The Light-Skinded Grace Jones

Nah!! But what do ya'll think about the homegirl Amber Rose? I honestly thought the hype surrounding her would have died down by now, but apparently not.

My take on Amber Rose is the follwing: At first I kinda disliked her because she just seemed too damn gimmicky (the blonde buzz-cut, the scripper Cinderella story), then I realized I was being a hater and I actually kinda liked her style/swagger (I promise I won't use "swagger" once 2009 is over), and now I'm just getting tired of seeing the chic everywhere. Nothing against her, it's just she's literally everywhere: magazines, blogs, etc.

Once her relationship with Kanye West is over I wonder if we'll still see her as much as we do now. Hmm...

Oh, and by the way the picture above is from Amber's latest photoshoot with Vibe Magazine. To view more of her pics visit AllThatsFab.com.

Fela On Broadway

For those of you in the New York City area I'm sure you're quite familiar with Fela!, the play about Nigerian singer Fela Kuti that was just added to Broadway. The play has gotten tons of great reviews, from bloggers to big name newspapers. I've seen a bunch of videos about Fela! with interviews, backstage footage, etc. but I really enjoyed this one. And since I'm unable to see the play at the moment this will have to do for now.



Fela! is currently playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York City. Click here to purchase tickets.

OMG: "Spongebob Ready"

Umm...wow, I don't even know how to start with this one. Well, earlier today someone (who will prob end up reading this) Tweeted a link to me for a song called "Spongebob Ready" and normally I don't even bother with links from random folks, but the name drew me in. I watched the video, in shock. I'm still pretty speechless. I mean it's a "Hip Hop" song thats main reference is the Spongebob cartoon so I guess I shouldn't be too shocked.

Pill On VIMBY.com

Vimby.com recently posted a video on their Website featuring Atlanta rapper Pill. In the video, Pill of course talks about his music and even speaks on gentrification in the Atlanta area, something I'm sure a lot of big cities are dealing with right now. Out with the poor and in with rich...

Although the video is just short of five minutes Vimby did a great job and this is definitely the type of video I hope I'll be making in the near future :-)

VIMBY - Pill

Jadin Shropshire - "Gone Drivin"

My pal Jadin Shropshire is back at it again folks. JS recently sent me his latest track, "Gone Drivin" this past weekend. Definitely check it out and be on the look out for new music from Jadin in 2010!

Click here to listen to "Gone Drivin."

Stacy Armand Handmade Rings

While perusing the internet over the weekend I came across this great line of jewelry from designer Stacy Armand. Right now it looks like Armand only specializes in big, cocktail rings but these homemade gems are simply amazing. They're a mix of both modern and vintage and will definitely make any outfit pop. And for handmade jewelry, the price of Stacy Armand's rings is beyond reasonable.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Geometric Ring - $22

Lizard Knock Out Ring - $25

Beaded Gold Ring - $25

Large Crescent Moon Right With Gold Triangle Detail - $18

To view more of Stacy Armand's jewelry and to make a purchase, click here.

YelaWolf DXNext Interview

What up peeps? I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas, Hanukkah, Knanzaa, or whichever holiday you happen to celebrate. It's back to blogging pour moi so I thought I'd start off by posting my interview with YelaWolf which appeared on HipHopDX. Check it out:

A combination of Classic Rock and throwback Southern Hip Hop, Alabama-based rapper YelaWolf has taken the internet by storm this year. From performing with artists like Big Boi and Raekwon to appearing on tracks alongside Slim Thug and Juelz Santana YelaWolf has definitely made his mark in 2009. And come 2010 he plans on introducing the world to his music once his mixtape Trunk Muzik drops on January 1.

Prior to his show with Raekwon in New York City, YelaWolf shared with DXnext his musical inspirations, why skateboarding is the fifth element, the influence of his Southern roots on his music, and much more.

The Sound: “The easiest way for people to understand it without hearing it is like a mix between Lynyrd Skynyrd and OutKast. It just depends on where I’m at with the music at the particular time. If it’s a Rock track, then obviously it’s gonna push me in that direction. But if it’s like some straight Rap shit like ‘Good To Go’ then it is what it is.”

The Inspiration: “I’m inspired by [Raekwon] of course among hundreds of other artists. I was influenced heavily by Classic Rock when I was growing up. When I was a kid, I grew up around it. A lot of Classic Rock melodies influenced my music and my style. And the hardcore early southern Hip Hop scene that I grew up on. Specifically Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, Fleetwood Mac, just to name a few - [Jimi] Hendrix obviously. On the Hip Hop side, my first taste was Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys, N.W.A., Triple 6 Mafia, UGK. Speaking of UGK, I got a record with Bun B which as equally as exciting as getting on a record with Rae.”

