Black girls rock and Black girls are moving and shaking! Enter the Black Girl Movement Conference for another dose of Black Girl Magic!

From Thursday, April 7- Saturday, April 9 the Black Girl Movement Conference will commence at Columbia University. Here’s a statement about BGM’s movement:

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This is from a point in the book after Nyela’s layoff from an urban entertainment magazine. She finds herself scrambling for freelance gigs, one of those being a new gig at Regality magazine, the hottest Black women’s magazine around.

—

I wanted to cringe as I walked through Regality magazine’s lobby. I didn’t really have a good feeling about this place, but I reminded myself to deal with it by remembering that this gig was going to help keep me out of my parents’ pockets, and that it was an iconic place that would look good on my résumé. How bad could it be, right? Never mind, I knew what industry I was in. The biggest lesson I have learned in my career thus far was that perception was a motherfucker. I’d already experienced one of the most iconic publications in pop culture history, but I’d also seen and heard enough from friends to know that when it came to the companies that we all worshipped as kids and that seemed to have everything all together, how they really operated vs. how they appeared to operate were two different concepts. I often questioned my sanity for moving forward with this industry for as long as I had.

I would love to be my own boss full time one day, but one of the frustrating things about being an entrepreneur was, you just didn’t make ends meet fast enough in the beginning so you’d still get caught up in working for others to make a living. I was lucky that my blog was starting to bring in some decent chunks of money enough to at least cover my cable, electric, and cellphone bill, but it was my script that I really needed to focus on, and I’ve been scheduling my time better since meeting with Nero so that I could finally get it ready.

I was a pretty determined person. I got that trait from both of my entrepreneurial parents. I’d watched them manage and operate their respective businesses my entire life. They were both lucky enough to still be in business for decades, and now it was my turn. Honestly, I was afraid to work on changing my situation, and also of subjecting myself to the kind of scrutiny that came with artistry and entrepreneurship, but it was time to stop with fear and excuses and be more positive, so I decided to end the self-doubt and deprecation session for now. In the meantime, I’d fantasize about Olu and pretend that the stories I’d heard about this place being a mean girl sorority house weren’t true.

“Nyela, follow me please.”

Tina’s curt greeting snapped me out of my thoughts.

I stood up and extended my hand for a shake. “Hi, Tina.”

She grabbed the tip of my four fingers and gave me a limp shake as if she could care less, and it made me want to slap her. I hated shaking hands too, but at least I pretended to be into it for the sake of business pretenses, and at the very least simply being cordial. She looked me up and down and cracked a slight smile.

“Nice dress,” she said, seemingly through gritted teeth. “Demestiks NYC?”

It looked like it hurt her to at least pretend to be remotely friendly, but I was still impressed with and also disturbed by her ability to call out labels so easily. I don’t think that fact would ever get old to me! I’ve had this dress for so long that even I forgot that it was Demestiks NYC.

“Yeah,” I replied, trying to keep up with her rapid pace as we headed to my workspace.

She was so type A.

She led me to a cubicle big enough for two people, with one side already occupied. I assumed the empty space was mine and put my bag down. Based on the fact that the other girl didn’t even turn around to greet me, I started to get the vibe that this place was going to be déjà vu, but with a bunch of passive aggressive women in fly clothes, instead of petulant man-children.

“Nyela, meet Kimmie. She’s our online fashionista and celebrity gossip girl,” Tina said.

Kimmie finally spun her chair toward me and extended her hand. “Hi,” she said, also looking me up and down.

Her handshake at least had some effort behind it.

“Looks like we picked the same in-office day,” I said, realizing how pointless my comment was when her facial expression changed from apathy to judgment.

“Is that Demestiks NYC?” she said.

What the fuck!

“Yes,” I replied, forcing a smile.

Tina was too busy with whatever was going on in her phone to be concerned with our exchange.

I started getting settled at my desk and when Tina finished with her phone, she handed me my building ID.

“So, I gotta run to a meeting but I forgot to tell you, you don’t just cover film anymore. Given your background at Spark, we’ve decided to make music your beat too,” she said before dashing off.

