Highlights of FireWorks

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Pure Talent

Adele is simply amazing. Her voice is strong and beautiful and her English accent makes it so unique.  After researching her a bit I found out that she is only a year older than I am, thought that was an interesting little fact. Adele has won two Grammys already for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her upcoming album is titled 21 and is said to be released Jan-Feb of the new year. Here are two great songs that will be on the album.

Digital Death

This video of Alicia Keys is pretty much self-explanatory. It's a great way to get her fans to contribute to her causes. After about 2 weeks, Alicia's "digital death" has already gained $200,804 for Keep A Child Alive, the goal is one million dollars. The donations will go to people being affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. I really think this is a great way to use social networks.

The Colorful Art of Being...

Alright, so I may have a small obsession with Rihanna, so what.  I just came across a photospread of her, taken from Interview magazine.  The photographer, Mikael Jannson, did an amazing job along with stylist, Ludivine Poiblanc.  I haven't been a fan of Riri's new red hair-do but the color looks great in these photos.  

The unique thing about this article featured in Interview Magazine titled The Colorful Art of Being Rihanna, is that it was conducted by Kanye West.  West hasn't had the best luck with interviews lately so he's taking time out of the spotlight and personally shines it on Rihanna. Kanye covers Rihanna's fashion, new album, home life in Barbados, upcoming acting roles, and personal attitude and outlook on life. Here's a snippet of the interview:

WEST:

Do you have a vulnerable side? Because in a lot of the sin­gles that come out, you're like, "What's my name, muthafucka?" or "I'm a murderer."

RIHANNA:

Yes, I do have a vulnerable side. I think a lot of peo­ple have a misperception of me. They only see the tough, defen­sive, aggressive side. But every woman is vulnerable. They have vulnerability. So of course I'm going to have that side. It's not a major part of who I am, but it's definitely there. I just don't like people to see me cry-I don't like to let them know when I'm bothered. You know? I just prefer it to be all about business, and then whatever I'm dealing with, let me deal with that alone, because I don't want it to affect anything in my professional life.

 

HEAR HOPE

Her name is Hope. She is a singer, songwriter, and producer. Some may have heard of her but her material isn't widely played on the radio just yet. She is native to New York and grew up close to Woodstock.  Hope has been around music all of her life; her mother often appearing at the Apollo Theater and her father was a popular musical director on Broadway.  She has been playing the piano and guitar since a young age and has been drawn to artists such as Sade, Phil Collins, and Mariah Carey. 

Most of her music is very light and gives off happy vibes.  Her music is classified as pop but some of her songs have a soulful feel that I love. An artist that I would compare her to is Colbie Caillat. Her music has been featured in movies such as P.S. I Love You, Step Up 2, and Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married.

I heard her song, Who Am I To Say, a few years back and thought it was beautiful.  It reveals her pure talent. She never made a music video to this song but here is a audio clip from youtube..

 Hope is currently signed to Atlantic Records/Sweet Lemon.  Her album will be released soon and will include Who Am I to Say.  Her first official single off of her first album is Love, Love, Love featuring Jason Mraz.

Final Season

"Great moments... are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here, tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it." quote taken from the motion picture, Miracle.

So, I don't play hockey but as an athlete, this quote touches me. I thought I'd add something alittle personal to my posts; one of my passions is my basketball team. Many basketball players would say that their passion is basketball but I've realized throughout my college career that the bond formed on and off the court is what i love the most.  Of course I love the sport itself and this year happens to be my last season playing college basketball.  A video was made for my school's online newspaper, The Brick, featuring a preview of my team.  Check it out. 

RiRi and Em Do It Again

So I've been listening to this song for a couple weeks now. It was removed from youtube and now it's finally back. This is part II to the chart-topping single, Love The Way You Lie. It'll be featured on Rihanna's upcoming album, Loud, which will be released November 16th.  I was a huge fan of part 1 until the radio played it out. I think this version is great, Rihanna has a much bigger part and Eminem adds powerful lyrics yet again.  This youtube link has both part I and II so you can listen to the difference.  Part II starts at the 4:26 mark.  Check it out-

De La Vega

   I have seen this "Become Your Dream" image many times before but it was recently brought to my attention by classmates of mine that this term was coined by street artist, De La Vega.  I didn't even know who James De La Vega was a couple of days ago despite the fact that he's been around for quite a few years now.  Some consider his work to be graffiti, others put him in a whole different category.  A few years back, he was charged with vandalism because of a mural he drew on a blank wall in the Bronx.  He had to perform 50 hours of community service because he wouldn't admit that his artwork was destructive.  Vega is known for creating public murals and chalk drawings.  These creations usually include insightful words just as 'Become Your Dream' and the image below..

De la Vega has a store in NYC called De La Vega Museum, located on St. Mark's Place in the East Village along with three others in Tokyo, Paris, and Italy.  I haven't been to his NYC location yet but I definitely plan to now that I've learned more about him.  He focuses on the youth, especially inner-city youth.  When interviewed by CareerCookbook.com in 2006, he stated "I am not as interested in the adults who are the ones with money. Ultimately young people are the most important piece of the whole thing. The reason I do what I do with my art is because I am trying to inspire people to be powerful and make change." 

He also has a powerful stance on women that I can appreciate; "Women are the buyers, they know how to make business grow. Guys are retarted. Women are communicators."- from an interview with Vane Lifestyle

De La Vega outside of his store in NYC.

All Of The Lights...

Kanye West always has something new up his sleeve. This is a small section from his short film, Runaway. It has been said that this film idea has been influenced by film noir, a type of crime drama that emerged in the early '40s. I know there are a number of underlying meanings in this video but I have yet to figure out all of them..if anyone has any input please feel free to comment.This video clip titled All of the Lights featuring Rihanna, paints an interesting picture; the colors used are bright and the fireworks are just a nice bonus.

GRAFFITI IS GLOBAL

I took these photos in Porto, Portugal while studying abroad this summer.  Being from New York, I'm used to seeing graffiti on every street I pass but I was a little surprised to see so much of it in the few European cities I traveled to.  I'm a fan of most graffiti, I think it adds color to a sometimes gray city landscape. 

THEY CALL HER BK

My first firework is a true New York talent. Born and raised in the heart of the city, Bridget Kelly( nicknamed BK or BeeKay) brings a refreshing edge to the world of R&B . She has been trying to find her place in the music biz ever since she began attending Laguardia High School for Performing Arts, a well-known school located in Manhattan.  BK regularly performed at open mic spots throughout the city and even used a subway platform as her stage.  In 2008, she got her big break.  Roc Nation, a fairly new record label created by hip-hop phenom, Jay-Z, gave BK her first recording deal. 

Now 23, BK is known as the first lady of Roc Nation and this is only the beginning.  Compared to the many young R&B stars who have been climbing the charts, I think BK adds soul and a slightly different sound to her music. Her most public performance yet was playing the part of fill-in for Alicia Keys during a couple of Jay-Z's concerts in September '09.  BK performed AK's hook on "Empire State of Mind." As a huge AK fan, I must say, she did her proud.  Her style and tone somewhat resemble that of Alicia Keys.  Below is a clip of BK's performance with Jay-Z:




Bridget Kelly is currently recording her first album, no due date is set yet.  As I tried to find some of her original work on youtube, I came across this song titled "Stuck", I can't stop listening to it.  I'm usually a sucker for love songs but this track is different and very powerful. I posted the song below.