#my mom loves chaka khan lol

[jailpuppy]

baby baby when I look at you I want to get revenge on you!

[motocorsas]

“the three songs” ask set: 1,3, 4, 18, 20, 22, 23, 26,

(1) three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle: i don't use my liked songs playlist so i'd have to individually choose a playlist and shuffle it and they're all so different that the results would be skewed in favor of one genre or another. i'm not the right kind of person to answer this question

(3) three songs you were recently obsessed with: i have like serious problems and have been listening to SO MUCH gotye recently... he's a good songwriter!!!! i could list anything but i'll say eyes wide open, state of the art, & thanks for your time. three great songs

(4) three songs you know thanks to your parents: united states of whatever by liam lynch, because my parents loved sifl & olly; ain't nobody by chaka khan, which was my dad's ringtone for a very long time; superstar by carpenters, a favorite of my mom's.

(18) three songs that remind you of your best friend: i just saw him the other day and we played guitar covers of paparazzi and bad romance by lady gaga, and drunk drivers/killer whales by car seat headrest

(20) three songs that remind you of the person that sent this ask: ooh this is a good one! since we're both aro, i'm gonna go with laplander by easyfun, for the line baby if your life's just a love affair, count me out; also silver by a.g. cook because it's about being an awkward nerd lol; and superbike by jay som because it's about superbikes.

(22) three songs you listen to when you're sad: this is so weird but i used to cry my EYES OUT to forever by charli xcx. i'd also put it's okay to cry by SOPHIE, and agony by yung lean.

(23) three songs that never fail to get you pumped up: epic last song by does it offend you, yeah?; banned in dc by bad brains; 6 foot 7 foot by lil wayne. a party classic

(26) three favorite non-english songs: this is a hard one, i listen to lots of music in other languages. off the top of my head i'll say el alma que te trajo by arca, ululation by young fathers, and stefan by hrzda. i'm kind of a sucker for slavic folklore music. heja hoja heja heja hooooja vydate, ja mamko mooojaaaaa!!!!!

[cloveroctobers]

YASMIN DOUGLAS—

IG info/Bio: @/imyasmin_d | 11.6k followers | hello & ahlan 🎶

23-24 years old depending on her birthday (I’m thinking too much about timelines since i know some shows aren’t live and if they filmed it prior & it’s just being shown to us now...then there’s the boat party that comes in after, you get what I’m saying right? No? Okay)

Moroccan heritage

she was born in fes along with her baba

Father works in the carpet & rug manufacturing industry and worked in his father’s business from the young age of 16

her mother is from Essaouira & has often stated that she couldn’t stand Yasmin’s father the first time they met but she wouldn’t want to travel through this life with anyone else

Her father and mother came from two different lifestyles. All he knew how to do was hard work yet he had a sarcastic but playful side to him whereas her mom came from a family that was more financially stable & she was free to do whatever! mainly hanging at the beach with her friends without a care in the world, she was privileged and a little uppity while her father’s life seemed to be planned out from the day of his birth

Yet they still fell in love and decided to leave Morocco months after they got married at 21 & 24 & not too long after they had yas they left for England

She was raised in Kent, England

The Atmosphere led to her boho lifestyle...being exposed to castles, gardens, and underground tunnels from time to time shaped her into what she felt she was meant to be. She loved her second home

they call her “yazzy”

Parents follow islam...Which Yasmin respects but is not strongly devoted to

Can speak & write in Arabic but seems to do better in writing

Her paternal grandparents fault her parents for not teaching her to excel at both & feel that if they weren’t in such a rush to leave home she would speak Arabic better

Which made Yasmin feel like shit. Her paternal grandparents were strict on keeping their customs alive whereas her maternal grandparents were carefree as long as they got to see their granddaughter alive & well that was good enough for them

Idk maybe a only child or has a older brother? I don’t feel like she comes from a big family sibling wise

her mother made her a stuffed purple sheep that she took everywhere with her as a kid & continues to keep close to her. Y’all had imaginary friends? Well Yasmin had a real friend she could see & squeeze the life out that didn’t require talking and hugging the air, but that’s fine do u

100% collects beanie babies until this day but lil yamb is the number one princess in her household

As her significant other you have to be okay with lil yamb sleeping in between y’all that’s just the way it is

These stuffed babies are her comfort when no else can be

she’s a singer/songwriter. Went to uni for it & finished a semester early

Went through multiple hell experiences when it came to interning & temping while still in school & after

Let’s just say she wasn’t down to f*ck her way to the top

this made her anxiety act up, these people made her feel like she wouldn’t be good enough to show the world her craft & it’s didn’t have to be the world, just someone who would listen

But she couldn’t give up, there was nothing else she saw herself doing. She knew this is what she was meant to do but she couldn’t lie and say that her insecurities didn’t get the best of her most days

Although the cons seemed to out way the Pros some days, she kept at it & found herself a solid team that knew what she was about and understood her soul

Was definitely the student who loved all her English classes & when she spoke up everyone found it shocking since she preferred to just write everything out rather than “participate in group discussions”

I feel like her singing voice sounds similar to Jessica mauboy’s (if you don’t know who that is & you’re a fan of r&b/pop check her out or if you’re just curious that works too lol)

Knows her music notes like the back of her hand, duh!

Fav color is royal blue, especially on her eyelids & nails

Occasionally sleeps in rollers to keep her hair wavy

Needs her space when it comes to disagreements, they stress her out & she panics a bit when things go wrong so she feels like she needs to leave the situation rather than talk it out right then and there

She’ll talk when she’s ready, she just needs someone that’s a little patient with her that’s all

Words of affirmation is her love language? When she figures out how to balance her love life with her work life that is. When she’s feeling confident she’s smooth with words but when she needs to show you how much you mean to her & she really takes the time to think it out & feel her emotions, she’s writing you a song or you’re the inspiration to it or a poem, leaving you little love notes on blue post-it’s around the house, will write 50 reasons why she loves you on Valentine’s Day, and will say so when it’s just the two of you in your own comfort

Isn’t too crazy about public displays of affection but will deff hold your hand if that’s something you or she wanted in that moment

I think she’s fluid

Hasn’t been in many relationships. Sure she goes on tour every other year and gets to meet many people but they’re not solid relationships, they’re hookups and she hasn’t done many of those either

Had maybe one or two solid relationships: a androgynous woman that uses she/they pronouns & was in a rock band & a cis male she met at a tattoo parlor his step-brother owned (he kinda favored seb but we’re not going to speak on that)

I believe she wants to get married someday but isn’t so keen on the idea of kids. The furthest she’ll go is adopting a couple of animals. She’ll be a pet mom! I feel like she’ll be anxious looking after the life of a human being when it’s extremely hard to do so not only for herself and the love of her life & you want to add kids to the mix?! Fucking hell! but that could change? Who knows what life can throw at u

Has a hedgehog named Sonia that she drops off at her parents for their weekly sleepovers

Loves lace—mostly bralettes & crotchet clothing

I see her as a corduroy girl too. She has at least some rusty brown low-rise corduroy pants or/and a jacket

owns a crotchet kit, she’s bloody good at it too

Loved pink & purple (still likes them, they’re her 2nd & 3rd fav colors) so much as a kid that she tried to dye her hair half & half while her parents went out on their date night...it was also the weekend before school pictures :)

Says she got her inspiration from starfire & raven. She was only 13 at the time & had braces. Her father approved saying she’s a kid and she should be allowed to express herself. He only said that because his own parents barely let him & his brothers have their own fun

Her mother thought it was atrocious and did her best to get it out with the help of her other hair stylists friends (her mother worked in plenty of beauty shops once she got to England, until she decided to convert their basement into her own shop) who she invited over to see what her daughter had done but when you use certain permanent dyes...