“But what happened to the music girl you were going to hire?” I yelled after her, as she got halfway down the hall.

“Budget cuts!”

She disappeared around a corner.

“Budget cuts?” I repeated out loud rhetorically.

“That’s how they do it around here,” Kimmie said. “Prepare for the grind, but if this is what you really want then you’ll do it and be happy. I mean this is Regality. Tons of women would love to be in your shoes, but they chose you, so work it out.”

I imagined myself asking her who the fuck asked for her unsolicited sanctimonious mini speech. I’m not a 22-year-old naïve fucking assistant! However, instead of being rude, I kept my face neutral and eeked out the only reply I could think of that didn’t involve the words: nobody, asked and you.

“True.”

I noticed she was on TMZ right before I decided to mind my own business and get my desk area together. It made no sense to decorate, but I could at least know where my office supplies were, especially my trusty Post-its, so I started searching the drawers.

“HOLD UP!” Kimmie shouted.

I turned around to see what the drama was about just in time to see her yanking her headphones out of the jack and swiveling her chair around to face me.

“Did you know about this?”

Confused, I pulled my chair up to her desk and noticed she was now on a popular gossip and entertainment site that wasn’t Chatty Abernathy, for once.

Nero Benvenuti Launches Blog With Acting

Video of Brawling Writer Muse…

Blogger’s Can’t Be Trusted is on sale here in paperback and Kindle.

For More About Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted:

Main Character Profiles

How Career Burnout Led To Me Writing My First Novel

Keep in touch by signing up for the mailing list!

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The post Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted Snippet: The Not So Regal Women’s Magazine Experience appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

If I actually had a budget for this book, the character profiles would be video vignettes of each character explaining who they are via monologue. But alas, no budget (and that is self-publishing), so my words will have to literally speak for them. My approach to the characters in this case wasn’t to sit and figure out who they are before I started writing, it was to let them tell me. I started with Nyela Barnes knowing that she was a jaded journalist who wanted to eventually become a screenwriter, and she guided me through her day. That is when her world began to develop and the other characters started to appear.  There are a lot of interesting characters in the book, but I narrowed my analysis down to just a few of the most key people.

Keep reading in order to get to know them:

Nyela Barnes

Nyela is a Brooklyn girl who had a nice upbringing in pre-gentrified Bed-Stuy. Both her parents are entrepreneurs. Her dad is a lawyer with a multi-services company and her mom owns a dance studio (who secretly thinks she’s Debbie Allen). Nyela was encouraged to be proud of Black culture and encouraged to be who she always wanted to be from a young age. That manifested itself in Nyela becoming an avid reader and writer with a passion for the arts. She is extremely talented, nerdy, and ambitious, but she works in a world that, in her mind, is too stupid for her sanity. It wasn’t always that way. There was a time when all she wanted to do was become a top tier entertainment journalist, but she’s starting to learn that sometimes things change, and when that happens you have to adapt. Nyela is stubborn, so she’s fighting it. She hates her job, and wants a change. However, self-pity gets in the way of Nyela doing anything productive with her already popular side passion, her TV and film blog, as well as that movie script that she keeps procrastinating on. There will be many moments when you will want to shake her. Hopefully you will see someone, if not even yourself, in Nyela.

Reiko (pronounced “ray-ko”) Rodriguez

Reiko Rodriguez is Nyela’s bestie. She and Nyela are different in a lot of ways, but similar in that they are smart, loyal (sometimes to a fault), and ambitious. However, Reiko may sometimes be a bit too ambitious (which can be seen in her penchant for bad behavior on reality TV). She is a popular radio personality, celebrity news blogger, and sometimes reality star who wishes Nyela would do more with her talent as a writer, even if it means stunting for the Gram, or SnapChat, or YouTube, or…whoever.

