My Never Ending Journey...

Hey.

This post will be different. This post will have meaning. This post will be personal. This post will give me insight into how much I actually do love the art of, well,...writing.

This will be the first post that I've ever double and triple and quadruple checked for quality. I usually come up with a topic, throw in a cheesy title and then write. I never look back at what I wrote. But let's be honest here, if I can't even read it twice, who the hell would want to even read through it once? Maybe I'll get a couple viewers who read the entire post but if I can't hold your attention that long, hopefully you'll skim through it and find some meaning.

Now each and every moment that I "find time" to post on this blog, I always strive for it to be something that someone will actually want to read. Which is of course difficult, but not the most painful task in the world. But nothing in this world is harder than trying to find the medium between talking about something you love and writing about it. Because when we talk, it's completely different than when we write. Writing, kind of, takes away the naturalness of how words sound.

We become robots controlled by punctuation marks and clauses.

I try not to, but I guess I'm too young and I haven't found "my niche". Even though, if I must say so myself, I think I have. I love music and there pretty much isn't more to say than that. There's nothing I could truly do to prove myself as a music junkie. Why would I have to anyway? Is it really a competition? You can go up to almost any person and they will tell you that "music flows through their veins" or they "breathe, eat and sleep music". Which may or may not be true for some. But do you honestly know music. Or are you just a member of the bandwagon? As for myself, I know and love music. It's just something that I've always gravitated towards, both new and old. Ranging from all different genres.

Music guru or junkie? I don't know, whichever one sounds better. That's what you can call me.

This post is something entirely different than anything I've crafted. This is literally every thought flowing from my medulla oblongata (pretty sure that part of the brain doesn't control thoughts, but whatever) at this VERY moment. However, this post does have a purpose in life. It's going to explain why I have a blog, why I'm even doing this and where I hope it lands me...maybe.

Everyday I dream of being friends with my favorite celebrities! Not marrying them, literally just being friends with them.

Weird, I know. I'm about to turn 19 years old and it won't take you long to find plenty of girls my age dropping their panties for Trey Songz, Chris Brown and even Rick Ross (ew). But if you see me, I'm constantly watching videos of Odd Future and Diggy Simmons. Yes Diggy. Now I've met Diggy 5 times..which is great and all but, it's not like I had an actual conversation! We exchanged words and my heart fluttered a little and then that was the end of it. What else? Nothing. Next. I met Left Brain and Mikey G, which was AWESOME but I didn't say anything but "Thank You"! How lame. But when I watch videos of them on YouTube or look through their Tumblr pages, all I think is "Why the hell are you so cool?". The reason I love Odd Future is because they're so real and authentic. Although they're kinda weird, it works for them! Seeing them perform for the first time at Made in America was completely epic. Even one of my friends who hates Odd Future said that was the best show he's ever seen! No matter how "satanic" or "possessed" you believe they are, you have to admit that they're a group of talented, wild and reckless kids!

Let me stop babbling on and on. You guys get it, I love OF and Diggy. Whatever.

Now the real challenge at hand is: how in the world will I get my foot in the door? I have dreams of attending the Grammy's, the VMA's and the BET Awards. Every year they air I sit back and say to myself, "Yea, I;m going to be there next year. Watch me!" And slowly but surely, I'm making my way there. But what's so special about me? How in the world will anyone even notice or CARE about some 18 (almost 19) year old from South Jersey? The answer to this question still isn't definite because I'm still going through the process of "finding myself"..I guess. But what I've come up with so far is that I'm unique because there's just this powerful innate hunger for success thriving inside me. I just know failure isn't an option and success is the only way. Writing is something I'm fairly new at but pretty damn good at if you ask me.

The first draft is never perfect and I've finally realized that.

Who knows, by the time I'm ready to post this, it will be completely different than what I started with. And it will be up to your imagination to fathom what I said originally. My never ending journey to just become a writer for the Source or Complex or Hip Hop Weekly is what keeps me motivated. Heck, it's honestly the only reason why I'm even in college. I'm a freaking Convergence Journalism Major. Do you know how dumb that sounds to most people?! But hey, I'm willing to make it work and one day, a lot of people will know my name.

Whether I go by India Lee or happen to come up with something less Asian and catchy. Out.

Made in America 2012!

Labor Day weekend of 2012 has officially gone down as the most EPIC weekend in the history of Philadelphia!

Music Music Music Music...and more Music. The one thing I might just love more than food!

Here's a few of MY OWN pictures to tell the story:

With sore feet and an aching back, it was all worth it!

Roots Picnic 2012: Real Music. Real Fans.

            Unless you have been to an actual music festival, you my friend have never witnessed music being appreciated at the highest level of appreciation possible. Over this weekend, June 2^nd and 3^rd (I went to Wired Fest on the 1^st but it didn’t have nearly half of the effect, therefore I wont be writing about it), I attended the 5^th Annual Roots Picnic hosted by Philadelphia native rap group “The Roots”!