Click here to read more.

Merry Xmas!! (Random Free Ish)

At this point in time, I really can't afford to buy everyone who reads this blog a Christmas present. BUT, I was able to find some links to something we all love and that is free stuff! Sorry fella's, the links are only for perfume samples but I got ya'll next time!

ESCADA Desire Me

Hugo Boss Orange

Lacoste (samples for men and women)

VALENTINO Rock n' Dreams

Happy Holidays everyone!

Sex And The City 2 Trailer!

Hey ladies, yesterday we finally got our sneak peak at the upcoming sequel to the Sex & The City movie when the trailer was posted on YouTube. I thought it was pretty cool that the trailer starts with Alicia Keys and Jay Z's "Empire State Of Mind." Definitely looking forward to checking it out out in May.

FlipCam Diaries: Deborah Of DeepHouseATL.com

Initially, I wasn't planning on launching "FlipCam Diaries" until next month but I had this great video footage from an interview I did with my pal Deborah so I figured why not edit it and post it as the first episode of "FlipCam Diaries." So voila!

For those of you who don't know, Deborah runs DeepHouseATL.com a really great site about house music and the house scene in Atlanta. In the video, Deborah speaks on what motivated her to create her Website, the misconceptions about house music, and even the significance of house and baby powder (yes, baby powder).

Spotlight On Edward Avedis' Key Pendant Necklaces

As someone who's a big fan of jewelry I love pendants that are able to make a bold statement without looking too gaudy or overdone. This is why I was really impressed by Edward Avedis' collection of key pendant necklaces. They come in a variety of styles and the lowest price is $315 which is pretty moderate for one of a kind jewelry. Oh, and if anyone would like to buy me one as a last minute Christmas gift you are MORE than welcome to!

Three Clove Key - $315


Heart Key - $935


Love Key - $955


For more information on the key pendant necklaces visit ReadersJewelers.com.

Looking For Artists For "FlipCam Diaries"

Myself and a good friend of mine are really trying to get our video interviewing on and to jump start that I'm going to add a regular section to this blog called "FlipCam Diaries." In a nutshell, it's going to be brief video interviews with both up and coming and established artists (rappers, artists, photographers, producers, etc.) filmed with my FlipCam.

If there are any artists out there that are interested in being interviewed hit me up! My e-mail address is located under the "About Me" section. For the moment we're only interviewing artists in the Atlanta area, but artists outside of Atlanta can hit us up as well because we do expect on doing a lot of traveling in 2010 :-)

Late Pass: Michael Franti & Spearhead "Say Hey"

I was half-watching VH1's Top Songs of 2009 countdown earlier today and on the countdown was this song called "Say Hey" by Michael Franti & Spearhead. And let me tell you, it is the ultimate feel good song. The chorus is full of "I Love You's" so I guess they were going for that vibe. I hopped on my 'puter and literally Googled "what's the name of the song that goes I love you, I love you" and I found it within seconds. Thank the heavens for the internet.

And what I really enjoyed about the music video is that it appears to be filmed somewhere in Brazil, my guess is Rio de Janeiro. But everyone is happy! And that's completely contrary to what you hear about Rio in the news. In fact, this video has inspired me to begin "Mission Get Danielle To Rio De Janeiro For The 2016 Summer Olympics." Wish me luck yo and peep the video!



Oh and P.S. Michael Franti is damn fine so ladies be extra sure to check out the video.

Chanel Iman Is On FIRE (Not Literally)

While checking out some new blogs over the weekend I came across these pictures from a photoshoot for German Vogue featuring supermodel Chanel Iman and I was blown away. From the landscape, it looks like the photoshoot was taken somewhere in Africa and throughout the shoot Chanel is photographed rocking a pair of Mickey (or Minnie) Mouse ears. Which I guess is the cool thing now for celebrities to do...I'm sure you all have seen Rihanna wearing them in her new video. Anywho, check out the amazingness (not a real word, I know) of these pictures!






Click on pictures to enlarge.

