Photo courtesy of Gorilla vs. Bear.

Let’s start with, I always thought SZA was a model. I didn’t even realize she did R&B. All I knew was that she was a beautiful milk-chocolate girl with amazing hair and freckles.

All of a sudden everyone was talking about her and asking me if I had listened to any of her music. At the time, I was into a couple of other upcoming folks and didn’t dive into the work she was putting out. I can’t even tell you any of her solo material I’ve heard aside from the music she’s most recently released. What I can tell you is I listened to her on my girl Ratchet Rhi aka Rihanna’s “Anti” album on the 1st track, Consideration, and absolutely loved her. It was my gateway into the world of SZA.

Photo courtesy of Rap-Up.

A few weeks ago I heard “Love Galore” and immediately felt drawn into her rich, youthful alto. Then this “Ctrl” dropped and I totally understood why her label was NOT about the life of letting her go. I mean I did hear it was overblown at the time but if it were real, I probably wouldn’t have let her go either. She’s pretty awesome. I sat here on Friday and was just hypnotized. She literally says everything young women might want to express or chat about with their  girlfriends but with these raspy vocals over R&B tracks. How Sway? That’s legit not an easy feat, especially in R&B these days. Many new-age R&B crooners are not able to capture authentic, raw, and yet polished stories. I mean we fell in love with Usher and Alicia Keys at some point because they were able to skillfully take us on a journey while sticking to the R&B/pop formula. This new wave of R&B is less pop influenced though, and challenges young writers to connect with their audience in that Confession’s album sort of way but with the soul of a Songs in A Minor, all the while creating a new approach to R&B. She’s very much so a musical unicorn in the Frank Ocean sort of way where she’s able to tell really complex stories in a relatable way while, again, over R&B tracks. That’s pretty cool. The ethos of her work is storytelling. And the difference between her and a lot of other R&B artists out now, is she’s crafting the story herself. She’s vulnerable and real. She’s also not overproduced so you hear every word and syllable. You know exactly what she means and feels what she says.

Photo courtesy of Rap-Up.

SZA is a very moving artist and that’s so refreshing nowadays. You get the sense that she’s really bearing her soul in 14 tracks. Ctrl is extremely personal in a time when music seems so impersonal and contrived. For that reason alone, she has a new fan in me. I love it and I think as a woman, she plays up a lot on those feminine sensitivities without even trying. I’m glad to have an artist like her on the rise and I’m excited to see where she continues to journey with her artistry. <3

-D.Wright

Last Monday I had a shoot with one of my favorite people and photographers out of Houston, Jesus Camacho at Throughgood Coffee in The Heights.

Jesus and I talked a while back about my thoughts and what I was envisioning, vibe-wise. I tell you this man delivered! We came out with a bunch of beautiful shots for the blog and I can’t wait until you all see them.

I generally like to keep shoots super low-key because I get a little shy and anxious, but I enlisted the help of my go-to dynamic duo/my “dream-team” for make up and styling advice. Mayte Hernandez (a freelance MUA and stylist) slayed my make-up, she also helped pick out the looks you’ll see and Korlynn “KoKo” Mulligan (SCAD Alumnus) assisted. These ladies are the BOMB.com!

And funny enough, this was my first time working with Jesus on a personal project. We’ve had a couple collaborations for some internal tech company stuff, but we knew this would be different. It was going to be all me. The cool thing is, he’s so nice and creative. He gave me solid direction and we came out with some amazing shots that you’ll start to see later this week.

Now as for Throughgood Coffee, it’s actually my pastor’s coffee shop. Anyone that knows Pastor Rudy will tell you, he loves a good cup of coffee and will meet you at any shop for a chat. It’s honestly how he got me to first attend St. John’s. So opening a coffee shop has been a big dream of his and it finally came into fruition about a month back. They opened their doors in May and have seen hundreds of people come in for their daily cup of Joe.