Olu Mensah (aka Olu Major) 

Olu is a tall dark African-British heartthrob (his mom is Nigerian and his dad is Ghanaian) who has his eye on Nyela. He grew up affluent in London, but decided to head to the US, against his parents’ wishes, to make his dreams of superstardom come true.  By the time Nyela meets him for an interview with a major magazine, he is an actor making the shift to becoming a successful rapper–think a combination of Idris Elba and Drake. Initially, he didn’t get much play in the storyline because I was trying to keep the focus more on Nyela, but my editor mentioned that he was more interesting than what I gave him credit for so I gave him more play, and that is how the love story part of Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted started to develop. I hope he comes off as a charming, intelligent and cool nice guy without seeming too corny. It was hard to write him because I struggle with writing men for obvious reasons.

Felani (pronounced “Felony,” real name Felicia Simpson)

Felani is an up and coming rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and throw hands if she has to. She started making noise on the mixtape and street DVD scene with her hardcore rhymes, but now she’s on the trajectory toward mega stardom, that’s if she can clean up some of her hardcore ways and tacky sense of style. With brands like MAC knocking on her door some tweaks will have to be made, but she doesn’t want to lose her authenticity. She is surprisingly best friends with Olu (they know each other from audio engineering school), and gets close to Nyela and Reiko, who try to help her polish her presentation just enough so that she doesn’t scare people, but remains true to who she is with room to grow.

Cool Story: I actually created Felani for a spoof that I did making fun of the stereotypical female rapper personality types (shouts to Malik 16 and Readhead for helping me with that). That was many moons ago and I’m too lazy to search for the video, though it’s still out there. The novel version of Felani is a lot more developed and complex.

Sincere McDonald 

Sincere is Nyela’s most likely ex-boyfriend and a celebrity relationship blogger. Their relationship is at first complicated, but becomes crystal clear once you realize who Sincere actually is. Nyela met him back when he was working on Wall Street and not really blogging. He was always intrigued by Nyela’s career as a writer and expressed a secret desire to do more writing. He explained that he dabbled in blogging on the side, where he shared stories from his life as a New York bachelor. Nyela, being the thoughtful and helpful young woman that she is, helped him develop blogging strategies and even gave him ideas. Eventually his blog about bachelorhood took off. He started gaining so much notoriety and making enough money from blogging and as a “relationship expert” that he quit Wall Street and started blogging full time. He also became the ultimate douche lord when his newfound fame went to his head. He is most known for viral posts like, “How To Breakup With a Dickmatized Chick” and “Never Get Caught Up In Psycho Box.”

I’m finishing up the proofing process so hopefully I will publish this novel by the end of the month.

Feel free to sign up at the Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted mailing list below for occasional updates:

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How Career Burnout Led Me To Self-Publishing My First Novel

The post Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted – Main Character Profiles appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

I started writing Bloggers Can’t be Trusted as a way to cope with my very first magazine job, where I worked under someone I’d like to refer to as Bellatrix Lestrange. It started as a series of morning journals I began writing (via Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way) for therapy (because my work environment was that toxic because of said individual). I didn’t plan to do anything with the journals except for sort out my feelings and calm my soul, but even after that magazine job ended (I got laid off), I continued working in toxic environments and with toxic people, and the journal began taking a life of its own and turned into the book I am about to put out.

I decided that I was serious about becoming an author at some point in my career when I was in college. Back then, I imagined that the occasion would be celebrated with a massive book deal with a major publishing house. I held on to that notion for a long time because I felt like the ultimate props for a writer was to get a book deal. It’s still an amazing concept, I mean, I’d love to be like one of these mediocre reality stars, or a white girl with a blog, who gets a million dollar book deal just because, but I digress. Reality doesn’t always work that way, so I let go of exclusively wanting to get published by a major about two years ago. By then, life happened, I was burned out, near nervous breakdown (or maybe even in the middle of one, in hindsight), and I decided that I wanted to self-publish because I didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s bullshit.

Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted, once I realized that it would be my novel (because I have scrapped it and restarted many times), is a parody of many of my experiences in entertainment media. I have encountered so many unreal people and situations (good and bad), that I really should have written a tell-all, but tell-alls aren’t my style.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that that BCBT is basically an eff you note to everyone for all the burnouts and near nervous breakdowns (I was actually diagnosed by a therapist as having work-related PTSD), it still turned into a love story. The main character, Nyela, falls in love with Olu Major (we’ll get to that in a second), but she also learns to love herself again. Here’s the synopsis from the back of the book:

Nyela Barnes is a respected entertainment journalist who seemingly has it all, but the luster of her once fulfilling career has started to fade. With pseudo writers and social media stars continuing to water down the art of real reporting and her boss at Spark magazine micromanaging her every move, Nyela is desperately in need of a change.

