Fashion: Toms

Friend: "I think I'm going to buy some red Toms"
Me: "Come on, son! You're better than that! Really, you're more creative than that."

I have the strangest relationship with Toms though. As much as I respect the brand, the mission and the creativity of their product; the overexposure in hipster culture makes me gag. I rarely see people rocking Toms in a creative or inspiring way. I mean, a v-neck, skinny jeans and Toms barely counts as an effort, no? But despite all of these hang-ups I do tend to like some of their styles. Their Spring line is out and some of my faves are below. I might just be inspired to hop on the bandwagon and purchase a pair. GASP!

And here are some of my other faves from their complete collection.

Laterz!!

Song Of The Day: Tell Me (Groove Theory)

This song was in my spirit today and I'm glad that I can share this classic with you all! Also, Solange covered this song at a concert with Dirty Projector's of "Stillness Is The Move"  fame and she did it justice. Check Both of those below!




Solange's Cover.



Solange and Beyonce, quite possibly my fave sister duo EVER. (Right after Wynndee and Raymonda, of course.)

LATERZ!

Just Get To Know: Mindless Behavior

This up and coming group of tweens are stealing the hearts of millions of Beiber fans and blowing up the charts with their biggest single, "My Girl". I've been back and forth about people under the age of 16 getting heavily involved in the music industry but at the end of the day, if a young person has the talent and drive to do something that they genuinely love then they should go for it. Mindless Behavior is certainly making their mark and are currently opening for Janet Jackson on her "Number Ones, Up Close and Personal" tour. Yay to the youngins' doing what they love! (nod to Beiber, Willow and all the rest.)

Cute.

Dopeness: Breezy

Okay Chris Brown! I see you with the custom Lambo! Must be nice. Spotted at Necole Bitchie.

I mean, what else is there to say.

Video Dopeness: Dirty $$$, 'Ye and Katy Perry

Video are dropping left and right! Goodness. I'm trying to keep up friends!

1. Kanye and Katy Perry. Cool concept.



2. Dirty Money, Rick Ross and Trey Songz with one of my most favorite songs off of "Last Train To Paris".



Laterz!

Good day!

Performance: Chris Brown

Breezy eff baby...please say the baby...

But really, Chris Brown performed on Dancing With The Stars last night and KILLED it. He like, made everybody on DWTS who had something negative to say, eat their words. I'm glad Breezy is now focusing his energy on performing at his highest level and making great music. I've watched his "Yeah 3X" performance several times already. ENJOY!







Laterz!

Breaking News: Beyonce and Matthew Knowles- DONE!

OMG! YA'LL! Beyonce has moved all of her yacky out of her new little baby bro's* play room! HER AND MATTHEW HAVE OFFICIALLY SPLIT!!

Which may mean nothing to the majority of you but as a true and unapologetic Beyonce Stan, I think this is big news! Matthew Knowles has been wielding his (Tina-taught) Creole root power over Beyonce for nearly twenty years. Finally she's free. I wonder what this means for her Illuminati membership. Has she found Christ or is she rising in the ranks of the secret pyramid society? (click ybf for more info. Hope this is true.)


*Matthew Knowles has a love child.

A press release like only I could create.

Fashion: Bey for Breakfast

You already know what it is. Word on the street is that Bey is back in the studio and with our friend Frank Ocean, no less. POW!

Good day!

Video Dopeness: Big Sean

BIG SEAN JUST DROPPED HIS VIDEO WITH BREEZY! Sorry, I'm just really excited. I LOOOOOVE Big Sean. The love just keeps growing and growing and growing....



:)

Janelle Monae by Missy McCullough

DOPE. Check more of Missy's work here.

Tip tip tip tip on the tightrope.

POW!

Video Dopeness: Keri & C. Breezy

Whenever I hear about a Chris Brown and Keri collabo, I become instantly interested and kinda confused. Hearing the song doesn't cause the confusion but watching the video always makes me slightly uncomfortable. I mean Keri's super hott but isn't she like late twenties? Breezy like just started eating solid food, no? Since the whole Chrihannagate Scandal Keri Hilson is pretty much the only female singer who has enough appeal, fame and vocals to hang with Breezy. This video is serving me a late 90's vibe though. Watch.


