building a new character. It’s fun for me.

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Phase One:
I people watch. I give each stranger a back story based on their walk and how they’re interacting in the given environment. I pull pieces of their perceived personality and use my favorite features of them to complete a style. I very rarely see a stranger that completes the picture that I’m trying to build so I take each physical feature and pull together a look.

Phase Two:
I ear hustle. Being nosey in a public place is both interesting and informative. Some of the conversations that people feel free to have out in the open would amaze you. Talks about child support, bathroom habits, living situations, fights, accidental deaths, the stories are all around if you just listen. Is it rude to eaves drop? Yes, but I don’t know these people so even if I do tell someone a part of their story, there’s no way to connect it to a person. Also, ear hustling is a great way to find new names for characters.

Phase Three:
I give a little piece of myself. In my female characters I fill in the blanks from my own life. In my male characters I give a little piece of the men that I know. Writing is always much more genuine when you stick to what you know. I love revisiting places that I know well and introducing the characteristics of old friends into pop up characters along the story.

Feel free to go back and read some of my short story excerpts and pick apart the characters.

Wish me luck in completing my current project, hopefully this story won’t end up on the shelf. I’d love to know if any of you use a similar method, or if you have any advice.  🙂
marellewrites@gmail.com

Dream Chasing

This post is prompted by the pride that I have in knowing my little cousin, the one that you all met when I had my jewelry boutique, made her first grown-up move this week. She took the initiative to go and try out for a part with a Tyler Perry Production. I love her so much and I know that she’s destined to be a star, but it made me think about that time in life.

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We’ve talked about decision making already so we don’t have to get into that, but there’s something special I find in people that have the courage to just wake up and chase their dreams. I can honestly say it’s the most appealing characteristic of a person. So what does it take to find the courage to bust a move. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know what gets me going.

1. FEAR- it sounds crazy but I can remember when I first moved to Atlanta and I didn’t know anyone, I had no friends and the cousin that was around my age at that point didn’t count because we had nothing at all in common. There was a spirit of do or die that completely encompassed my entire life. I’d gone from a two parent household, to now an almost adult with one parent present and I absolutely refused to give in to statistics and have a lackluster life. I had a legitimate fear of ending up a failure considering I don’t have any siblings, who’s couch could I possibly crash on upon my downfall? S

2. IT WON’T STOP NAGGING AT YOU- I write, you’ve been around long enough to know that this is something that I enjoy. There’s never been a time in my life that I didn’t have a story to tell or something to express. In my home, or anywhere that I’ve been for longer than 30mins you’ll find a small story written on a random piece of paper and/or notebook. I can sing a bit, dance a bit, style and plan an event, but to my core, I’m a story teller in everything I try to do.

3. POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE- In my little cousin’s place I can honestly say that there aren’t many people that meet her that don’t tell her how much she needs to be in entertainment. I know that she’s had a desire to do something big, but I also know that she never gave herself a limitation of saying exactly what she wants to be. Having people speak into existence your destiny towards a positive outcome I think is God’s way of answering those prayers that we send him silently each day we feel that pull towards something greater.

If you’re reading this and there’s a small still voice, or a loud crazy fool inside of you that’s ready to get things going, I say write it down, make it plain and follow that voice. S/he is rarely wrong when it comes to what you’re going to do with the rest of your life.

All Good Things!
LOVE

GIrl He Ain’t Slick (Letter 000004)

Reader be warned, you will be conflicted. I still don’t know exactly how I feel about this letter, but I’m taking a stab at it because it’s an interesting position.  This book came to mind when I read this letter.. 🙂

 

I need some help trying to understand the man I’m talking to. He is 26, no children, educated, owns his own business, and works with special needs clients. He is a real go getter that is on his “grustle”(grind/hustle). I promised myself I wouldn’t talk to another youngin bc of the shiggity I went thru with the last Buck the Blacksmith in my life, however I got swept off of my feet. He showered me with compliments I thought my name really was Beautiful, he was calling and texting all day everyday. He said he missed me. He cooked me breakfast and brought it to my house for a week straight. We talked and time just flew by. I guess you ask what’s the problem. The last time I heard from him was Sunday and today is Tuesday. We haven’t argued he told his mom about me I even talked to her on the phone. He was telling me he wanted to be with me forever, he had butterflies when he was near me and I was all he needed. Now I’m sitting here confused as hell and feeling lower than a muffler bc I don’t know what went wrong. Should I just delete his number? I’ve tried calling and texting no response. I just want to know what went wrong. We have not slept together only kissed and cuddled. I really like him but I’m not feeling the missing in action nonsense. I keep a guard up and he broke it down I was quite impressed now I wish had have kept his lil young ass out. What should I do, forget I even met him? Wait for him to contact me? Or just take it for what it was put the guard back up and enjoy being single for life?