And so when I first saw the space, I just knew I wanted to do something creative in it. So I gave Pastor Rudy a holler and asked if I could shoot for my blog, as soon as I got it up and running. He’s the coolest pastor ever and obliged, so here we are today.

Throughgood provided me the perfect backdrop for the first portion of my shoot (the second half I did at various outdoor locations). The interior materials are mostly a combination of of wood, glass, and different metals with big windows that reminded me a bit of my home aesthetic. There is also this earthy, very serene feeling you get right when you pull into the gates. It’s extremely soulful, in the best of ways, and intentional about its positive vibes. I mean he is a spiritual leader and all so I guess it makes sense. They have a beautiful outdoor area as well as a dog park for you puppy parents out there.

And of course there’s coffee. Amazing, amazing coffee. I’m not even really a coffee drinker but I loved the espresso I had and have had their juices on a previous trip as well. If you’re wondering about food, just know you’re in luck! They serve all kinds of organic, vegan goodies like this “Savory Cheesecake” pictured on the side there. On the weekends they have food trucks roll through with what I call the good stuff. Last I was there, I had this mouthwatering fried-catfish that legit had me dreaming about it for a week. Make sure to check out the website for more information on what trucks will be featured and the different things they’ll have going on. Oh yeah, for all of you workaholics out there, there is free Wi-Fi. Don’t you worry. You’re taken care of.

I know you’re also probably thinking, “how much will this run me?” Honestly the pricing is pretty good. I think I paid around six bucks and some change for a coffee cake and espresso. Juice prices were around$2/$3 and the food truck charges varied by restaurant. Good food/drinks and fair prices equals one happy little camper here.

With all I’ve told you, you can probably imagine how much of an awesome day it was for me. I was in wonderful company and got to shoot at one of my new favorite places in Houston for my very first blog shoot. On top of that, I had the support of these amazing people helping me to start my new venture off with a bang. I’m forever grateful for my sweet, little village and the beauty of my city. Thanks guys (and baby Beyoncé voice) I love you Houston. <3

-D.Wright

So I’ll start with, I’m super grateful my little sister Deangela thought her big sis was cool enough to roll out with her to Houston’s very own summer par-tay, Free Press Summer Fest last weekend. It was set for June 3rd-4th from 11am until around midnight-ish each night at Eleanor Tinsley Park but as you might have read, while following my tweets, Mother Nature had other plans. It sucks because the line up was pretty cool too. It consisted of local acts like DJ Fredster and Khruangbin to nationally recognized artists like Solange Knowles, Charlie XCX and G-Eazy.

As soon as we stepped out of our Lyft, we felt rain. I immediately grabbed for my poncho, and yes… it was only sprinkling. I didn’t care. While walking up to the entrance, we annoyingly sang a couple rounds of  the most appropriate song for the weather… “Bad and Boujee”, affectionally known to me as “Rain drop, drop top.” And so it begun…

In predictable festival fashion, everyone had their own version of the uniform. There was body glitter, shirtless bros, tanks, net stockings, Jurassic Park hats, backpacks, several variations of Jaden Smith, Yonce’ body suits with an extra side of cellulite on the side, and all the jiggly bits from up-top to down-below ready to be tanned and admired by college kids aka toddlers (ok they were like 18 but whatever). Let’s just say it was interesting and I felt like a dinosaur. We opted for the “happy to be here folks, this is how we normally dress” option. It didn’t go viral or anything but hey, nothing fell out (if you get my drift).

So after actually entering the gates of the festival, we saw a Taco Bell truck and a village or Port-O-Potties we swore to never step foot in. As we walked, we eyed a variety of trendy food trucks and bars lined up to perfection. They definitely wanted to make sure you were full in more ways the one. I never got to actually hit the merch area but it was there, tucked away between the food. The park was beautiful and hot. It literally felt like being in a greenhouse with the sun set right over you in every direction you might try to escape. After baking for a few minutes, we walked underneath a canopy of trees and heard DJ Fredster who was definitely killing it. His energy and music was that of something you’d hear spin in Vegas. The crowd was a little bit more grown up and super chill so naturally I asked for wine… and I found it. They had $9 baby cups of Chardonnay ready, along with a few other well drinks and cocktails for their grown and sexy bunch. Walking back, a kid (literally like 15 or 16) asked me to buy him a beer. I looked at him, took my sips and we went off in search of my buddies Khruangbin who were about to start their set.