$7 Timbaland Tickets For Shows In NYC, Houston & More

Thanks to Windows 7 Section 7, Windows and Live Nation’s new online community, tickets to upcoming shows from rapper/producer Timbaland are now available for only $7. The offer is going on today only and tickets are available for the following shows:

House of Blues Boston (1/19)
The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza (1/20)
House of Blues Chicago (1/24)
Gothic Theatre in Englewood, CO (1/26)
House of Blues San Diego (1/28)
House of Blues Sunset Strip (1/29)
House of Blues Houston (2/2)
House of Blues Dallas (2/3)

To learn more about this offer and Windows 7 Section 7, click here.

Beating Up The Beat!!!

I was so excited (don't judge me) when I came across this clip on YouTube. This is easily one of the funniest moments from "Jersey Shore." Pauly D, one of the cast members, talks about how when they get real hype listening to "house" music they start "beating up the beat." They just look extra cray cray ("cray cray" meaning beyond crazy) if you ask me. Still hilarious though!

Timberland Man Purse

Men, have you been longing to rock a man purse but are just too afraid of losing your manly swagger? Well, thanks to Harlem rapper Jim Jones you can rock a man purse without fear!

Introducing the brand-spanking new Timberland man purse!



Okay, I'm joking. Obviously, Timberland is not selling boot-shaped man purses but when I first saw this picture of Jim Jones I couldn't help but think, "Damn, why does it look like Jimmy is rocking a boot as a purse."

Picture Diaries: Saturday Night

Some pals and I had the opportunity to check out Filter Nightclub & Lounge in Atlanta yesterday and we had a great time. Danced to some house music, took some crazy pics, drank some strong ass margaritas...you know, the usual.

B.o.B. Show Tomorrow At Smiths Old Bar

Check out hometown hero B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray as he performs at Atlanta's Smiths Old Bar tomorrow, December 17. B.o.B. has seriously been on his grind lately. Releasing new tracks, performing in numerous cities, etc. Peep the flyer for more info!

Empire State Of Suburbia?

Earlier this week, Alicia Keys appeared on "The Colbert Report" to perform her hit song "Empire State Of Mind" and of course host Stephen Colbert had to join in with his own guest verse. Which is of course hilarious! Oh, and peep the hoody under the blazer look Colbert is rockin'! Ha!

Tracklisting For Erykah Badu's New Album New Amerykah Part 2

Universal Motown Records has just revealed the tracklisting for Erykah Badu's upcoming album New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh. There's no doubt in my mind that this album will be off the chain. I mean it's Erykah Badu...come on.

New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh will be released on February 23, 2010.

1. “20 Feet Tall”
Produced by Erykah Badu and 9th Wonder.

2. “Window Seat”
Produced by Erykah Badu and James Poyser. Featuring Ahmir ”?uestove” Thompson (drums), Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner (bass), James Poyser (keys), Kirsten Agnesta (harp).

3. “Agitation”
Produced by Erykah Badu and Shafiq Husayn of SA-RA Creative Partners.

4. “Get Money”
Produced by Erykah Badu and Karieem Riggins (drums), Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner (bass), James Poyser (keys), Tommy Trajlio (guitar), Mike “Chav” Chavarria (mooger fooger). Contains an interpolation of “Can’t Turn Me Away,” by Sylvia Strippling.

5. “Don’t Be Long”
Produced by Erykah Badu and Taarak.

6. “Love”
Produced by Erykah Badu and J Dilla.

7. “Umm Hmm”
Produced by Erykah Badu and Madlib.

8. “Fall in Love”
Produced by Erykah Badu and Karieem Riggins. Contains a sample of “Intimate Friends” by Eddie Kendricks.

9. “Incense” (Instrumental)
Produced by Erykah Badu and Madlib featuring Kirsten Agnesta (harp).

10. “Out My Mind Just in Time (Part 1) (Undercover Over-Lover)”
Produced by Erykah Badu featuring James Poyser (keys).

11. “Out My Mind Just in Time (Part 2)”
Produced by Erykah Badu and Georgia Ann Muldrow.

Bonus Web-Only Track: “Jump In The Air,” featuring Lil Wayne and Bilal

Produced by Erykah Badu, RC Williams and Jahborn. Contains an interpolation of “Hydraulic Pump” by Parliament Funkadelic.

What The Hell Is Wrong With Justin Timberlake?

I kinda pride myself on not being one of those gossipy blogs that criticizes artists on every little miniscule thing, BUT when I came across this picture of Justin Timberlake on MTV.com I had to say something. Gossipy, or not. He looks horrible. Had his name not been in the title I wouldn't have even known it was him :-\ For his sake I hope he was just having a bad day.