It didn’t completely damage yasmin’s hair plus it was just hair, Yasmin didn’t see the big deal. She thought she looked splendid

Anyway, massive fan of ballroom dancing

She’s got a great ear to begin with so it was extremely fun twirling around while wearing pretty ballroom gowns

Took boring etiquette classes as a form of punishment? After the whole teen Titans inspiration thing “went wrong”

Enjoys western films

yes she owns a cowgirl hat & some boots too so sue her, she likes what she likes

Knows how to lasso but hates doing it to animals but she’ll do it to you :) (*gags* lmao why???)

Also loves visiting western towns & learning some history or at least experiencing what it was like

Type of significant other that will do her best to persuade you to stay in a treehouse airbnb, a cabin, the fucking Idaho potato, or camping out in her Volkswagen van in the middle of nowhere!

Has faux cow rugs, wicker baskets, wicker chairs in her flat, hangs some plants in glass jars & bottles all over her house

Her flat is very bright & vibrant: white, mocha brown, tan, yellows, & pastel purple

When it comes to decision making, she’ll make them pretty quick but only if it comes to choosing desserts

nobody is touching her mom’s meskouta orange cake WITH syrup

the dessert eater that always picks the one that has a surprise inside, meaning it has to ooze out with SOMETHING to make it 10x more satisfying

Leaning towards Buddhism, had studied some of their beliefs and found it resonates with her spirit

Fan of neon lights, probably has a few neon signs in her flat preferably on her brick wall in the loo, “to give u comfort as you go!” “that...actually makes sense.” Tai commented as he rubbed his chin coming to terms with yasmin’s reply. While Iona scowls, “no, no it doesn’t. I feel as if it’s an invasion of my bits!” “...Sorry you feel that way.”

tai & ciaran are automatically deemed as her brothers since she came into the villa with them. She had time to connect with them unlike anyone else. It was just the way the stars wrote their story and it showed outside of the villa too. they often crash at her place all the time when they’re in town & vacation all the time together when their schedules line up + it never feels like she’s third wheeling

“TaiTower” & “BB-Ci” are their names in her phone, Tai picked his own name while the “bb” stands for “best buds” for ciaran —which is a joke since he drunkly called himself so + he loves everyone when he’s drunk

You can always count on her to belt the lyrics to a Chaka Khan, TLC, or paula abdul joint when she’s drunk lol

As for the girls? She’s close with miki 😒 they just seem to be on the same wavelength when it comes to the pressure of the media since they have some sort of fame which increased with them being on the Telly. They bond over that & from there they’ve built a solid friendship

She could also be friends with AJ too (if you didn’t get swiped from her that is lmao!) they’re sorta opposites with aj being high energy/active while Yasmin is more mellow & “mysterious” but seem to connect in different ways: their sexual indentities, insecurities/anxieties, having something to be passionate about but at the same time maybe not? She might lean towards elladine or Genevieve if she had to make a choice?

Aquarius sun + cancer moon

so she’s still 23 y’all, I got it! I can’t do math sorry

“Freddie Mercury was probably my dad in my past life.”

Can play the banjo, guitar, & oud

Participates in hot yoga weekly

If she’s not with mc in the end and continues dating around if anyone from season two: LUCAS, Kassam, Gary, Rocco, maybe Blake? I originally thought Elisa but she’s probably too much for yas let’s be honest here lol they’d be better off as friends

Omg I forgot marisol! Imagine that?! Whew!!!

Season three: maybe Lily? But what if? Me being the slightly messy bitch that I am? Something happening with her & AJ. Now that?! Would be some chaotic shit “from the outside looks of it” name the irrelevant person behind the quote...now!

I’d like to see her interact with allerga but there could be something with her & cherry. I’m thinking cherry, Yasmin, & priya would bond well but we’re not here to talk about that

Getting rid of the physical aspect I genuinely think she’d do well with marisol, Lucas, or kassam. They’d mesh well I think in a relationship

She’s a body shimmer girl for sure!

Loves silk or satin robes

she’s a shortie, 5’2 to 5’5

Is learning Spanish

Loves arcade games, come see her in pinball & Pac-Man!

Quarantine life did not change her lifestyle much, but it did slightly mess with her mental health :/

loves the fall time, feels like she can slow down some and really spend time with family and friends

I feel like she has one best friend outside of the villa & that’s good enough for her!

They met their first year in uni & been close ever since

She doesn’t speak to the temporary friends she grew up with anymore & is often confused why they feel the need to keep up with her in the media which added more annoying worries to her heart but whatever right? Keep your eyes on the horizon

celebs she finds/found attractive: Aaliyah—especially when she played in queen of the damned, Kehlani, Zazie Beetz, Fivel & Booboo Stewart, Lakeith stanfield, Leah Lewis, Sofia Carson, Ryan gosling, & Nick Jonas

She listens to: jade bird, Yebba, Elli Ingram, Wafia, Zeina, Summer walker, Tanerèlle, Mariah the scientist, Teyana Taylor, Tove Lo, lady Gaga, Ra Ra Riot, Empire of the sun, & smallpools

Anthem? Diana Gordon — Rollin’

[photolover82]

The Masked Singer Season 5 Episode 6 Recap: Group A Finals with the last wildcard (No More Groups)

Hello, my Internet pals! Welcome (or welcome back) to Ana's Masked Singer recap, where I, Ana, recap every single episode of The Masked Singer. Today, I'm a little late to this again, sorry, but I promise this will be the last time since the semester for me is over after this week so I will hopefully have more free time. So, we are gonna talk about the Group A finals, which includes the last wildcard of the season and Nick Cannon is back as host. Then comes the Super Eight, which is a two hour episode, today the day I am posting this... Anyways, let’s get into it, I am feeling good about these guesses (yes, even the wildcard):

So the eliminated contestant is...

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

The Orca! 🐳

Commentary:

He was revealed to be...

Mark McGrath

Now onto the remaining contestants going to the Super 8:

1. Seashell 🐚

Commentary: She sang Tell Me Something Good by Rufus & Chaka Khan, and wow it was a great song choice for her voice. It feels like every time she performs, she gets better and better. I am still waiting though for her to pick a song that will be like BOOM explosion... wow how amazing! I feel like she is capable of a lot more and she’s holding back a bit... however, she did do some deep notes, it was super soulful and beautiful, I enjoyed that!

I am so sure this is...

Tamera Mowry

Reasoning/Clues:

Supplements= her and her sister have a supplement line

Motown Nick “Cannon” Clue= Sister, Sister took place in Detroit and she did sing a Motown song on the show too

2. Russian Dolls 🪆

Commentary: They sang Want to Want Me by Jason Derulo, and as always their harmonies are really strong, but like this wasn’t their best song, choice wise. They have a country vibe to them and it didn’t make sense to a Jason Derulo song, but they did kill the falsettos. I really liked it ngl, but they were not my favorite of the night.