I was so proud to see Mark and DJ. Their performance was full of funk, soul, and experimental sound. It was inviting and felt familiar. The crowd ignored the broiling sun and danced all over the lawn of the Saturn stage. It was just downright fun and a solid impression for folks like my little sister who were experiencing them for the first time. I’d definitely recommend you taking a listen if you’re into old school vibey instrumentation.

It was after Khruangbin’s set when I saw a huge rush of people headed to the Neptune stage. I’m a bit of a wanderer so I yelled for my sister to follow the crowd. Best decision ever. We heard the drop for DJ Mr. Rogers of 93.7 The Beat and knew it was about to get crazy. The crowd jumped and dived all over each other. I eventually found a small field with flowers and trees (ok… yes shade, there was shade) and went for it. You would have to, it was hot!

They rapped every single lyric he played and then the main dude, Trill Sammy, came out with his entourage shooting huge water guns for the hyped and thirsting crowd. They. Went. Crazy. I mean like Kanye West just declared his run for presidency on MTV again, crazy. Mind you, we (my sister and I) don’t know this guy at all, but instinctively knew we were supposed to be partying like we were at a frat house before the cops came. Speaking of cops, they were there saving folks left and right. For future notice kids…don’t do drugs, drink, and jump around on each other in sweltering 90 degree weather. You will fall out and possibly get arrested for possession. That’s a thing.

Anywho… the afternoon went on and we were getting hungry so we stopped by the main stage to check out another act, Jon Bellion. He has quite a few radio hits under his belt and was definitely fun to watch. The set had good energy and a massive crowd so it was definitely cool. I will probably check out more of his music this week. He wasn’t too bad at all and had some really catchy tunes with nice tracks backing him. Towards the end of his performance, we went ahead and called a Lyft. Dee snapped this shot on our way out…

We had perfect timing because this is when the sky decided to unfold and shut down the festival for a few hours. But guess who was inside, eating nachos/tamales, and drinking margaritas in the nice air-conditioned restaurant? Deangela and me, that’s who! Clearly we’re the kind of girls to go glamping. Don’t ask  us to stay outside for extended periods of time. And my logic was, if we were going to suffer in Houston’s humidity, we might as well be happy about it. Back on track here, El Tiempo did not disappoint. We ate, talked and waited for them to open the fest back up to catch G-Eazy. It was night and crazy humid/muddy, so no pics of that. Sorry. But you can check out my delicious plate!

So fast forward to day 2. We were SO excited because this is when all of the more popular pop acts were going to perform. But guess what… some kind of monsoon happened in the late afternoon and shut down the remainder of the festival. There were barely any updates so we remained hopeful for a few hours until we got the notice that they would be “cancelling the rest of the performances due to the inclement weather.” Sigh… So this was our day two… Two sisters, pitifully siting at home, on the couch waiting to hear the news that the shows we dressed to attend weren’t happening.

Overall we had a good time and enjoyed each other’s company. We had fun at the performances we were able to catch and were happy we got to slow down and catch up on each other’s lives. So there it is… my first time at Free Press Summer Fest. <3

-D.Wright

Yesterday was Prince’s birthday. He would have been 59 years old…

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.

I continuously celebrate him as the best musician of our generation but yesterday, for lack of better words, sucked. Sure, his music was everywhere and there were tributes plastered all over social media but my King of SassNShade is no longer with us and it breaks my little purple loving heart.

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.

