Solange Knowles Writes a Powerful Letter to Herself for Teen Vogue’s June 2017 Issue
Award-winning entertainer Solange Knowles is one artist that transcends trends. Her creative output is truly timeless and endlessly empowering. For the latest issue of Teen Vogue magazine, the entertainer wrote an outstanding letter to her ‘teenage self’.
A LETTER TO MY TEENAGE SELF” by SOLANGE KNOWLES
There will be fear. A lot of it. There will be triumph. A lot of it. There will be constellations you want to reach for but can’t put your finger on. You will trace them like the scars on your body you got from trouble and the times of your life. You will take the long way to get to these Orion. The long way will become a theme in your life, but a journey you learn to love.
You will dive head first without looking into phases that you are certain of who you are.
Some of these stages include:
The dance-is-life (aka “this leotard is my second skin”) phase.
The Bible-thumping-church-camp phase
(which coincided and contradicted with the Fiona-Apple-fan-club-president phase).
The Nas-aficionado-brown-lip-liner-and-Vaseline phase.
The Rasta-vegan-thrifter-who-is-determined-to-marry-Brandon-Boyd phase.
the football-player’s-girlfriend-who-wears-braided-blond-highlights-and-swears-by-capri-pants phase.
At the time, you are searching, seeking in every corner and pocket of the world for who you are, take your time, baby girl. there’s no rush to get there. You will sow each of these chapters in the land that you become. You will see bits and pieces of them scattered into the skin you grow into. You don’t have to figure everything out now. Time will reveal itself. I promise you.
Sometimes you push these phases to the max, and when you go out into the world feeling confident in who you are and what you reflect, young folks will call you names and grown folks will call you names. It’s ok. One day you will name yourself, and that name will belong to you. It will not be the ones they ordained: “B, ugly, attention-seeking, weirdo.”
I really hate to tell you this, but sometimes you will still get called these things as an adult, except you will actually embrace some of them. You will learn that these are just words. Words that only have power if you choose to give them power. Every once in a while they will hurt, but you will choose to turn those words into a symbol of beauty.
Speaking of words, they might just be your first love. Sometimes, you can write for hours, just you and the words on the pages. They make you feel understood, even if it’s just you that you’re talking to. Trust in these words, even when you’re feeling wildly insecure. Hold on to your journals, cherish them, put them somewhere safe so that they may become a guide for you later, a revealer and a friend.
The lucky stars have been good to you, and there’s a long list of things you’d like to give gratitude to them for, but for now, thank them for these three:
That you didn’t die when you and your friends drove up a steep mountain in a snowstorm with no experience and bad brakes. that was stupid as hell.
That you went to the ensemble theatre every summer. I really don’t think you’d be who you are today had it not been for those experiences, teachers, and experimentation with your mind and body.
That the universe chose your mum to be your mother.
She is a wonder, you watch her drop off 3 kids at 3 different schools in the morning, pick them up in the afternoon, shuffle each of them to their designated activities, and bring them all back to the salon she owns until she closes up with the utmost grace, love, and kindness.
You realise watching a woman balance being a supportive mother, building a successful business from the ground up that was started in her garage, and giving back to the community will make you feel invincible and like the word “no” is just an echo in the universe that you’ll never know.
You often take her for granted, but you know with every joint in your bones that she is a phenomenon and you strive to make her proud. You should thank her out loud more, too; Tell her you value her. Roll your eyes and your neck less, it’s not as cute as you think. Tell her you appreciate all that she does, for she makes the impossible look effortless. She surrounds you with other black women who do the same. You study them, and will constantly think of all their stories, their beauty, their strife and their stride. They break down all of the archetypes and stereotypes that you see of black women on TV and in magazines, so you don’t trust those anymore. You thank them for re-writing the script before it was ever etched in your memory.
You have your mama’s blood, you are fiercely independent and outgoing. You’ve been starting petitions, building tree houses, and starting clubs since as long as you can remember and sometimes in the midst of juggling all this, you put a lot of pressure on yourself and often crash and burn. You shut down. You go into your room, lock the door, put on music, and you do not move for 8 hours straight. It will feel like the heaviest and bleakest darkness you can possibly feel, and when you ask everyone to leave you alone and let you be, what you really want to say is “I want you here” and “I need help.”
Sometimes it is OK to say just that. It won’t make you less strong or less powerful. No one you love will criticise you or blame you; In fact, they will lift you up.
Seventeen will be the hardest year of your life. It will grow you up almost immediately. You will lose your best friend whom you love so much to gun violence in a single moment, and give birth to a new one within a year.