Tripling down, this is 100%:

Hanson

Reasoning/Clues:

Snow Owls in front of a city= they did a song w Owl City

The rest idk but just trust me and read the previous posts where I explain more

3. Robopine 🦔

Commentary: He sang Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack.... and omg chills man. He killed me softly with that voice (see what I did there hehe), it is smooth as butter. I throughly enjoyed this performance, you guys know he is my favorite. HE EVEN FREAKING DID A LITTLE DANCE LIKE YESSS ROBOPINE KILL IT BABY! I throughly enjoyed it but it wasn’t my only favorite performance of this bunch.

Now I am sure of it, this is:

Tyrese Gibson

Reasoning/Clues:

Masked Singer for him was “an action packed and fast paced ride”= bro, my guy was in the Fast and Furious movies

Number 6 in the package= he has released 6 albums thus far in his career

Nick “Cannon” Clue= T-shirt with AKA on it = reference to his album Alter Ego

4. Surprise! The Last Wildcard was the Yeti!

Commentary: He sang another New Edition song guys, It Ain’t Love, and wow I am shocked. I didn’t expect to love him so much but here I am, he, as Nick said, did what Nick tried to do but didn’t quite execute. His voice is so soulful and kind of R&B boy and vibes (lol you will see later). He is super smooth with the dancing and the voice was awesome! He is tied with Robopine for my favorite of the night.

I think that this is:

Omarion (from B2K)

Reasoning/Clues:

Raised by warrior women= he was surrounded by women growing up being raised by his mom and grandmother

Berry pie= his real last name is Grandberry (not joking, you can Google that if you don’t believe me)

He came in this cage of snow= reference to Ice Box, his most popular hit with B2K

That’s it! I hope you guys enjoyed! I am so excited for the super 8! See you guys for that episode! 👋🏼

[deeahhnuh]

2019!

I've done this year-in-review thing since 2007! 2007-2012 are over on my old LiveJournal, and 2013-on are right here on my Tumblr. :)

2020. 2020! That year sounds space-age or something lol, and not like it's just, well, tomorrow. Happy New Year, Tumblr!

What did you do in 2019 that you'd never done before?

Not too much, lol! I guess I just kept doing the things I usually do, but tried to do them better/improve them (when it comes to work!), or do more of them (fun times and family times!).

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Every year I mention that I don't really make New Year's resolutions - more like little goals all year! - but hey, it's a new decade! This year I think I will make a resolution that I will hold myself to. In 2020, I resolve to work hard - like really hard - on being healthy! Eat right, exercise, lose weight, work on maintaining less stress - be good to myself! I know everyone makes that kind of resolution, but it's a good one for a reason. :)

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Aw, no new babies this year!

Did anyone close to you die?

Sadly, yes... my uncle (my dad's oldest brother) passed away in May. ♥ We also lost a beloved neighbor in August.

What countries did you visit?

Lol, none!

What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019?

I seemed to lack the ability to chill this year, haha - I stressed out about everything! :O So I’m ready to go with the flow better in 2020!

What date(s) from 2019 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Can’t think of any big dates, but this December marked 5 years since I graduated (and gave a speech at the departmental ceremony, to toot my own horn lol!) from the University of Maryland! Time is bizarre - 5 years feels both forever ago and also not that far back!

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I’ve been working in the registrar’s office at a community college for three years now! I love it, and I’m proud of the work I do!! :)

What was your biggest failure?

Everything’s a learning experience of course lol, but thankfully I didn’t goof too bad this year! ;)

Did you suffer illness or injury?

Oh my goodness, I started off the year with a thumping in my right ear (the name for it is “pulsatile tinnitus” - which somehow makes it sound scary!). :O Happily, that mess dissipated in a few months’ time, but it sure did worry (and annoy) me! Other than that - all good! :)

What was the best thing you bought?

I was very fortunate this year to buy a few things that really made me smile!

I do love a perfume! Dior Addict is a stunning, spicy vanilla (I love ‘em sweet!) that really hits the spot.

I’m also pleased, on the “I stan goofy dance music” front, to have found a couple of old Ministry of Sound compilations that I’ve had bookmarked on Amazon for awhile - they came back in stock this year and I snatched ‘em up. Anthems Sound of Dubstep (2012) is brash and obnoxious fun, and Sessions Ten (2013) is slightly less brash but just as obnoxious so I love it. They’re both releases from the Australian arm of MOS!

Oh and one of my fave used record stores had a copy of one of DJ Rap’s “Bad Girl” CD singles with mixes I didn’t have; I was kinda shocked to see it and very very happy to buy it! It was only 99 cents. Wow!! I do like a ridiculous deal! :)

Whose behavior merited celebration?

My mom is amazing, as always, and so are my dad and brother! I love my fam!!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

No one!

Where did most of your money go?

See above - my more frivolous spending went toward perfume and goofy dance tunes, haha!

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

I will never, ever forget opening a very special present for Christmas this year. I love and adore It’s a Wonderful Life, and I even wrote a paper about it in college. I used a fabulous book as one of my sources - The It’s a Wonderful Life Book by Jeanine Basinger - and since then I’ve always had it in the back of my mind to purchase it someday. It’s a fantastic keepsake kinda thing for a fan of the movie. Unfortunately it always seemed to be out of stock, or way too expensive to consider, so over time I kind of just put it on the back burner.

But just a few days ago on Christmas morning as we all opened gifts, I tore wrapping paper off a box, pulled off the box top, and bam - there it was. Decorative tissue paper obscured it, but I could see the book cover peeking through - The It’s a Wonderful Life Book! My mama, the best mama, found this awesome book for me! My Christmas - my year! - was made! ♥

What song will always remind you of 2019?

Here’s a Spotify playlist of the songs that I loved this year; most are old releases lol. New(er) songs and albums I loved this year:

“Like Sugar” by Chaka Khan. Funky!

“Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein feat. The Weeknd. Cool and atmospheric!

“Lights Up” by Harry Styles. Boy band guy makes good lol! Great tune.

Mazy Fly (2019) by SPELLLING. Dark, richly layered, weird, beautiful.

The Destroyer - 1 and The Destroyer - 2 (2019) by TR/ST. Two EP-ish releases that make up a whole album-ish listen. The Destoyer - 1 slightly edges out the second release, but I just like hearing so much synthy TR/ST goodness!

Compared to this time last year (2018), are you:

Doin' all right, and hopeful for a great start to 2020!

What do you wish you'd done more of?

Listen to more albums - new or old! The last few years I seem to listen to a handful of albums a year, then spend the rest of my music-listening time playing dance music compilations. Ah well, maybe I'll catch up on my massive "to listen" list in the next decade lol!

What do you wish you'd done less of?

Stress (see above lol) - but I'm def working on it! :)

How did you spend Christmas?

Family time!! ♥

What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in 2019?

Nothing, yay lol!

How many one-night stands?

None lol

What was your favorite TV program?

My silly cartoons! Family Guy, American Dad, Bob's Burgers, and SpongeBob SquarePants (lol idk, nostalgia is hard to kick!) still make me laugh even though I am otherwise a perfectly reasonable adult. :)

Bravo's Real Housewives - all of 'em! - crack me up and bring the totally ridiculous drama!

The Orville is fantastic, one of my fave more recent shows. I love the cast! Each episode really adds to their stories and builds the show's world. Looking forward to the next season!

Emergence is a great new sci-fi show with a strong cast - especially the sensible, big-hearted lead Allison Tolman - and suspenseful storyline!

I haven't seen the first season, and to be honest I don't think I'd be able to explain what the heck it's actually about because I'm easily confused, but American Gods caught my attention this year! The cast is excellent - even if the plot escaped me, lol, I really got into the characters.