Keri Hilson feat. Chris Brown "One Night Stand" from joseph labisi on Vimeo.

Laterz!

Covered: Rolling In The Deep

I love when people bless me with new music! Check the John Legend cover of Adele's "Rolling In The Deep". John infuses the track with his signature tone and vocal run's and really makes the track a soulful R&B classic. (As if it wasn't already.) Go Johnny Boy!



Thanks Ivey!

 Laterz!

Song of the Day: Busta

"If you really wanna party with me..."

I'm sitting in my apartment going BONKERS right now. When this beat drops- GOODNESS!!!

And I may or may not have already played this three times in a row.


Put your hands where my eyes could see by elmokozo

LATERZ!

Just Get To Know: The Weeknd

All we know about The Weeknd is that they make pretty amazing new age R&B music. If you go to their website you will find the link to download their new (HOTT!!) mixtape and links to some of their other internet outreach (read: Tumblr etc.) but no photographs or information on exactly who they are. Despite this lack of information on them (him? her?), I am still a fan of everything they've been dropping. Play this along with that new Frank Ocean mixtape and you are in for a nice, relaxing evening. BET.

Warning: This music is sexy

Download the mixtape here.

Laterz!

Fashion: Bey for Breakfast

The usual.

 "Stand in the presence of greatness!"

Laterz!

2Day In Music: Summatime

Ladies and gents, summatime is indeed on the horizon! Chicago is blessing us with 60 degree weather tomorrow and I'm losing it. POW! I do not know about you but I was at wit's end with that dreadful weather. GOODNESS!!! With the summatime comes the best music to make you feel light, carefree and full of happiness. Some of my faves below.

Guns and all that jazz.



Next up is "Horchata". This was like one of my all time fave summa songs last year!


"Beautiful" by Pharrell and Snoop needs not an introduction. This has securely been in my "Top 5 All Time Fave Songs" list since it dropped. That serious.


That's it for now but ya know, the sun is just starting to shine and there will be plenty more summatime sexiness where this all came from. (And yes, I know it's spelled "summertime".)

POW!

Fashion and Style: Rih Rih

If you follow me on twitter (@AuthenticQueen) then you already know that I think Rih Rih is a bad BAD B*tch!  And I mean "bad" in a great way. (This is bad, real bad...MICHAEL JACKSON!) She recently did a shoot with famed photographer Annie Leibovitz and American Vogue. I'm not the biggest fan of the hair but she looks hot nonetheless. Oh na na, get it Rih Rih!

"Make sure you frisk me good! Check my panties and my bra."

Spotted @ Necole Bitchie

Laterz!

Last Call: Frank Ocean

So, Frank Ocean almost didn't make it into the music round-up for this weekend. The weekends are when I heavily and more selectively post new music.You can pretty much assume that most of the things I post throughout the weekend is the best of what I've heard and seen. The weekends mean endless hours of time to do as I please and this basically equals listening to music AAAALLL day. I always feel kinda like a creep when I reveal to people that I would prefer to do this to most other things. All day I've been seeing "Frank Ocean" here and there and naturally, my interest was peeked. I listened to some of his songs off and on all throughout the day and nothing was really speaking to me.... and then I heard "We All Try" and I suddenly understood the hype. His tone is so pure and genuine on this track. Big ups to Mr. Ocean for making it into the final music post of the weekend. :)




Happy Sunday!

Interview: Lupe and The Fiasco Friday

Lupe stopped by Tavis Smiley and spoke candidly about his journey toward the completion of his album, his personal politics and why he loves music. I have always respected and appreciated Lupe's craft but this interview really pushed him to the number one spot on my "Top Musician" list.

 "There are some fights that aint worth fighting even if you win BUT there are other fights you have to fight.... even if you lose." -Tavis's grandfather

Laterz!