You will be terrified, and it’s OK that you don’t know what the future holds. one people will count you out because of the decision you’ve made to bring another life into the world so young, but you made the decision out of love and will live with the decision in love.
Soon enough you will learn how to love and how to exist with love in ways that you never knew. You will learn how to love yourself and how to empathise with and forgive those who may have taken a bit of that pure love away from you.
You have a long life ahead of you, and I’ll tell you it’s not gonna always be easy, but I can promise you it will be fruitful and with much purpose. All the bridges you’ve burned, you had to, so that you could rebuild them to become a stronger and more wonderful you.
There will be pain, there will be doubt there will be beauty, there will be the unknown. there will be so many moments of joy and delight that the whole universe will feel painted in hues of amber and wonder. There will be times you are so sad you can’t lift your head. and there will be times you are so happy that the sensation of life knocks you down. but most importantly, there will be you. a whole, whole lot of it. and you will feel good about who she is and who she is still becoming
#RHoA: Andy Cohen Claps Back at Phaedra's Latest Accusation
The RHOA executive producer has something to say about her claims. Phaedra Parks's explosive exposure during the final part of the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion continues to be a conversation piece for reality TV lovers everywhere.
The latest to share his piece on Phaedra and her claims that she was fed the rumor that Kandi and Todd tried to drug Porsha by a member of the show's production team is Andy Cohen, and he's keeping it 100.
During an interview at The Breakfast Club, when speaking on Phaedra's reaction to being exposed, Andy revealed that he was shocked at her composure.
"She was very passive," he said. "I was surprised by that."
When addressing her claims that she was fed the rumor by production, he said that he firmly believes that that's all a lie.
"I don't believe it and also I know Phaedra, and I know everyone in the group," he said. "You can't tell them, 'Go say this on camera...' It just doesn't work. You ever met a housewife? They do their own thing."
When asked if her alleged firing is confirmed, he said judging from the way things ended, it's not looking too promising for the self-proclaimed Southern belle.
"Well, look, we're looking at next season," he said. "And you have to look at where we left off, which is none of the women want to engage with her, so that's a tough place to come back from."
See what else he had to say about NeNe Leakes's rumored return to the show, and the men of the franchise not being paid for their appearances in the full interview HERE
#EMPIRE: Taraji P. Henson Jokes Helped Terrence Howard Lose Weight
Actor Terrence Howard has trimmed 40 pounds off his figure after his “Empire” co-star Taraji P. Henson repeatedly teased him about his weight.
The 48-year-old has been showing off a more slender look in recent months, and he admits it was a little tough love from his TV ex-wife which inspired him to rethink his lifestyle choices.
“Taraji was making so much fun of me at work about me gaining weight,” he explained on U.S. talk show “The View.” “She was like, ‘Do you really wanna look like this for the rest of your career? Is this how you wanna look, Terrence? C’mon.’ So every day she would tug at me until I got it right.”
Terrence set about overhauling his diet and hiring trainer-to-the-stars Darrell Foster to help him reach his new fitness goals.
“No carbs, no salt, no sugar,” he revealed of his strict new health rules. “I was working out with this guy, Darrell Foster – he trained Will Smith – a really beautiful trainer… (and I was doing) five miles in the morning every day, and working out in the afternoon.”
The actor insists it didn’t take too long for him to adapt to his new routine: “You can do it like this: walk a quarter mile, run a quarter mile…,” Terrence said, adding of his reduced salt intake, “After a week, you don’t even miss the salt; you can taste the salt in everything.”
And Terrence has plenty of reasons to continue with his health journey, including his wife Mira Pak and their two young sons, Qirin and Hero.
Heaping praise on Mira for standing by him through good times and bad, he shared, “It’s not when you’re at your highest point that someone shows you the appreciation; my wife came around at a time when no one was really dealing with me, and picked me up and polished me up… and it’s been the greatest blessing of my life.”
#NEWMUSIC: Faith Evans Releases Notorious B.I.G.’S Duets Album, ‘The King & I’
Just three days before the late Notorious B.I.G.’s birthday, Faith Evans releases her long-awaited Biggie duets project, The King & I.
Packed with 25 songs about their storied romance, the heartfelt project arrives with appearances by Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Cease, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch, among others.
The album has been a labor of love for Faith. “I remember telling Ms. Wallace years ago that one day it would be really dope if I could do something similar to Natalie & Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable,” she told Rap-Up. “Knowing the love that B.I.G. had for [his children] Tyanna and Ceejay, I feel it’s my duty to uphold and extend his legacy, especially his musical contributions. This project is my creative reflection of the love we had and the bond we will always have. I’m elated to share this musical journey with our fans!”