And What We Do In The Shadows! Such a delight!!

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2019?

I love a classic, slightly minimal style, but I'm just happy to look decently put-together lol!

What kept you sane?

My fam, my entertainment stuff (music, movies, TV, magazines), working with wonderful colleagues... ♥

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

No! :O

What was the best book you read in 2019?

The It’s a Wonderful Life Book was probably the best book I read (well, most of it!) this decade. ♥

What was your greatest musical discovery?

SPELLLING is awesome - definitely an artist I'm excited to hear more from!!

What did you want and get?

I won't say The It’s a Wonderful Life Book again! :)

On a more serious note, I had my first MRIs in a while for MS maintenance - my previous neurologist retired and my new doctor wanted to get a baseline. I was very, very anxious about getting the results. My former doctor last ordered an MRI in 2011, so this was definitely a good and highly necessary step, but very nerve-wracking! I'm so fortunate to not be experiencing symptoms - and haven't since my initial occurrence of optic neuritis in '09 (though I was actually diagnosed with MS in 2011) - but what might the MRIs (brain and T- and C-spine) reveal?

I wanted to receive good results - a report of stability, not progression. And would you believe it? I did. My (amazing!) neurologist gave me the greatest news I had all year - stable, no new lesions, all good!! Of course this is for now - who knows about the future? - but I'm thrilled, and thankful. As this year ends and I reflect on all the good, this takes the cake!!

What did you want and not get?

Pffft, nothin' lol! I've got so many lovely things and reasons to be thankful - who could ask for more?!

What was your favorite film of this year?

Lol I did not see many new movies, but of the '19 films I saw, my fave was Knives Out! I only just saw it yesterday - what a fun way to close out the year! Fantastic cast, clever story, funny - just all-around entertainment.

I also loved Yesterday. All the Beatles references and the obvious affection for the group and their fans just felt like a great big hug! So good!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Girl I'm well and truly a thirty-something now - 33!! I had fun! I did lots of little fun things with my fam - like shopping, watching movies, that kind of good stuff!

What three things would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Like I said above - who could ask for more? Not me! :)

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I'm late to the David Harbour bandwagon - but better late than never!

And also Daniel Craig in Knives Out was a good thing.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Ew, there's something stirring like every hour or so.

Who did you miss?

Losing my grandmother at the end of last year really colored a lot of this year... and then losing my uncle added more shadows. ♥♥♥

What is a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019?

I always answer this one with a twist on the Pet Shop Boys song title and my life philosophy - "Happiness is an option." So here we go! The chorus of the song acknowledges that "it is not easy," and some times are definitely like that. This year had those moments, and next year will too, because that's how life is! It is often not easy.

But! The last bit of the chorus follows "it is not easy" with "happiness is an option." Things can stink, but they can be okay too. That's what "happiness is an option" has always meant to me, and it means that just as much this year. Maybe even more!!

What quote can be used to sum up your year?

See above haha! "Happiness is an option” has been my fave quote for years, and I’m gonna keep on living it! :)

[pcurrytravels]

Why I Loved: Chicago

Hello all, and welcome to the first post in my “Why I Loved” series. Today, I’ll be talking about my love for the city of Chicago. 

Chicago is a city that I have a strange and unusual connection with. It’s the hometown of my mother and her two sisters. Well, my mom and her older sister were actually born in a small town in Alabama but moved to Chicago when they were both really little. Kinda like how I was born in Chicago but moved to Vegas when I was really little. The difference between the two of them and me however is this: They’ve always acknowledged Chicago as their home despite being born elsewhere (well my aunt actually kinda acknowledges both as being home for her but that’s besides the point here), whereas only until VERY recently, I would insist to you that my home was Chicago and not Vegas. Even though I have a deep understanding of the latter and only a passing understanding of the former.

Thankfully, I’ve grown out of this, even though I still feel quite misplaced sometimes (the fact that my mother essentially moved down here on a whim, taking me along for the ride, doesn’t help matters), but that’s a topic that should be saved for a future “Love Hate Thang” post. Anyways.......Chicago!

One thing I have to hand to the place: easy to access airports! Out of all the places I’ve been to so far (though I will note that still isn’t very many) Chicago and San Francisco have to be the two places with the easiest airport access. Chicago’s metro line (Affectionately known by residents as The eL) has lines that go directly to both Midway and O’Hare! Compare this to New York where the subway doesn’t even go anywhere near LaGuardia. Or McCarran International Airport in my city where........you know what? Let’s not even get started on that mess, lol. 

Oh, and speaking of The eL, being an above ground railway system and everything, it’s quite useful for exploring! I saw so much of the city just by riding the eL. Weaving between the caverns of the imposing skyscrapers of The Loop, looking down upon the neighborhoods that radiate away in every direction like a circle of sorts. Ah, the neighborhoods.

There are many places that are known as being a “City of Neighborhoods” so to speak, but Chicago is probably where that moniker is more true than anywhere. The Loop may be the center of it all, but beyond that there’s the North, West and South sides. The three of which already have characters and identities distinct enough that they could very well be their own cities, so, as unique as every neighborhood is, they each follow the trends of their respective areas.

The affluent North Side is home to enclaves like the rowdy Lincoln Park, Old Town which is very much like Chicago’s equivalent of Haight-Ashbury, the LGBTQ+ village of Boystown and, the neighborhood where I spent the earliest days of my life, Uptown. 

The culturally abundant West Side plays host to ethnic neighborhoods such as Little Italy (which also happens to be the area where my mom and her sisters grew up), Greektown and Pilsen in addition to the infamously hipster Wicker Park.

Even the long-maligned South Side isn’t without it’s spots of vibrancy, such as Chinatown, the historic Bronzeville and the diverse, college-town atmosphere of Hyde Park. During the time period where my destination addiction was at its worst, I’d research Chicago and a number of other places to the point of obsession, and this whole neighborhood element was a thing I always envied. I guess the wide variety just seems so exciting to me in comparison to the monotonous seas of cookie-cutter homes, apartment complexes and strip malls I’m used to.

The neighborhoods all have a wide variety of things to offer. Plenty of places to shop. Lots of history. Great food around every corner.....oh my god, the FOOD.

Chicago has some of the most delicious food in the world (I’m saying that with a limited range of experience, I know). For starters, Chicago has two particular styles of pizza, both of which are amazing: the deep-dish; a demented cross between pizza, lasagna and cake where the arrangement is literally upside down (the sauce is on top and the toppings are on the bottom) and one slice is sure to fill you up that can be found at Gino’s, Giordano’s or Lou Malnati’s and the thin crust; so thin it has a cracker-like crunch to the bite. Home Run Inn is one of the places that specializes in this type of pizza.

Next, you have the Italian Beef sandwich. A sandwich containing loads of well-seasoned roast beef, topped off with au jus (or “gravy” as Chicagoans call it), giardiniera and sweet peppers, placed on a long, fresh roll of Italian bread. You can also order it combo style, in which they add some Italian sausage and provolone cheese as well. Mmmm, a heart attack on a sandwich.

Of course, how could we forget the hot dogs! All beef, topped with everything except ketchup (it would also be wise to not ask for ketchup, ever) and placed on a poppyseed bun. Mmm, mmm, mmm! There’s also the Maxwell Street Polish, i.e. Polish sausage on a bun with grilled onions and mustard, Harold’s Chicken and the popcorn “mix” as they call it. You see, in Chicago, eating caramel and cheese popcorn together is considered normal. Garrett’s would be my suggestion. 