Melanie Fiona - "Monday Morning" (Video)

I can't get enough of Melanie Fiona! And I'm quite sure you all know that already lol. I spotted Melanie's latest video, for the song "Monday Morning," on All That's Fab earlier this week and of course I loved it.

Taking The Music Out Of "MTV"

Late last week, it was announced that MTV would be canceling its show "It's On With Alexa Chung" after just two seasons of the celebrity talk show. Alexa Chung's show served as the replacement to the canceled "Total Request Live" and featured a number of interviews and music performances from a range of artists. Aside from music videos that air either really late at night or super early in the morning MTV has become quite the music-less channel. With the cancellation of "It's On With Alexa Chung" being the latest blow.

"It's On With Alexa Chung" wasn't a bad show, sure a lot of people may not have been huge fans of Alexa Chung and her somewhat irritating accent and quirky personality, but it was a decent show. We got to check out sit-down interviews with artists like Kid Cudi, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Drake, and much more on top of the occasional performance. The cancellation of "It's On With Alexa Chung" is going to create a huge void for MTV. Not that they probably care or anything.

I'm not really sure what MTV plans on replacing "It's On With Alexa Chung" with, but if it's re-runs of a new reality dating show then I am through, beyond through, infinite throughness! Because if that's the case MTV really needs to think about changing its name because Music Television is hella misleading.

Brittany Bosco Performs Live At "Harts 4 The Holiday"

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to check out "Harts 4 The Holiday" at the Eyedrum Art Gallery in Atlanta. It turned out to be a great event. Attendee's donated a new toy, five bucks, or both. There was an arts and crafts section hosted by singer Janelle Monae, performances, free food, and more. Check out this video footage I got of singer Brittany Bosco rocking out during her performance at "Harts 4 The Holiday."

On A Mission...

Over the past year I've developed quite the obsession with nail polish. I'm up to about 20 polishes and I'm usually rocking a new shade every week (with touch-ups in between). Late last year, I noticed a few ladies rocking a dark grey color on their tips and I loooved it! But no matter what drug store, beauty store I went to I could never find that specific color! It was maddening. I eventually gave up.

Then today someone Tweeted about how difficult it is to find dark grey polishes and of course my interests in somehow scoring this color were reawakened. Now I'm on a mission. A pretty odd mission, but a mission nonetheless. Wish me luck!

Rich Medina In ATL

I became a fan of DJ Rich Medina after hearing him spin at Santos Party House in New York City at one of the Open! parties. I was really excited to hear that he was gonna be performing in The A a few weeks ago, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it out. But Alas! He's coming back this week and I'm gonna try my darndest to try and check it out!

Peep the flyer for more info.

Who Got It?

I want it! Badly...(get your mind out the gutter pervs)



:-)

Rockin' Rimmel London

I'm a girl and quite frankly I love makeup. It's not so much the looking cute part that gets me, but the fun there is in discovering new lip glosses, nail polishes, etc. So of course I was extra excited when I was given the opportunity to sample a few new products from Rimmel London.

I recruited none other than my mom to help me test out Rimmel's Colour Rush Eye Shadow Trio, Lasting Finish Intense Wear Lipstick, and Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation. Although I must say I had the most fun sampling Rimmel's lipsticks. I'm pretty big on lip color since that really is about the only type of makeup I wear.

Colors from top to bottom: Pink Shimmer, Balistic, Goddess, and Kasbah.


My mom rocking her favorite color, Pink Shimmer (and the Lynx eye shadow trio). Although my mom wasn't personally feeling the other three colors she did like the creamy texture of all the lipsticks.


Moi! My fav shade was Balistic, a deep red color. I tend to go a little pale :-\ during the winter so sometimes I find that certain shades of red lipstick only make me look more pale, but I think Balistic is subtle enough to have me not looking like a Twilight extra. Plus, I'm really diggin' the name!


Pricing Info:

Colour Rush Eye Shadow - $5.17
Lasting Finish Intense Wear Lipstick - $5.20
Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation - $6.99

Rimmel London products can be purchased at RimmelLondon.com and also at a number of retailers including Target, Wal-Mart, and more

Love Lost For Alicia Keys

I've been a fan of Alicia Keys since she was rocking beaded up cornrows, but with new music from her surfacing this month I have yet to listen to a single song. Why? Because I find myself confused about the situation with her and Swizz Beatz. I find it hard to listen to someone sing a song about love and it turns out they were having relations with a married man (who also has children). I love Alicia Keys' music, but now it just doesn't seem genuine anymore.