The idea of chasing a new dream of becoming a screenwriter reignites Nyela’s fire, but her world gets turned upside down when she starts a romance with Olu Major, the hottest actor-turned-rapper in the game. Overnight, she goes from being the one telling the story to being the story, as her name becomes the source of gossip blog fodder.

Supported by her talented, zany friends and quirky family, Nyela is determined to figure out the identity of anonymous blogger Chatty Abernathy, who seems hell-bent on destroying her reputation and budding relationship.

The frustrating nature of her career became more of the underlying theme as you read and often want to strangle her for being smart, but not always finding herself in the best situations. My goal is to release BCBT at the end of the month, but I have no team to help me since I am self-publishing, and I find that the book just hasn’t been ready. I’d keep setting a date and then pushing it back. I hate to be vague about it, but do know that it’s coming soon.

In the meantime, I do have more posts planned around the book that will hopefully pique your interest (and yes, the title will be explained), so check back in with me every so often for updates. Also, I’m not saying that I’ll never at least try to get a book deal, but this time around, self-publishing just feels right at the moment. I will eventually break that down too.

Feel free to sign up at the Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted mailing list below for occasional updates: 

The post Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted: How Career Burnout Led To Writing My First Novel appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

Blitz the Ambassador has been busy traveling, filming and making music for his Disaporadical Trilogia. The third installment of this series is “Running.” The stunning video was shot in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, and it was directed by Blitz.

His storytelling via sound and imagery is always intentional in paying homage to the African influence across the diaspora. Here, the Yoruba influence is strong!  The video tells the story of how the protection of African spirituality is strong, especially in the face of major obstacles, which is something we’ve known for centuries.

The visuals in this case tell the story of gentrification. A demolition team makes its way to tear down a woman’s home, but she is protected by her Orishas. Previous videos in the series include “JuJu Girl” and “Shine.”

Enjoy.

Blitz the Ambassador’s Diasporadical EP is scheduled to drop in March.

The post Blitz the Ambassador’s ‘Running’ Taps Into Afro-Brazilian Spirituality appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

Ogling fabric at Accra’s Makola Market.

Visiting the market in Ghana (and West Africa in general) is a way of life. For centuries, the market has been where you buy pretty much everything you need. However, markets are chaotic, and can down right induce an anxiety attack if you’re not careful. In this case, I am specifically speaking about Accra.

All of the fabric!

Enter the Makola Market, or even the Art Center, some of Accra’s biggest markets, and probably where most people will tell you to go when you visit. Most of your purchase experiences at these places will be sensory overload. Not only will you see items on top of items on top of items every which way you go, but people, who know how to sniff out foreigners, and are even better at being able to tell where you’re from, will be swarming around you to get you to buy their goods. What may start as a seemingly harmless hello or question about where you’re from could easily turn into repeated urges to “visit my shop next,” or you being draped in or holding a plethora of trinkets that you’re being forced to buy.

The kicker is, the price of anything is always going to be triple because you are a walking wallet (that’s just the real of it). However, you are expected to negotiate the price because that’s culturally how things are done. If you are like me, meaning you experience high anxiety around people, particularly strangers (seriously, people are a major trigger for me), then this can be no bueno. I’ve managed to deal during both my trips to Ghana, but man…I hate it, but I’d like to be of assistance because I managed to get through it. So, here are 8 tips for market survival in Accra.