Obxessed: Dirty $$$

I already knew when they started dropping songs here and there that I would be all over them when the official album dropped. Dirty Money did not disappoint, ladies and gents. The production on this album is absolutely out of control! OUT. OF. CONTROL. Listen for yourself. You will see that if you really get lost in the music all you can hear is the vocals, the passion and all the other magic present in the music. Another amazing thing about this album is the features on this album are SPOT ON and seem to be well thought out. There is no haphazard Drake run and Kanye howl on this album. The music sounds intentional, artistic and authentic to the Dirty Money movement. I can dig it.

The songs on repeat:







Make sure you listen to the rest of the album too!
Laterz!

2Day In Music......

Hey friends! I try to keep you all up on the new new ish and so here we go.

1. Here's RAtheMC with "Dreams". If you're at all interested in what's hott in the rap/hip-hop scene then you should really start getting acquainted with RA.



2. Then we have Logic or the Young Sinatra. His flow is so effing fresh! He has that classic smooth rap swag.



3. Last is Wiz with his official video for "Roll Up". I remember last summer when I was sitting on my patio, chilling and listening to "Kush and OJ". It's crazy to suddenly have Wiz be this rising star and to hear people singing his songs. Wow.



Happy Sunday! Stay positive!

Who is that? Oh, It's JustBrad.

You know how people always say "Be careful what you do. You never know who is watching."? Well, I think these words of caution have never been more true since the creation and growth of the internet. People are putting even more of themselves out there to be viewed, discussed and judged. Thankfully, sometimes people share a part of themselves that serves a higher or more meaningful purpose. JustBrad.com has quietly been that for me over the last couple of years. I met Brad randomly via a friend during my Junior year of college. Us and a million of my other friends partied to "The Cool Kids", facebook friended each other and went on with our lives. Then one random day I came across his photography blog and instantly recognized the beauty of his gift. I've always randomly commented on his photographs via facebook but today it occurred to me how second nature it is for me to go to his blog and look for inspiration from his photographs. So Brad, I have obviously been being a creep watching. Thanks for sharing! Now everybody go visit his website and see some of his awesome photographs below.

Turns out Brad's also friend's with our resident Boss B*tches, Coco&Breezy.

Brilliant.

Laterz!

Just Get To Know: Rye Rye

Rye Rye is the perfect mash-up of what this generation longs to be-Vibrant, electric and hardcore. Believe me when I say, Rye Rye "got next". What has become most evident in American music these last couple of years is that we are finally accepting and learning to appreciate the electro-house pulse of the music industry. I have noticed in my own recent consumption how often electronic and house music is rising to the forefront of my musical preferences. For Instance, I have had "Yeah 3's" (Chris Brown) and "Louder" (Katy B.) in heavy rotation for the last two weeks. This would not have been normal for me... even 6 months ago! Music is getting shaken up in a new and exciting way and I love it.

Here's Rye Rye with her latest video and song, "Hardcore Girls".



Laterz!

This.

Found here.

Fashion: Bottega Veneta

And with that last post, this photo made me gasp. Impeccable. This dress is from the Bottega Veneta Fall 2011 collection.

 photo found at The Sartorialist.

Also check, some photo's from the Gucci Fall 2011 line at The Sartorialist.

Gorgeous.

Fashion on My Brain

As of late, I've been pondering this here blog and the direction I would like to go with it. What has been evident to me is that while fashion and music are both huge (if not equal) passions of mine, this blog has not been doing a great job of representing the fashion part of my brain. This realization led me to ponder why music seems to be the majority of the things I post...... And then it occurred to me- The way I process both are very different. I tend to think of music as a VERY public version of art. I am THEE DJ at work and I feel like music is inherently something that needs to always be shared. I also believe that I am more confident in my ability to spot great music and can battle against most anyone to explain and discuss the immense value of music and why I have phenomenal musical taste. (Yeah, I'm THAT cocky about my taste in music.) Fashion, on the other hand, tends to feel more personal to me. I devour hundreds of fashion inspirations everyday and I quietly store them in my brain. It doesn't naturally occur to me to yell from the mountains about this great designer I just discovered. Also, I'm still busy sharpening my fashion eye and understanding my (natural) personal style. As I grow more and more confident in my ability to identify the natural pulse of fashion I will continue to make that part of me more public. Until then......

peace.

Skinny Love? Yeah, 3x.