It goes far beyond food. Chicago just has a lot of culture in general. For starters, you have the museums. Field for natural history, Adler for space stuff, Shedd for the sea, Science & Industry for science and technology related stuff, DuSable for Black American history, and just so much more from there. The zoos are awesome and who doesn’t love Millennium Park and Navy Pier? 

Oh, and need I remind you all of the role Chicago has in music history? After all it’s managed to create distinctive sounds and/or subgenres in blues (think Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy), soul (think Curtis Mayfield, The Staple Singers, The Emotions and Donny Hathaway), funk (think Rufus/Chaka Khan, Earth, Wind & Fire and Curtis Mayfield again)  contemporary R&B (think Donell Jones, Jennifer Hudson, Dave Hollister and *lets out a REALLY long sigh* R. Kelly), alternative rock (think The Smashing Pumpkins, OK Go, Fall Out Boy and Plain White T’s) and hip hop (think early Yeezy, Da Brat, Twista, Common and Chance The Rapper). To add to this, Chicago is also the birthplace of one of my personal favorites, House music. (R.I.P. Frankie Knuckles)

Alas, there is a dark side. For all of it’s glory, Chicago has a lot of poverty and street violence. It actually has one of the highest homicide rates in the entire country. Because of it, some people like to condescendingly refer to the place as “Chi-Raq.” The high-end glamour of Michigan Avenue and State Street compared to the run-down ruggedness of the 50s on the South Side is like a night and day contrast. Chicago is a beautiful place, but this is a sad reality that shouldn’t be ignored. 

On occasion, I still do wonder how my life could have been had my mother not moved to Vegas on a poorly thought out whim back in the early 1990s. As I’ve come of age and matured however, I’ve learned to make my peace with the cards that were dealt. After all, in some ways, it may have been for the best. My mom and her sisters did grow up in the former Jane Addams housing project on Taylor Street (pictured above) which, while nowhere near as bad as Cabrini-Greene, was rough enough, even back in the 1970s. So yeah, they know all about that life. 

However, one thing I must admire is the resilience. My half-sister lives in Auburn-Gresham on the South Side. One of my aunts and her family live in West Garfield Park on the West Side. Are their neighborhoods dangerous? Yes. Do they plan on leaving? No. In spite of the blight and unfortunate events which surround and abound, to them, it’s still home. They love the place, so much so that some of them work in local state/government positions like healthcare, education and criminal justice. They chose to work in those fields because they want to help bring in some much needed change. 

Such an attitude is not uncommon in Chicago, and it actually sheds some hopeful light on the situation. Now, granted, I only know so much from where I’m sitting, but I could only hope that this type of love and pride in the community may help make way for a better day some time soon.

Oh boy, I just had to say love and pride, didn’t I? Yes, Chicagoans are fiercely proud of their city and will not hesitate to remind you of it. The Bulls? The Bears? The Blackhawks? The Cubs/White Sox (who’s rooting for who depends on a number of factors here)? They remain loyal to them to the end. Willis Tower? No, it’s the Sears Tower. Macy’s on State Street? No, it’s Marshall Fields. And don’t you dare try and say that NYC pizza is better than Chicago pizza. Hands will be caught (okay, joking, but not really). 

Tangent time: Okay, I know this should be in one of my Love/Hate Thang posts, but here goes: if there’s one thing I envy about Chicago more than anything else, it’s this deep pride, love and knowledge it’s citizens have of the city. It’s so heartwarming to see honestly, only to become depressing when I remember the dearth of that in my actual hometown.  True, many Vegas natives and residents claim to have a lot of love, pride and knowledge of this city, but I rarely meet anyone who legitimately backs that up. After many years, I’ve finally unlearned my ~*fantasy*~ of Chicago so to speak, but the “deep pride, love and knowledge” part is one thing I still greatly desire. It’s probably a major part of why I was so deluded in the first place. I will note that this is slowly beginning to change, however, so time will only tell. /tangent over

For the first time in eight years, I am going to take another excursion to Chicago in July. I for one am quite excited to not only go to the museums and dig into the food again, as well as take part in the local nightlife now that me and my half-sister are both legal! Honestly, if I could visit once or twice a year, I would, as there’s just so much to learn and explore there. 

It may not be my real hometown, but the connection is still there. So I will never turn my back on the place. Until next time. 

[superfluousstuckupitude]

Rules are the standard answer questions and tag 10 blogs you wish to know more about!

I was tagged by @ithrewmypieforglee

Age: 29

Born: Sept 5th

Current time: 8:35 pm

Last drink: Water

Easiest person to talk to: my mom

Favorite song: Right now Chaka Khan’s Ain't Nobody

Grossest memory: Stepping in cat poo, yuck

Horror yes or horror no? NOOOOOOO

In love: nope

Jealous of people? sometimes, i’m a territorial person and i don’t really like to share people in my circle

Ke$ha? meh

Love at first sight or should I walk by again? lol

Middle name: Mercedes

Number of siblings: 3

One wish: To pay off these two cars

Person you called last: My mom

Question you’re always asked: Well since this surgery it’s been “how are you feeling?”

Reason to smile: Waking up every morning

Time you woke up: 5:15 am

Underwear colour: Blue

Vacation destination: Italy

Worst habit: Procrastination 

X-rays: I’ve had them before, if that’s what you’re asking.

Favorite food: Anything Italian

Zodiac sign: VIrgo

I tag @its-just-row @shadowdianne @beautifulsq @just-an-outlaw

[blkwidowsweb]

Chicago Spotlight: A Conversation with Duane Powell

Duane Powell's love for music started an early age growing up in the 1970's being exposed to Chicago's rich soul music scene. His uncles were disc jockeys until the mid-80's and artists including Minnie Ripperton, The Emotions, Chaka Khan, Miki Howard, and The Staple Singers were their classmates and / or family friends. In 1985, Duane entered into the world of street promotions pounding the pavement promoting events for prominent DJs within Chicago's burgeoning house music scene starting with Lil Louis. In a five-year span, because of their Avante Garde style and presence, Duane and his crew became the go to individuals in marketing to get all of the "cool kids" to events. By 1990, Duane had done street promotions and served as marketing manager and consultant for many clubs and DJs including the historic Powerhouse. In 1998, he became an import buyer for Cargo Music Distribution and by the end of that year, an employer at one of Chicago's most legendary record stores, Dr. Wax Records. It was his 12 years there that the title of "tastemaker" really took shape by almost single-handedly breaking several artists in the market. This included Ledisi, Eric Roberson, Julie Dexter, Jill Scott, Raheem Devaughn, N'Dambi and many more.

As a promoter, he launched the SOUNDROTATION brand in 1999, further cultivating the underground soul scene in Chicago giving many of those acts their performance debuts in the market. Through this he became a fixture on the global soul scene and began speaking about his knowledge of the business on panels and workshops including The International Soul Summit (ATL), Urban Organic (Detroit), I Got Soul Conference (Dallas), Chicago Artist Resource and the Chicago Cultural Center.