1. Be Patient

This may sound like a no-brainer, but seriously, you will need it. The aggressive nature of some of the vendors will probably be culture shock (emphasis on aggressive, but not threatening). In my experiences, I have had moments where simply touching something that caught my eye ended in items being shoved in my hands at lightning speed, or something draped over me and being told how nice it would look on, when I wasn’t even trying to buy it, just inspecting. There will be an expectation that you buy something, but don’t feel pressure. Speaking of pressure, expect your space to possible be invaded. Spacial boundaries are just different and again, if you are anxious like me, that could be a problem. I had lots of moments where I had to breathe, count, calm myself down, and remind myself that I was with a familiar group of travelers in case I needed to bail or felt the urge to snap at someone either for being too aggressive in trying to get me to purchase something, or even unsolicited touch (It was never anything offensive, but still, yo, back up off me!). Again, I got through it without incident, so there goes that.

2. Do Your Research

People in the markets don’t like unsolicited pictures being taken of them. I’m talking about, they will get angry enough to either swipe at you or knock your camera down, so do be aware. I witnessed someone in my group almost get the wrath. It would not have been pretty getting jumped by a group of locals over camera shots (I’m not exaggerating). Luckily, we had a local with us who calmed the situation down because said traveler was actually snapping scenery and not necessarily one specific person. If you really want a picture that bad, make it clear that you’re snapping a sign and not the people, or if you want actually people in the shot, ask a vendor that you have purchased from for a photo, they will be more than happy to pose.

I definitely snuck this shot!!

In related research news, the name “The Art Center” is a bit of a misnomer. For mos tof us, the name conjures images of some in door, air conditioned space where you visit booths or stores. No. It’s pretty much another outdoor market. The other thing is, there are several different sections. There are sections where artisans are actually selling things that were made in Ghana, and then there’s the Made in China Section (that’s what I call it, anyway). It’s not hard to tell which is which. I promise, if your eyes fail you, you’ll get a gut feeling.

3. Negotiate! Negotiate! Negotiate!

So, about you being a walking wallet thing…

If they tell you a price, fire back with something that is at least 1/2-3/4 less than what they tell you. Yes, half to three quarters. Where you settle is up to you, but don’t pay full price. It’s always going to be too much. Be firm, don’t back down, and always be willing to walk away. That is straight from every single Ghanaian I’ve ever met.

Funky masks ‘n ting at the Art Center.

4. Bring a Secret Weapon

For both my trips to Ghana, I always had locals accompany me to help negotiate. What’s crazy is, the price suddenly gets cut down if you have someone with you who can speak Ga or Twi. It’s quite astonishing and amusing, especially when they think you’re by yourself, quote you a price that you try to fight, then try to argue with you, but when you call your trusty Ghanaian friend over to hear the price, an epic showdown between them ensues. The amount of tooth sucking and frantic motioning back and forth never got old. The vendors hate when you bring a Ghanaian with you. I’ve seen so many salty faces behind this tactic, but hell, I’ve gotten and saw people get the price they wanted (or closer to what they wanted) 90% of the time behind having a Secret Weapon. If you don’t personally know any Ghanaians (not an expat, and not a Ghanaian who was born abroad, either), then establish a relationship with your driver or even hire a tour guide. Tip them extra, buy their food, and just be nice. They’ll be happy to help you because a lot of times they’ll be so frustrated by price hikes just on good principal, that they will argue vendors down to the death, damn near!

Yup, definitely tourists! With Shameless Maya, Jouelzy, and Hey Fran Hey.

5. Be Prepared for The Unexpected

I went to the Art Center expecting to shop and browse (and got annoyed, because, see number 1), but ended up getting an impromptu djembe lesson and a show.

Studying the riddim with laser focus…not really, just lost.

It all happened really fast, but Tastemakers Africa hooked us up with that amazing experience (that you can book on the Tastemakers App (among other adventures)! I’m pretty sure it’s something they’d be willing to do for a small fee, even without the friend hookup. I’m actually still kicking myself for not buying a bigger djembe (I purchased a mini one).

I got it engraved with “Rocque 4 Life,” had to rep my fam!

6. Buy Things You Weren’t Even Thinking About

…like a delicious fresh coconut that costs less than one US dollar. I know that coconuts get lots of flack. However, if you are a fresh coconut lover like me, then do eet! I can get coconuts in NYC, but not only are they not as fresh, but they damn near cost $5 or more so eff that! Also note that the fruit in Ghana, Togo, and probably all of West Africa is crack. Seriously, it is exceptionally delicious.