To accompany the album release, Faith celebrates west coast style with the video for “When We Party” featuring Snoop Dogg.
Directed by DJ Pooh, the lively clip begins with Faith calling Uncle Snoop about a party at her pad. “I’m in town,” she says. “I’m having a get-together. I want you to come through. Bring a few of the homies.” Just 20 seconds later, Snoop arrives with plenty of friends in tow, ready to drink and smoke “all night long.”
Stream The King & I HERE
#NEWIPHOPVIDEO: Young M.A. – ‘Self M.Ade’
After releasing her Herstory EP last month, the Brooklyn rapper unleashes the music video for her latest single, which is all about her come up.
The clip starts with rain pouring down on M.A. in a Hyundai. But once the engine starts, it turns into the car of her dreams. “I just want that Audi R8,” she sings.
True to the song’s title, the video also finds M.A. looking back on everything she did to build buzz for herself, including grinding in the studio, burning her own CDs, stacking cash, bundling merch, and praying faithfully at church.
Co-directed by Guy and M.A., the video ends with a man coming to the BET Awards nominee’s apartment. “I’m telling you,” he says with money in a bag. “I need that shit.” That’s when M.A. gives him a bag full of merch. “Give him an extra hat,” she says.
WATCH HERE
“Self M.Ade” follows past M.A. singles like “Ooouuu” and “Hot Sauce” off her seven-track Herstory EP, which also features an appearance from Monica (“JOOTD”).
Beyonce Celebrates Star-Studded Baby Shower in Beverly Hills!
Beyonce is celebrating the upcoming birth of her twins! The 35-year-old entertainer enjoyed her “Carter Push Party” with some of her closest friends and family on Saturday night (May 19) in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Guests at the baby shower included Bey’s mom Tina Lawson, sister Solange Knowles, former Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, along with famous friends Serena Williams and LaLa Anthony.
Beyonce reportedly walked around with Henna tattoos all over her bare bump, a source told People mag.
Tina also took to Instagram to share a cute video from inside the event!
Mahershala Ali Shares First Photo Of His Baby Girl Bari
Mahershala Ali is loving every moment of fatherhood.
The actor, who welcomed his daughter days before winning the Oscar for his performance in Moonlight, shared the first photo of Bari and she’s absolutely precious.
Congratulations!
LeBron James is not a finalist for MVP for NBA 2017.
Sorry Bron Bron…The baller was trending on social media because he was not finalist for MVP this year.
According to reports, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are finalists for Most Valuable Player, along with Kawhi Leonard. Westbrook is the overwhelming favorite to win, based on an analysis of the 100-person media panel by SB Nation Rockets site, The Dream Shake.
The league also announced the finalists for Rookie of the Year, Executive of the Year, Sixth Man, Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defense, All-Rookie, and other awards.
Christina Milian and Dave East Party at AOD Monday’s in Hollywood, CA
This week in Hollywood, CA – Christina Milian enjoyed a night on the town with her sister and some friends. Spotted in the VIP area near by was NY rapper Dave East who is said to be in LA finishing recording his album.
Think they’re creeping, OR NAH?
Keke Palmer Debuts BALDIE Just In Time For Summer 2017
Before summer rolls through, Keke Palmer decided to switch up her look in a major way.
The “Wind Up” singer previously hinted she wanted to shave off all of her hair. Now, it’s official. The former “Scream Queens” star posted up several flicks on her social media handals to debut her new look.
Keeks already had one side of her head shaved, so it wasn’t a huge step to take it all off
'Alien: Covenant' Edges Out 'Guardians 2' at Weekend Box Office
Alien: Covenant topped this weekend’s box office with an impressive $36 million debut!
According to THR, the film, starring Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston, opened 29 percent behind the first prequel, Prometheus, and has grossed $66.3 million overseas so far.
Coming in close at No. 2 was Chris Pratt‘s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which earned $35.1 million in its third weekend for a domestic total $301.8 million.
Taking the third spot was Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson‘s romance drama Everything, Everything with $12 million.
Rounding out the top five were Amy Schumer‘s Snatched and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, grossing $7.6 million and $7 million, respectively.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘FOOD DUDE’
The fat guy food pyramid. Well technically the pyramid is flipped because it certainly doesn’t get skinnier at the top.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Lucious
Meet Lucious! You know what to do to see them goods.CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS and remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN NOR ALTER any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
You’re Welcome!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
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