It was one of those days that made me sad because I know we’ll never experience a musician of his caliber in our generation again. I’m totally grateful to have been alive during his life though, and will probably be one of those old folks talking about the greatest entertainer of all times cross-dressing while ripping the guitar and the time he wore buttless pants on national television. I’ll have stories for days, music for years, memories forever and all of that jazz but I still feel like little a piece of me is missing. I guess this is how Elvis fans feel.

I won’t pretend to know every single album, rhyme, or guitar lick…I just know up until last year, April 21st was the first time I spent a day knowing this majestic creature would no longer hypnotize us with his magic

What’s your favorite Prince song?
Mine might be I Would Die 4 U. <3

-D.Wright

For one whole summer, I had a West African goddess as a boss…
her name is Bozoma Saint John.

Photo courtesy of Business Insider.

I first saw her, like many Apple fan boys and girls in 2016 presenting the big UI update for Apple Music during the much anticipated WWDC. I promised myself somehow, someway – I would end up on this woman’s team. Months later, that’s exactly what happened, but this story is less about me and more about celebrating the power moves this boss chick is making while sprinkling her Black Girl Magic all over the tech industry.

Boz has had quite the track record, totally Googlable, but I have to mention how she’s contributed to some of today’s most iconic pop culture moments through collaborations with an army of A-list musicians like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Drake. She’s even won multiple awards, titles, and spots on coveted tech and music industry lists to back up her growing accomplishments. She’s pretty cold.

Zane Lowe, Boz Saint John, and Larry Jackson photo courtesy of COMPLEX.

My first day on campus and the first time I’d sat in on weekly meetings, I saw this unicorn of a woman sitting tall at the head of the table. I couldn’t believe it was the same lady I just witnessed, in that bomb pink dress, rapping “Rapper’s Delight” in a room full of hipster nerds and tech geeks. Her presence was absolutely awe-inspiring and I’d never seen anything like it outside of the movies. She was brilliant, fashionably fabulous, had the most amazing flawless skin, was practically an Amazon, and a straight shooter with amazing jokes. The cherry on top…she was actually nice! I will never forget her kindness and willingness to engage the staff. Her energy just made you feel like she striving for greatness and demanded you to do the same.

Photo courtesy of Fast Company.

News broke on last Friday that she would no longer be with Apple Music and many folks were surprised. Regardless of “the signs” and her growing demand, many of us felt hopeful to see her commit a few more years to Apple and bubble her way up the music executive chain. I mean, in a pretty short span of time, she started the path as a culture changer for Apple and her star power was definitely on the rise. She was also, notably, one of the few executives from Apple to keep up a blossoming personal brand outside of the tech giant. But though all the planets seemed to align for her reign, her departure just felt inevitable. My girlfriends and I would sit and discuss the business moves of many of her colleagues. We just knew she was going to have something big up her sleeve within the next two years. Monday June 5th, two years became 6 months and the inevitable became a reality. Boz resigned from her Head of Global Marketing role to enter a C-level position as the Chief Brand Officer of Uber.

Photo courtesy of Billboard.

Now let’s talk about how major this is for a split second. We all know Uber has had a rough couple of months over the last year but they Bat-Called a Black woman to save their image and brand. She’s literally Olivia Pope-ing the technology industry one company at a time! Killing it #fortheculture! Pause…you need to soak that in. Apple Music’s subscription numbers have increased immensely while under her expertise and marketing guidance (also Googlable). Pepsi, (pre Kendell-gate) was on an all time high with epic music marketing activations and performances that further exposed the company to it’s thirsting millennial customer base. So considering what little I knew of her pretty cool career…I realized, Boz doesn’t leave dumpster fires. She leaves rainbows and butterflies with every move she makes. (You’d know exactly what I’m talking about if you ever met her.)

So while I’m sure she’ll be sorely missed at Apple, she has the opportunity to leave her biggest glitter bomb yet at Uber where they desperately need her reinvention  magic to keep them in the game. And for that, we all wish you nothing but success Boz! We’re rooting for you. Make those Boz moves girl! <3

-D.Wright