I got sun, melanin, and a fresh coconut, yaaaaassss!

7. Visit More Standard Stores

There are more standard stores with set prices like, Wild Gecko Handcrafts, Lokko 08 (more on that place later), Global Mamas, and more, where you can purchase items that are guaranteed made locally (or eat least by artisans in nearby countries) at a set price, without being pressured. Yes, you will pay more money (even though the conversion probably still works in your favor), but you will have a smoother experience.

Beautiful necklaces at the Wild Gecko

8. Lighten Up

That one should be simple, but it’s not always. My friend Trudy (whose family is from Ghana) was amused by my lack of patience and near freak outs, but I think I did a pretty good job rolling with the punches. There’s always room for improvement, though, but at least I survived, and you will too.

Have you experienced market life in Ghana or anywhere else in West Africa?

The post Surviving Makola Market (Or Any Market) In Accra, Ghana appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

Turning a lotto Kiosk in Accra into a photo op.

Art is everywhere in Accra, Ghana. After being smacked by the heat when you step off the plane you’ll notice the beautiful Black bodies working to direct travelers and their bags. Their smooth flawless onyx skin will most likely be unlike anything you have seen in the Western world in abundance, anyway, and it will be hard not to stare. How could something that colonial brain washing conditioned you to  believe is ugly be so breathtakingly gorgeous? As you make your way to customs you’ll get a closer look at the beautiful Black bodies and you will be in awe of their high cheekbones, and perfectly symmetrical faces. That is God’s art, and that’s just the beginning.

Arriving in Accra.

When you exit the airport you’ll notice more colors, from Kente Cloth Akwaaba signs to various prints, from Ankara, to wax, to batik, worn by naturally stylish individuals. They don’t even know they’re stylish. Compliments and will be met with shy smiles. You see, this is a place where custom outfits are in abundance. Everyone either knows how to, or someone who can create divine custom wears from scratch. Fabric is at everyone’s disposal and the design possibilities are literally endless. The women, who are oft adorned in regal headwraps tied in a variety of ways, and the men in matching perfectly tailored suits mill about their respective days, unaware of the astonished tourist’s eye.

As you begin your journey into the heart of Accra your senses will be overloaded with frenetic energy and more vibrant colors. You’ll marvel at the way vendors manage to navigate the streets with baskets of everything imaginable on top of their heads without missing a step, prepared to make a sale. The fruit at the markets will entice you, and if you give in, it will be the best fruit you have ever tasted in your life. The fabric stalls are infinite, and you will succumb to the sartorial vortex of tailor made clothing especially after discovering you can easily get something made in a day or two. Even something as simple as walls, trees, and lotto kiosks make it clear that you are in black star nation, and you will be inspired.

In Accra, art is everywhere, literally and figuratively.

Speaking of literal art, the murals on the walls from East Lagon to Jamestown, home of the Chale Wote Festival, are stunning. Accra, even without the same architectural magnificence of other major cities around the world, is where art lives.

There’s no better way to describe it. You just have to see it…and feel it.

The post Accra Is Electric: Street Art, Beauty, Vibrancy In Motion appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

Just outside of Lome, Togo.

Earlier this year, I purchased my favorite life planner and taped it up in my bedroom where I could see every single goal that I wanted to accomplish in life and business for every month this year. I had filled it out from January until May, excited about my plans, but abruptly stopped. May was the month that I got laid off for the third time and lost hope.

It was a job that I had planned on quitting this year anyway, so they beat me to it, but it was still hard not to wonder what was wrong with me. My entire career life has been soul crushing, traumatic and always full of false promises, false starts, bait and switch, and abrupt stops. Most people won’t see it that way because I look good on paper, but the bad outweighs the good. I had plans for my career that just didn’t work out, and in the process of pursuing what I thought I wanted, I got emotionally abused, became reclusive, anxious, depressed and misanthropic. It was hard for me not to wonder if it was me, especially after I kept being met with toxic environments, situations, and people over and over again.

