This won’t be long. All I’m going to tell you is I watched the Apple Event and came away truly wanting only one thing…the iPhone X. Don’t get me wrong, there were other devices announced and software that seemed promising but they didn’t really hold a candle to the X. Three features were all I needed to be persuaded and I don’t care how ridiculous you think they are. What I know is my life would be so much better with them. So here it is, my techie girl’s pumpkin spice latte equivalent. #IllBeBasicDontJudgeMe

Animoji-Maniac

I’ve always wanted to be a cartoon, chalk it to way too much Disney and 1 Saturday Mornings on ABC. One of  my bucket list items is to actually do voice work for a major animated film but now you’re telling me for $1000 I could make that happen in text messages and possibly with other software?! SIGN. ME. UP. If you’re my friend and text me regularly, I’m sorry in advance. Well no, I’m not. Deal with it. Group texters…beware. I told y’all not to put me in group chats but you did it anyway, now you’ll pay. I plan on running amuck with every single poop animated version of myself I can muster up. I also plan on playing other characters as well to pass the time. This is my number 1 feature and I can not wait.

It’s Biggie Smalls

The screen is yuge but from the looks of it, it’s smaller than my 7 Plus. Mark this down for me under “I want now.” All I’ve ever wanted is a big enough screen to make me feel like I can do all the things, even if I plan on using half of it. I just need options. Sure my make-up might grease up the thing, I don’t care. there will be 5.8 inches of amazingness packaged in a smaller body. There are small bezels and a new take on the display with no buttons! It’s big enough and yet somehow small enough…who wouldn’t want that?

An Ode to the Old School

When Steve Jobs premiered the first model of the iPhone in all black, I was dazzled. But when I saw that white, glossy 3GS – I just knew that I was in love. Yes, love. I’ve always appreciated technology for what it would contribute to my life but the design was always the icing on the cake. So when the rumor mills were a-churning with the design on the X, I was a little concerned. I didn’t know how I’d ever get over that vertical camera but the design revealed today was far more impressive than the leaks online. The stainless-steel rounded edges and glass frame was definitely a nice nod to the past, it dredges up all the feels and nostalgia. It won me over. It was pretty, shiny, and quite honestly that was all it took. Sue me (only after I pay it off).

Photo courtesy of Apple.

Now I know I didn’t take much coaxing but there are so many other great features about the phone you should dive into. Yes there are many opinions for and against it and everything Apple whether we’re talking design, pricing, or what have you. I say just check it out for yourself and leave your thoughts with me below. What are you excited to see from announcement day? <3

-D.Wright

I was excited to hear about Diddy’s Apple Music documentary Cant Stop Won’t Stop earlier this year. You guys know how much I love all things nostalgic and Bad Boy pretty much provided the soundtrack to my super awkward, yet somehow-cool-girlhood. I was a tween jamming out to Biggie, Lil Kim, MA$E, Faith Evans, 112, and Total on the school bus – it was especially my favorite thing in the summer time. I listened to practically everything Bad Boy put out. Shoot I thought I was going to Howard University so I could be a Baby Diddy and start my own Bad Boy!

As for the doc, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is a fun piece where the viewer gets to really see a raw version of Diddy and his anxieties as he prepares for his biggest project to date – a 20-year anniversary tour. The film starts with the 2016 reunion of former and present Bad Boy artists for the preparation of the tour and interweaves the story of this young intern turned legendary CEO.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a few moments of overdramatized situations that come up, but it wouldn’t be Diddy if you didn’t have at least a little bit of drama. I also kinda wish they had gone further into detail on a couple of artist’s stories. Aside from that, it’s pretty cool to see where he has managed to go in his career and this documentary is a good look into a big piece of hip-hop music history.

Check it out for yourself. <3

-D.Wright

Photo courtesy of Getty/Michael Loccisano.

If you haven’t checked out HBO’s The Defiant Ones by now, you are truly missing out on a gem. It’s a revealing look into the lives of music’s most influential dynamic duo, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. TDF is a four episode mini series that leaves no subject about the “power-bros” off the record. You want drama, comedy, romance, and amazing freaggin’ music – it’s all there for you.

Why I enjoyed it…

The Hits
The soundtrack to this thing and insane. Sure I might be biased because I grew up with the music these guys put out and felt super nostalgic, but it was truly epic. It’s easy to forget how many hits these guys were apart of but with the retelling of their story, it’s all inspiring to hear. You have the likes of N.W.A, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, U2, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, and so many other artists featured. Off the music alone, I think you’ll enjoy it. Like seriously.

Photo courtesy of G L Askew II, via HBO

The Videography
Allen Hughes did a phenomenal job with the direction and filming of this docu-series. It was shot beautifully and he really managed to get revealing interviews from everyone their team spoke with. You feel like you’re literally listening to your folks tell this bomb story about your family history – in glossy, Hollyhood music video format though. The detailed shots are so intricate that you could sense even the smallest emotional queues and this is just from the cut aways people! It’s as if he’s speaking through the cinematography. Watch it, it’s truly mesmerizing.

Photo courtesy of Joe Pugliese /AUGUST/ HBO

The Truth
These interviews are jaw dropping. I sat there like “Noooo, nooooo this couldn’t have happened. This wasn’t a thing.” Guess what, it did and it was. This thing is scandalous in the best of ways. There are stories of crime, abuse, drunken debauchery, drugs, sex, and the list goes on. Legendary artist dropping eff-bombs is just the icing on the cake folks. A viewer is made privy to personal details on historic music industry incidents from over the last 20+ years. You finally receive your “welcome” behind the velvet rope.

The Comedy
Snoop Dogg has to be my favorite person out of all of this. I mean everyone had humorous moments, like the story of when Dre almost ruined his Apple deal with ONE drunken Facebook video, or when Eminem revealed his annoyance with slinging Beats headphones in the early days. But that held no comparison to the comedic relief Snoop Dogg provided throughout the entire documentary. He’s awesome and yes he’s high as a kite, but he does not bite his tongue in the least. You know he’s telling the truth. So here’s the real lesson, you want to find out what was really going on…ask Uncle Snoop.

Watch it, it’s totally worth a good binge on your couch. They truly did it for the culture. <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

So I’ve been on my entrepreneurial journey for the last 10 or so years. I know that creative pursuits don’t totally seem “entrepreneurial” or ground breaking initially, but creatives can singlehandedly change the landscape of society and shape the future perception of our day to day norms. I know it sounds super cheesy but Simon Sinek helped me to realize how important my place in the world could be.

I wanted to share this video, a leader once shared with me, in hopes to help you gain perspective and a little more insight to your personal goals in business and livelihood. I know that I’m constantly grabbing for information and inspiration, so I figured  you’d be able to draw out at least one message that personally speaks to you and the work you’d like to accomplish.

[su_quote cite=”People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

-Simon Sinek”][/su_quote]

Simon Sinek is a speaker and author inspiring thousands across the globe. He is best known for his TED Talk “Start with Why,” where he demonstrates his coined methodology, The Golden Circle.

Tell me your take-aways from Simon’s talk. I’d love to hear from you. <3

-D.Wright