As a DJ, he had a popular internet radio program on Swank Society. He has spun at and has residencies at many of the most popular venues around the city including the House of Blues, Virgin Hotel, The Promontory and Reggie's Music Club. In addition, he has opened for many heavyweights in soul music including opening for Frankie Beverly & Maze at The Taste Of Chicago and has shared the bill with many legendary DJ's and Grammy-winning producers in the dance music world including Joe Claussell, DJ Spinna, Steve "Silk" Hurley, Maurice Joshua, Josh Milan, Timmy Regisford, Ron Trent and more. Thousands of people are glued to his social media pages for his updates on music, as well as his knowledgeable tributes to the greats in music history. (Courtesy of duanepowell.com)

I had a chance to chat with Duane about his love of music and his appreciation of the culture of house music.

Black Widow:  What was your introduction to house music?

Duane Powell:   It’s weird because I came in the scene when it wasn’t called house music yet.  I knew the disco era because all of my uncles were DJs in the 70s but the moment I became active in the scene, dancing and joining dance groups, they were calling us Preppy.  This was around the time of the Hot Mix Five.  This was around 1982 or so.  You started hearing the word house music around 1985.  

Black Widow:  You mentioned having a lot of family members who were DJs. What was the music you grew up listening to? 

Duane Powell:  I had one uncle in particular who was a DJ. He loved funk music. So, every album cover they would have a big afro, or some big boots or some crazy costumes— he had it all. I remember seeing Led Zeppelin records and things of that nature. Of course, he was a huge Parliament Funkadelic fan but he also introduced me to the Grangers, Pleasure, the Whatnot’s and all kinds of underground groups. He was into it all.  My aunts were into the female soul singers and my grandparents loved the blues.   I grew up in a well-rounded musical atmosphere.  

Black Widow:   You don’t just play music or create and promote events, you are a music historian.  Did your upbringing influence your deep love of music?

Duane Powell:  Majorly! It’s funny because when I started doing the music lecture series, it was birthed from the fact that I would always post information about artists and people would always love it.  I definitely dig into the history more than your average person. I’ve always read liner notes and things like that. That came from having family members who were DJs, collectors and music heads. Between my mom’s siblings (it’s 14 of them); there were some who went to school with Chaka Kahn, and Minnie Rippleton.  My mom was really good friends with The Emotions They used to have card parties all the time.  I was always around that.  I was quite young so I didn’t know who they were persay but I was just in that atmosphere.

Black Widow:   What was your first party experience?

Duane Powell:   My 1st time going out was to a party at Mendel. That was in ’83.  That’s when I got my first taste of hearing something on a big system and being amongst your peers and people who liked to dance. I was such a shy kid and dancing was my release. Dancing was a space where people didn’t think I was weird.  I did Mendel parties for a couple years.  It’s so funny because I would come home all exhausted, sweaty and happy and I thought I was really doing something but my sister would get us home then go out to the real party! LOL She was headed to the Box (The Music Box).  When I first went to the Music Box, I was like WOW!  This was a whole different animal. I was actually too young to get in, but because of my sister and other influences, I was able to get in at times.  I wasn’t really with my peer group because everyone was older.

Black Widow:   You were telling me previously, you were in a dance crew and promoting before DJing came into play.

Duane Powell:   Those were the days!!!   Generation 2000 wasn’t just a dance crew, we were a lifestyle crew.   Everyone in the crew couldn’t dance but we were a visual for the culture. We were those lifestyle cats.  My 1st Lil Louis party at the Ascot hotel was when I started feeling more at home because I was with my peer group.  I loved the experience at the Music Box but I wasn’t as social.   Lil Louis parties were my introduction to working in the industry.  They would have us go to different high schools and pass out his flyers and such.  Our payment was just getting into the parties for free.  We would be able to walk pass people standing in line. It was our little prestige or VIP for the moment being able to walk pass people waiting in line and just walking in. [laughter] After that, I started working  at The Reactor nightclub in the early 90s. In ’98 is when I started dealing with the business as an import music buyer at Cargo Distribution. At the end of that year, I started at Dr. Wax.

Black Widow:  Now when you say lifestyle are you talking fashion, hair…the entire house culture?

Duane Powell:  Totally! We were the freaks to the outside world but in this setting we were superstars.   We were men wearing kilts, harem pants, high top fades and all kinds of things.  It’s so funny because now a lot of the things we were wearing back then are now “on trend”.  

Black Widow:  You came into this scene as a dancer. How does it influence you now as a DJ?

Duane Powell:  My favorite DJs outside your usual favorites like Ron (Hardy), Frankie (Knuckles) are the ones who were dancers first.  After Generation 2000 dissolved, Ron Trent, DJ Rush, myself and a few others were in a crew called “Mental Problems”.  All of my favorite DJs are dancers. Dancers feel the music in a way that DJs don’t and unfortunately when I look at a lot of DJs now, they don’t get it.   At some point DJing became more about celebrity.  DJs started to play for other DJs instead of the dancers.   It was made worse when the house music scene crumbled under Mayor Daley and we stopped having dance floors and actual spaces. The dancers got lost in the shuffle of all of that.  There are DJs who don’t know how to spin for dancers because they’ve never played for a dancing audience.  They play for listeners not for an audience that’s hollering,screaming and dancing.  That definitely played a role in my DJing. I avoided DJing for a very long time.

Black Widow:  Really? Why?

Duane Powell: I’ve been collecting music my entire life. I was the guy DJs would come to for music. I was a dancer and didn’t really want to DJ. I wanted to be on the dance floor. I definitely noticed how cutthroat the landscape of DJing was.  I didn’t want to be a part of that at all.  Ron Trent and Anthony Nicholson had a club called ESG on Broadway just south of Irving Park. They had this space in the late 90s. I met Anthony thru Ron Trent, they had me come down and DJ in the lounge room.  I was playing more acid jazz.  That was my first gig as a DJ.

Black Widow:  Did they have to talk you into it or convince you to do it?

Duane Powell:   Oh yea...they had to talk me into it.  A few friends of mine and I threw a day party in their space.  It was a Brazilian jazz themed party.  I was really into acid jazz and Brazilian rhythms at that time.   I met Anthony that night and we discovered we had similar musical tastes. He said I should come and play this music at his party. That was around 97.  The house scene then wasn’t prevalent at that time.  I had been on the scene at this point for so many years, I started to feel stagnant.  I felt out of touch and had forgotten what the feeling was.  Honestly, those who lived house culture never called themselves house. We were just music lovers, lovers of style and fashion. When people were calling us house initially it wasn’t an endearing word.  It was insinuating that you were gay or weird.   “Oh you one of those house MF’rs”.  It wasn’t a compliment. That wasn’t a title we embraced.  It put us in a box and we hated it. We didn’t listen to one style of music. That’s not what it was about. I really think, that’s what missing now. We forgot that what actually created house culture was a combination of so many different styles of music and genres.  It was Frankie’s disco era, The Chicago Soul music era, Herb Kent and our introduction to  alternative music, like The Police and Talking Heads, Italio music…it was all of those things and somehow we forgot about all of that.

Black Widow:    That’s so interesting. When I interviewed Terry Hunter, he spoke to me about how he hates the subcategorization of house music now.  What are your thoughts on the sub-genres of house music now?

Duane Powell:   Oh yea! It’s what’s keeping us lagging behind.  It’s keeping the world from really knowing what house culture is.  It allows other cities to stake claim to certain things and that’s not how this thing was formed.  Crystal waters was never considered a house artists, she was a dance artist.  Don’t get it twisted... House is a sound and a vibe. It wasn’t just a BPM.

Black Widow:  You speak about the culture quite a bit.  What is House Culture to you?