Ya like the title??? Yeah, I was trying to be witty and still provide the necessary information of what I'm playing on repeat today. They're a really random but gag-worthy combo. PROMISE. I took off every Friday in March so I'll be blogging heavily during that time. Excited? I sure am.

So yeah, listen to skinny love and check out that sick white shorts/salmon blazer combo Breezy is rocking. Maaaan, Breezy could......



AND Skinny Love- Birdy

Laterz!

2Day In Music......JJJ Jessie J

Jessie J, our resident bad girl, is back at it again with her Vevo sponsored live show. Watch our girl serve the people pure FEVER below.



WEEEERQ!

And then she slows it down with "Who You Are". She KILLED this!



And this is why I eff so hard with Jessie. She is the business!

Childish Gambino

Ladies and Gents, the dopeness that is Chilish Gambino (Mr. Glover if you nasty!) is going on tour. POW! Check out more info on his website iamdonald.com.

And check another one of my fave Gambino tracks below.



Laterz!

2Day In Music: Skyler on TV.

YAY! My down b*tch Skyler was on TV with Dirty Money tonight!!! Ms. Grey with the sick tone.

Fashion: Bey for Breakfast

I mean, say what you want BUT this is why Bey is Bey. Somebody posted the picture on tumblr with the caption above and I had to share. This girl.....

WERQ!

Fashion Dopeness: naKIMuli

You all know Tennille is my FAVORITE designer!! Well, she recently did a short interview with the folks over at dopefiles and she rocked it! This is why I'll b a forever fan to Tennille and naKIMuli. Check the interview below.

Nakimuli by Tennille McMillan from Dope Files on Vimeo.

Also, I totally just learned the correct way to say "naKIMuli". POW!

Video Dopeness: AK and Bey

Hey Friends! So, we all know that I'm that creepy Beyonce stan who somehow manages to bring her up in way too many everyday conversations and secretly watches her dvd's on repeat. Yes, I am that person. Needless to say, I was quite upset when her and Alicia Key's "Put It In A Love Song" video never saw the light of day. WHAAAT?!? Yes. Well, I said all of that to say, here's a "sneak peak". I would of course like to see the entire video but really at this point this will have to do. They look super cute, too!



LATERZ!!

Song Of The Day: Musiq

Musiq Soulchild is constantly churning out feel good music. I LOVE it. Hearing this song makes me want to get out on the dance floor and step!




Also, check his new video featuring Swizzy.



Laterz!

2Day In Music.. Skinny Love

Just came across "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver today and fell love with it and its cover. I would actually say that I enjoy the cover more than the original.

Original



Cover

Sunday Randoms.

Hey friends! So, I'm totally back. YAY! Blogging is so much a part of me that when I return after a couple of days I become verbose- LO SIENTO. But let me catch you all up!

1. First things first, I'm in love with New York. It took me SO long to fall in love with it. I remember everybody being super surprised that I wasn't in love with it after continuously visiting these last 3 years. This weekend something finally clicked. WHEW. I'm excited to potentially move there one day!

BUT as much as I love NY, Chicago will always been my first and only true love.

2. I have so many lovely friends! What I've come to realize is that, My relationships give me energy. Meaningful interactions with people are key to the very essence of my being.

3. (Native) NYC man are EXTREMELY confident. Some are overconfident. Like, you will see homeless people swaggerin' down the Ave. It's BONKERS.

4. To live in NY is to commit to something bigger. It takes damn near your life savings and your first born to make it financially work. That in itself deserves a standing ovation.

5. I finally forgave some people while I was there. I had some subtle bad energy I was channeling for a few people (most warranted. some not.) and it was something about the (filthy) NY air that helped me get all the nastiness out. WORD.

6. On Repeat:
 Katy B- Louder

Also Check the NAACP awards photos over at ybf.com. Everybody looks SUPER fab.

laterz!

New York, New York

Hey friends! I'm in New York until next week so that means slow blogging. Lo siento! It's cold as balls here and I met a new friend. After about 5 tries,I think new York has finally won me over. (cue Mateo's 
version of "Empire State of Mind").

I'll catch ya'll on the flip!

Laterz!