When reports started surfacing on gossip sites like MediaTakeOut.com and Bossip.com about Alicia Keys and rapper/producer Swizz Beatz I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, "Damn, these gossip sites are hella desperate." There was absolutely no way the woman who sang "Superwoman" or ironically "Karma" could be having relations with a married man. No way...WAY! I believe it was Swizz Beatz who revealed that the two had actually been seeing each other in a song he released. I was pretty shocked to say the least.

I know celebrities are always told to keep their business behind closed doors, but I think it would be beneficial for AK to speak on this whole situation. Personally, I think if I knew what the situation was (even though I really have no right to know) I'd feel a little better about listening to her music.

At the end of the day it's none of our business what the relationship is between Alicia and Swizz. Just think about this though: If we don't like buying music from rappers who lie about all the women they've slept with, dope they've sold, cars they have, etc. what's gonna make us want to buy an album from a possible jezebel singing about love?

Melanie Fiona Performs "It Kills Me"

Last night, Canadian songstress Melanie Fiona appeared on "The Monique Show" for a short interview and performance. She performed her song "It Kills Me" (one of my fav's) from her debut album The Bridge. Check it out.

CunninLynguists Ticket Giveaway (NYC Only)

If you frequent this blog then you probably remember me mentioning possibly doing some kind of giveaway a few months back. Well, I'm finally doing it! Yay! I'm giving out a pair of tickets to the December 11 CunninLynguists show at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.

The normal way of giving these tickets out would probably be to ask some kind of trivia question on the CunninLynguists, right? Wrong! Here at The D Diaries we (me, Danielle) don't do "normal." That being said, pick a number one through 30. Yes, pick a number between one and 30 and e-mail it to me at Danielle@TheDDiaries.com. The person to come closest to the number I have chosen wins. Winner will be chosen on Tuesday, December 8.

Also, there will be another ticket giveaway next week (for a show at Highline Ballroom) so be on the lookout for that.

Small Eyez - From The Sol (Download)

There's been a lot of great music being released on the underground tip these days. Most recently, Atlanta rapper Small Eyez released his EP From The Sol which is a must have. The EP is only seven tracks long so it's a quick download and well worth it.

Click here to download From The Sol and check out my piece on Examiner.com on Small Eyez.

Rihanna's NYC MySpace Release Concert

I'm not a huge fan of Rihanna, but even I know that Rihanna's MySpace "The Release" concert is going to be off the chain. If I was in New York I would def try and check it out, but I'm not so I'm sharing this info with my peeps :-) Now, there's only 500 free tickets available so in order to get them you need to arrive at Hammerstein Ballroom at 9 a.m. to pick up tickets on December 3. The concert will take place later that day at 9 p.m.

For more info click here.

50 Cent, Common & More Speak On Jam Master Jay

In this exclusive clip from the new film 2 Turntables And A Microphone - The Life and Death of Jam Master Jay artists including 50 Cent, Common, Kid Rock, and more speak on the vast contributions Jam Master Jay has made in the DJ community. 2 Turntables And A Microphone is currently available in stores and online.

My Christmas Wish List

I both love AND hate writing this list. It's fun because I get to post my favorite products and why I would would love to have them. And it sucks because I know that I'm probably not getting a damn thing on this list for Christmas, lol. I can't be too mad though. A lot of us forget that Christmas is really for the kids and not grown ass adults.

ZUNE HD (36 GB)

This has to be one of the sexiest MP3 players around. I'm not really one for touch screen phones, but I think a touch screen MP3 player is doable. Plus, my 8GB MP3 player is about two album downloads away from zero memory.

$100 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

I love my books. I love shopping for books. I'd have a ball with a $100 B&N gift card. I'm daydreaming about it already lol.

Miss Dior Cherie Perfume

My mom bought this perfume a few years back when she went to the Caribbean and I absolutely LOVE it. And I have yet to own my own bottle of Miss Dior Cherie so I had to add this fragrance to my wish list. And isn't the bottle just charming?

New Laptop

It doesn't have to be this Samsung laptop, but I would like one that's lightweight, portable, has lots of memory, looks good, etc. I've had my HP for about three years now so I think it's definitely time for an upgrade.

Neon Post-Its

See, I'm being a little modest with my wish list :-) I love my lil' Post-Its (and yes they have to be neon). They keep me organized like no other piece of bright, sticky paper can.