After previous layoffs, I had always resolved to continue pursuing my goals, and to keep working at it, and to come back stronger. However, what happened since that last layoff was that I got completely turned off by the idea of working in media to the point where I didn’t even want to write for myself anymore. I still wrote because I needed freelance checks, but I dialed back. Freelancing was different too. It used to be exciting and a good way for me to work, but recently I found myself dealing with unresponsive editors because I’m not a rock star writer (today’s editors measure what’s good and therefore, who is worthy of a response by someone who has several hundred thousand followers or some type of celebrity), unorganized companies that care more about numbers than content over the writer/editor’s ability to actually write or be innovative and unique, or editors who didn’t really know how to do their jobs. It was draining.

I coasted after that layoff, trying to figure out what was next for me. I had gotten the message enough to know that my editorial/journalism career, at least in the way that I had been pursuing it, just wasn’t going to happen. I ignored email pitches, recruitments on Linkedin, and my personal writing spaces (my blogs) because what was the point? You can’t keep doing the same thing and getting nowhere. For me, the harder I worked the more opposition I got, but the fight just stopped being worth it.

I planned to coast for the rest of the year, pretending that I wasn’t depressed, and eventually releasing my novel, Bloggers Can’t be Trusted. The novel obviously isn’t out yet, but we have about three weeks left to the year, so maybe I’ll get it together. It’s just hard when you’re self publishing because there are some roadblocks. It’s like, just when you think you’re ready to publish something else pops up to delay you. I’m a first time author, and independent, so I’m learning. I can’t put a release date on the book yet, but it’s 95% ready and it is actually a bright spot for me. For all the things I didn’t want to write, the book is something I look forward to. Don’t be surprised if I pull a Beyonce and just release it. I’m no Beyonce, though, so my ambush releasing a book is definitely going to be different, but I digress.

One of the brightest spots of my year was my trip to Ghana and Togo. Today is exactly a week since I returned, and I’m still processing everything that happened. The opportunity to go on the trip literally just popped up out of nowhere, but definitely on time. I’m writing about that trip in more detail, so more on that eventually, but the experience actually inspired me to live again.

I am humbled to have witnessed what I did there, and oddly enough, I returned home with the desire to write for the first time in probably a year. So, here I am. I am present, and not coasting for once. It feels good.

This was a rambly post. I just wanted to put it out there. If you read it all the way through, thanks.

The post On Ghana, Togo, My Novel, Mental Health And Writing Again appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

Lauryn Hill recently took the stage in Lagos, Nigeria, and it looks like she brought the house down. The quality of her shows these days are a mixed bag. I’m speaking from a disappointing experience at the most recent AfroPunk. However, it’s good to see that she still has it…when she wants. She performed “Ready or Not” and seemed to be really into it.

I’m glad she still has it, and maybe, just maybe there is actually a modicum of hope left that she will come out with new music–good new music.

The post Lauryn Hill Takes The Stage In Lagos, Nigeria With ‘Ready Or Not’ appeared first on GangStarr Girl.

Video By Singersroom.com

I love Amma Whatt. She has a beautiful spirit and a beautiful voice that seems to have been made for jazz, and she recently became a mommy. I’m pretty sure the latter fact is most certainly part of (if not the entire reason) the inspiration behind “You.”

The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter released the video for “You” earlier this month. I am absolutely late boots in posting this (well, I haven’t been posting much of anything lately, but that’s another story) however, good music is timeless, and this song is timeless.

The song features Vinx and Monet, who add a nice touch, and the video was directed by Hemamset Angaza. The visuals match the lyrics, which basically speak to life’s sweet moments whether it’s the love of a mother and child (Four generations of Amma’s family, including her baby girl are in the video), between lovers, and more.

“The song was originally written while I was between relationships a few years ago. I wanted to write a song that encapsulated the feeling of new love and strong infatuation. After Nnedi’s birth, it took on a whole new meaning. My story in the video is all about her,” Whatt says.

Amma Whatt was a 2007 Hollywood American Idol finalist and has worked with artists like Tyrese, Danity Kane, Bilal and more. If you like what you heard and saw, then do yourself a favor and pick up her Maybe EP and get your next round of holiday playlists ready.

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