Duane Powell:    There are certain elements.   When we walked down the street, you knew who we were.  It was in our dress, our hair, it was a walk, a lingo and a language. We were ahead of the curve with style and fashion. It was a middle class invention that led poor people to middle class performance. We were wearing Willi Wear and things like that.  Your average person wasn’t wearing that.   We loved alternative groups and hanging out up north and going to Medusas. We had the motorcycle jackets, striped tights. We were the early club heads and it was very identifiable.   There were things that were unspoken too…like the way you walked into a space, the way you navigated the space, the way you honored the space. You knew how much space to give if dancers were in the circle.  It was an unspoken etiquette on the dance floor.  You could instantly tell the visitors or “house tourists” at your parties. Previous generations birthed the culture but my generation is the one that gave the culture its face.  Quite frankly, men took a lot of heat because of it too.   We were the targets of ridicule, a lot of homophobia and sometimes even violence. Some guys who weren’t part of this scene didn’t take to well to us.

Black Widow:  Interesting…How so?

Duane Powell:    It’s part of toxic hyper masculinity.  You know our culture was filled with beautiful, stylish women and men wanted to be with beautiful women. They garnered a lot of attention in their style and presentation.   So men would come to parties to holler at the ladies but may not have been lovers of the music.  The ladies weren’t there for that, they wanted to dance. That brought a lot of negativity towards men who were part of this scene. 

When hip hop culture started to live in Chicago, the house kids became the butt of their jokes.  We were called all kinds of names and sometimes men were the ones who became the targets.   We had to go through certain bad neighborhoods and projects to get to the parties and guys would get jumped and robbed.  House was perceived as middle class so we were perceived as having some money.  We looked different and stood out and it went against the grain of what perceived masculinity was. 

Black Widow:  That’s such an interesting observation about the scene at that time.   What was your vision when you created SOUNDROTATION?

Duane Powell:     SOUNDROTATION was the name of a weekly event DJ/Producer Anthony Nicholson, club owner Joe Bryl and I threw at the Funky Buddha Lounge in the late 90’s until 2001 and it stuck with me. Being that I love so many genres of soulful music, it refers to rotation of those genres and the interweaving. Under this title I created a CD compilation series, then an internet radio show, a blog and it became my identity.

At this point, the scene was stagnant. There weren’t clubs with house culture. We wanted it to be about music. I felt like it was missing Chicago. In other places like London and Germany there was this new culture of dance music and culture happening and it wasn’t hitting our market. We created that night because we wanted to bring that here.  I would read this magazine called “Straight No Chaser” and it was my music culture bible. It would showcase all these other markets and the music they were playing.  Chicago didn’t have a voice in any of this and we created this party to create that.

I knew there was a culture of music that was progressive and killer and we should be on it, but house heads at this point were still trying to re-live what wasn’t here anymore or you had those who were moving up north because the nothing was happening south of Roosevelt. Mayor Daley shut down everything to make way for tourism.  No more partying downtown, no more parties at the Bismark…etc.  They had zoning laws and things like that to block us from having clubs on the south side.  It’s so weird because they would always block clubs on the Southside citing the fact that it was in residential areas but Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and other neighborhoods had clubs in residential areas.

I wanted my events to be progressive because that’s how my ear was trained. All my favorite DJs were progressive. Ron Hardy didn’t play disco all night; he played alternative, jazz funk just everything. He left no stone unturned.  People forget Ron Hardy was playing new music!  He incorporated it into his flavor. That was my goal.  I’ve been called eclectic as a DJ and I’m not sure what that means…

Black Widow:  Well I do. I definitely call you eclectic because you play everything.  You don’t stick with one musical style or genre.  There are some who just play all disco, or all soulful or all afro…

Duane Powell:   OMG that is boring. I don’t like doing an event and hearing one tempo or one style all night. You can incorporate it all.  I know people who frown upon classics and I tell them don’t sleep on the power of a well-placed classic. Everything has its point in time and entry.  When you play for an audience, you have to remember the audience wants to feel like they are a part of it as well.   As much as you want to play what you want to, you can pull the crowd in with a dope classic. Then you have them, they trust you and you can now take them on the journey musically.  But if you exclude your audience…

Black Widow:   You lose them…sometimes permanently.

 Duane Powell:   Exactly.  Soundrotation is about the music, the evolution of music, and the give and take between where we are now vs where we were then.  That’s why there are so many things are associated with my brand. This culture has never been about one thing, you know?

Black Widow:  I definitely do.  What are your future plans and goals?

Duane Powell:  I haven’t figured out the travel thing just yet but I definitely want to travel more. I want to take my music lecture series to the next level. I’m excited about the buzz and attention it’s getting.  I believe that’s what’s going to stay with me thru old age. We have to keep our history alive.  We spend so much time bickering about our history instead of embracing our history.

Black Widow:  OMG! Yes…embracing, preserving, talking about it, documenting, writing it…I totally agree with you!

Duane Powell:  We are so busy trying to exclude people from it and try to tell people about being there and not begin there.  That’s a narrative that needs to change.  Who was there and making “there” being these same 3 or 4 places. The truth is, “there” was everywhere. Your experience entering in the house scene in 95 vs someone who entered in 85 are just as valid.  People always say I was there when Jesse did this or when Ron played that or when Louis was doing this…that doesn’t mean your experience was less valid. Let’s be real, Frankie’s history didn’t end when the Powerplant closed, he continued on.  We’ve all taken this on thru the 21st century.  This thing is still living and breathing. We are still taking about it now so I can’t say someone’s experience is not as valid…it’s your experience and it’s all part of the culture. House became a thing that was lived everywhere.  When we partied at our sock hops, it’ wasn’t R&B being played it was house music. I remember Andre Hatchett and Boo Williams were DJing our parties in high school.  Those experiences were just as valid as those who partied somewhere else.  It’s all part of our history and culture.

Black Widow:  That’s a perfect place to end our interview. Thank you so much for speaking with me today!

Duane Powell:  It was my pleasure. Thank you so much!

You can find Duane Powell on the following:

https://www.duanepowell.com/

https://www.facebook.com/djduanepowell/

https://twitter.com/soundrotation?lang=en

[itsrenamarieblog-blog]

I never thought that I would have seen the day to interview one of the most beautiful and talented women that had mega hits from the 80’s up to the early 2000’s. This remarkable young woman is the first female artist to have her first three solo releases to hit #1 on the Billboard. Karyn White made a  huge splash on the music scene with her female anthem “Superwoman” in which was produced and written by Babyface and LA Reid. In this article you will learn about how Ms. White was discovered and what she got coming up for all KW Hearts out there.

Karyn White was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in LA was amazing for her. “Here in LA you get to see so much, and you can dream your dreams and have them come true“. At an young age Karyn (she is the baby of the family) would often imitate her older sisters, one was a dancer and the other one was a singer with a voice that reminded her of Natalie Cole. With such influences in her family Karyn combine her family’s multi-talents into one big mega star package. At the age of 16 she auditioned for a group called Legacy. During that time Karyn participated in beauty pageants, talent shows, and continue her road to auditions.  

Q&A With Karyn White

Rena Marie: Karyn what kind of impact has music made in your life?

Karyn White: Wow! Music is my life. It gave me purpose, music is healing and therapeutic. Music allows me to dream and make them come true. Music took me out of the hood, and gave me opportunities to travel around the world to experience different things.  

Rena Marie: Who are some of your musical influences?

Karen White: Back in my day I often listen to and watched Stephanie Mills, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Prince, James Brown, Donna Summers, and Al Green.