 

Sincerely,

Confused Ice Queen

 

Question One:

How long have you been involved with this guy?

Opinion One:

My eyebrow raises if the communication stopped shortly after your contact with his mother. Based on how he treats you, it sounds like he is most likely very close to her and learned how to be sweet through his interactions with her. She may not like you, but she’s too polite to be nasty to you. You sent this Tuesday night, there are so many things that could have taken place, but most importantly, it may be NOTHING AT ALL. That’s not a lot of time to say that someone is ignoring you. You could very well be tripping and in need of learning the art of the chase. If you are always available every time he calls, he will have no sense of urgency in contacting you because you’re always there. Allow some time and space to exist between you and you’ll find out if he just wants to enjoy the chase.

 

Alternate POV:

He’s the type that likes the honeymoon phase of a relationship and chases that extreme feeling that occurs when you first meet someone. It’s quite possible that he’s simply had his fun. Hopefully that’s not the case but considering you didn’t tell me old this relationship is I can’t settle into an opinion.

 

My ultimate suggestion is to give it some real time to see if there’s more to the story. Don’t be so quick to jump to a conclusion for your own sanity’s sake. There’s no way to tell what he’s got up his sleeve so just let time tell the story. Why does it have to be so extreme? “…get ready to be single for life…” that would be by your own choice, not for a lack of viable options, there’s an entire world full of people. If things don’t pan out with this one, it may be time to expand your prospects. Don’t be dramatic.

 

I love my readers, and I appreciate you all trusting me with your issues. I’m going to write something on a regular basis no matter the content, but if you’d like more of this series, send me an email marellewrites@gmail.com

Decisions, Decisions

We can all look back on our lives and point out the major life changing decisions along the way. Today marks 11 years since my first day of Navy Recruit Training, and that’s not even the first major decision that I can say completely changed my life. One thing I think I’d love to have known in the midst of the decision making process was how to measure the magnitude of the possible outcomes. So I decided to compile a list, since those seem to be a favorite around here.

To bust the move, or not bust the move….that is the question.
Top 5 let’s go!

1. How will this change my life for the better?- if that list is completely material, you may want to think a bit longer on the matter. If you grow in some other area other than finances, the long term value may be a bit higher than it seems on the surface. There are times that the best move to make is not the most immediately lucrative choice. Chasing a dollar is the fastest way to end up in a hole. Chase improvement, and the money will follow.

2. How will this affect my current relationships? Sometimes the answer means leaving some people behind. It’s going to hurt, but in the long run, you have to be accountable for your answers to the knocks of Opportunity. If you stay to preserve a relationship, can you do so without building and later harboring a resentment? People matter so be conscious of what that will do to the people that you love, but don’t put your self in a position that will alienate your support system. Hold the conversation, find out the motivation behind any apprehensions, or affirm the fact that they have your back. Talk it out, objectively, don’t let anyone sway you on pure emotion, get the facts.

3.What do I stand to lose? As stated before, people matter, but so does current progress. I can remember deciding to leave Ohio and move to Georgia with my mother. I’d gained some positions in school, I was President of my Archonette chapter and my future was bright. However, I knew that I needed to be with my mother as I entered into womanhood, and not having her in that crucial time stood to do more damage than staying in my positions could provide benefit. Think it through, and be mindful of your mental health along with professional growth. Be honest with yourself.

4. Is there something even better than this option? Just because you are presented with an option that doesn’t make it the only thing you are eligible for. I’m thinking school selections/ job selection on this one. If you’ve spent time perfecting your craft or talent, find out how high you can go to get to exactly where you’d like to be. If you know that you’d like to sing and dance, and a performing arts school in your small town wants you to come work with them, how do you know that Julliard isn’t an option? Fight for your dreams and go for the best of the best.

5. If this is the only opportunity for this decision in life, would you hate yourself for denying it? – five is always self explanatory.

Thanks for reading. Pass this along and email me at marellewrites@gmail.com I love talking with you guys, you keep me writing!!

LOVE