Rena Marie: I can truly say that you are an artist who actually embodied the sounds and dance of those who influenced you. I can hear Stephanie Mills, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross in your voice and I can see the sassy choreography of Donna Summers.

Karyn White: Thank you oh wow! I learned the songs and choreography from the Wiz (both Diana Ross and Stephanie Mills versions) and performed them at talent shows.

Rena Marie: Who discovered you?

Karyn White: Initially I would have to say Don Cornelius from Soul Train.

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Rena Marie: Was there a special event that took place for Don Cornelius to notice your talent?

Karyn White: At the time I was 17 years old, just graduated from high school when I auditioned for Don Cornelius and his artist O’Bryan. I performed a song and a routine from a soundtrack and they loved it. I was on tour with O’Bryan who was an opening act for the group Cameo. This was my first professional paid show.

Rena Marie: Have you ever done or considered doing Broadway Shows?

Karyn White: That is actually on my bucket list of things to do. However in high school I have been in plays. One play I will never forget is me playing the role of Dorothy from the Wiz. I was the first person to make it professionally out of the group in high school. I went to school with Bentley Kyle Evans the creator of the Martin Show and The Jamie Foxx show, and the beautiful and talented actress Wendy Raquel Robinson. Wendy and I took dance classes together, she is an amazing dancer. So shout out to Wendy and Bentley!

Rena Marie: You have memorable albums that people still listen to today. Which album is your favorite?

Karyn White: It will have to be my first album self-titled Karyn White. With all of the talented and beautiful hard working artists in Los Angeles, this album broke the barrier and became a huge success. I worked extremely hard and it paid off. So yes my first album is my favorite.

Rena Marie: I remember some of your number 1 hits from backyard parties at family functions, but of course I had to do a little research to see if you had any other songs that I may not recall hearing. For the first time I heard a Duet you had with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. How was it recording with Babyface?

Karyn White: Yes! “Love Saw It” is the name of the song that I did with Babyface. This is actually my favorite song because I was singing in my lower register. It was awesome working with Babyface. He has incredible talent.

Rena Marie: Have you worked with Babyface on any other song or album?

Karyn White: Yes! Babyface and LA Reid produced and wrote 6 songs on my first album self titled Karyn White. They wrote “Super Woman”, “Romantic”, “Secret Rendezvous”, and so forth. They also produced songs for Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown in which I sung background for them and other artists.

Rena Marie: Did you actually started off as a background singer?

Karyn White: I started out as a background singer. I sung background for Bobby Brown on “Tender Roni”, “Every Little Step”, and I sung on Johnny Gill’s “My My My”….I sung background for a lot of artists back then.

Rena Marie: I am glad that you came out from the shadows because your voice is so amazing.

Karyn White: Thank you! You know what they say the cream rises to the top!

Rena Marie: I know that a lot of artists change their music as the next generation of musical talents evolve the creativity of sounds. How do you feel about music today, and will you change your music to follow the music trend of today?

Karyn White: I listen to artists of today such as Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Beyonce who is an amazing talent, Childish Gambino, Janelle Monae, Jhene Aiko, and J. Cole. As far as keeping up with the trends I want my music to stay true to me. I am bringing back the funk. The 60’s and 70’s to me had the best music, and that is evident today because artists of today are sampling music from those eras. Kendrick Lamar sampled the Isley Brothers and he brought back the funk. I feel the younger generation will appreciate funk music.

I am currently working on my new movie and soundtrack “Gale & The Storm”. After listening to Childish Gambino who is of this generation of young artist bringing back the funk in his music. Childish Gambino inspired me to keep true to myself and to bring back the funk. “Gale & The Storm” is loosely about me. Gale the main character was a funk singer who took a step back from music at the pinnacle of her career. I will always stay true to me and I don’t want to be fake about my music. People will listen to it and for those that don’t listen to it they just don’t. I know that this generation will enjoy the music based off of the funk music that Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Janelle Monae are bringing back.

  Rena Marie: I must say that you are beautiful and have not aged a bit. What are Karyn’s secret to your youthful appearance?

Karyn White: I always tell young people to take care of themselves and be mindful of what you put into your body. The food industry has changed and now we are subjected to genetically modified foods. I always say stop eating fake food. Take care of your body with proper diet and exercise.

Rena Marie: I am sure you heard about artists that had mental break down due to lack of rest or just events that took place that was a bit more that they could juggle at the time. You were at the height of your career at the time you went on hiatus, what was going on at the time?

Karyn White: At the time I was married to Terry Lewis of the Mega producing duo Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam (responsible for a lot of artists music hits such as Michael and Janet Jackson, New Edition, Johnny Gill, Raja Nee, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Klymaxx, Chaka Khan, Alexander Oneal, Cherrelle, Vanessa Williams, Ralph Tresvant, just to name a few). During that time Terry and I we were the first Jay-Z and Beyonce because  we were a superstar couple. People looked up to us and Terry was a great guy, a great husband. We had our daughter Ashley and my mom passed away. So with all this going on I was not being appreciative of my blessings. I never turned to drugs or alcohol, but I hurt myself by not appreciating everything that was coming my way. I had a good man, a beautiful career especially with my first album, a beautiful baby girl, and before Terry and I broke up we had just built a 30k sq foot mansion. I got into interior decorating and realty, I would buy homes decorate them and sell them. Every two years I would buy a home, fix it up, and flip them. I was flipping homes up to when the market crashed in the year 2000.  I went on to dating a younger man who had the dreams of becoming the next Kanye West or Jay-Z. This relationship was not a good one due to the fact that this man came from the “microwave” generation. He thought that he could do the minimum work to get the great payday. I would say the good thing about him was that he helped me find my swag, but he was very narcissistic. Thank God I never spiraled out of control, instead I channeled that energy into realty, interior design, and creating a path for my comeback.

Rena Marie: Now that you are coming out with a new movie and soundtrack dedicated to funk music, Will you be coming out with a new album? Who are you looking forward to working with?

Karyn White: I am definitely planning on working on a new album. I have spoken with Ralph Tresvant from the group New Edition and we will be working on something together. I have not reached out to other people yet, but I will have a star studded album in the works.

 Rena Marie: Speaking of Ralph Tresvant who is my heart throb from back in the day, recently New Edition had a 3 day mini movie series about their road to stardom. What do you think about their biopic movie?

Karyn White: I must say they did a real good job. Especially the young man that played as Ralph, he did such an incredible job, all of the cast did a marvelous job. When I spoke to Ralph he stated that the actor that played him was “Playing as me a little too hard…lol”. They were very pleased with the outcome of the movie.

Rena Marie: Do you see a Karyn White Biopic coming?

Karyn White: That would be awesome if someone actually come up with a Biopic about me, but for now I want to put out more work and make my comeback part of my musical milestone before considering a biopic.

Rena Marie: Anything you would like for people to know about what is next for Karyn White?

Karyn White: I am back! Be sure to go to my website karynwhite.me to get the lastest updates on music, tours, and so much more. Be on the lookout for my new movie and soundtrack “Gale & The Storm”. I love you all!

Sidenote: Karyn White had a Red Carpet affair on 10/12/17 for her new movie premier in Sacramento, CA. Be sure to go to her website karynwhite.me for more info on how to get the funkalicious soundtrack and the movie Gale & The Storm.

Karyn White- Super Woman to Seize the Day I never thought that I would have seen the day to interview one of the most beautiful and talented women that had mega hits from the 80's up to the early 2000's.