            When I tell you it is a whole different world being at a music festival versus attending a concert, it is truly psychedelic. From its start at12pm on the first day until 10pm the second night, the performances gave me life. The lineup for both days were as follows:

June 2^nd, 2012:

• Conway Stevens
• KontraBand
• Reda
• Grand Prize Winners from Last Year
• Shabazz Palaces
• Kids These Days
• Danny Brown
• OCD: Moosh & Twist
• Tune-Yards
• St. Vincent
• The Roots
• Wale
• De La Soul (backed by The Roots) 

June 3^rd 3012:

• Selah Sue
• Quadron
• Gianni Lee
• Jessi Teich
• Chill Moody
• Diplo
• Major Lazer
• Rakim
• The Roots and..
• Kid CuDi…who unfortunately, did NOT show up (-_-).

     Over the course of these two extremely long, yet entertaining, days I found music that I never would have been exposed to! It was truly an experience and opened my heart and ears to new AMAZING music that many people do not know about or care to know about. Out of all these acts, the ones that struck me the most were definitely Shabazz Palaces (they’re mad cool), Kids These Days (just pure awesomeness), Chill Moody, OCD: Moosh & Twist, KontraBand and Tune-Yards.

 Oh the stories! Okay so after their performance, I got to meet Shabazz Palaces (pictured below) and they turned out to be extremely chill and down to earth! The next day I googled them to learn more about the type of music they make, when they started etc. To my complete and utter surprise, the lead singer of Shabazz turned of to be “Butterfly” of the legendary group Digable Planets. You could only imagine my face after coming to the harsh realization that I actually met this guy and didn’t even know it! But their music is awesome, I highly suggest giving their music a listen.

Kids These Days…that is exactly what they are! They are the hipsters that every person on Tumblr and Instagram is trying to be! They are a group composed of 7, 6 guys and 1 girl. The music is a mix of indie rock, hip hop and some blues (kudos to the girl!). Amazing, just give them a try and see for yourself.

KontraBand, Moosh & Twist and Chill Moody are all music acts from the 215 (philly!) that had something special about them. KontraBand had such an old school feel when they performed and their music clashed together just perfectly, engraving the most soulful sound! Moosh & Twist are two teens that are overly energetic and tremendously enthusiastic when they perform! Chill Moody, who I had a chance to meet and take a picture with, was also a definite standout. Each and every one of them have amazing potential to go out into the music industry and change it for the better!

Okay, Tune-Yards! To be 100% real and honest, I already had preconceived notions about this group before seeing them live. After seeing the video for “Bizzness” months before this show, I thought they were incredibly…weird! But live, O…M…G, it was a completely different world! It was like being warped into a time zone where great music is actually made and composed right in front of you and every tap on the drum was perfectly in synch with the strum of a guitar! If anyone has ever had their doubts about Tune-Yards, watching their live performances on YouTube is something I definitely suggest, its amazing!

The biggest upset of the entire festival was definitely the absence of the Wizard himself, Mr. Kid CuDi. Mobs of CuDi lovers (myself included) were furious and extremely distraught by him not being there because, to be honest, he was one of the reasons that the crowd was so incredibly large! All in all, the entire festival was a huge success and something I can definitely see myself becoming a committed audience member of!

Not saying anyone else wasn't worth watching, because I was hooked from beginning to end, these were the acts that had an impact on me musically! As a side note, Major Lazer definitely had the most upbeat performance out of every SINGLE act! Crazy wild!

Miscellaneous Highlights: I TOUCHED WALE, I SHOOK HANDS WITH RAKIM and I MET “BUTTERFLY” of DIGABLE! (Oh, I was definitely on a high.)

College Survival Kit: Top 10 things you will need for School

  Seniors, we all know how it feels! It’s May and we’re in the final stretch before we go our separate ways to college. But before we disperse to the schools of our choice, there are some key survival items that we need to check off our list!

Cleaning up with number 10: Air Fresheners and Cleaning products.

  Everyone knows what goes down in the bathroom whether you like it or not. But why make your roommate suffer, and vice versa? Air Freshener, preferably Febreze™, is a MUST. So do not forget to bring a pack of some sweet smelling, captivating, aromatic sprays!

Staying dry with number 9: Umbrella and Rain Boots.

  If you plan on staying on-campus, then an umbrella and a pair of rain boots will most definitely be items to invest in. Be smart and avoid having the experience of ruining your favorite shoes, by walking class to class in the rain. Do not forget these items when packing; you want to stay dry!

Turning the page at number 8: Book Light

  In college, late nights and coffee are things that everyone will become familiar with. It’s the night before a midterm or final exam; you’re up at 2am in your dorm studying. A book light is perfect because it gives you the freedom to read and study without bothering your roommate!

Listening in on number 7: Ear Plugs

  Roommates are sketchy; you never know who you will end up living with! It’s always a possibility that you will have that roommate; the one that parties, the one that snores, the one with the hyena laugh and the one that screams until their voice is hoarse on the phone! Here’s the end-all be-all to this unfortunate issue, Ear Plugs! Invest in a pair!

Stepping into number 6: Shoe Rack

  More of a problem for girls than guys, bringing a more than generous amount of shoes to school is normal. However, where are you going to put all of them?! If you don’t want your roommate complaining about shoes being all over the place, a shoe rack is a win-win. The room is clean, and the nagging stops like magic!

Putting it away with number 5: Storage Ottoman

   Many of you are wondering what the heck a Storage Ottoman is. Don’t fret! You know those cute little square stools that come in all different colors and patterns? They are the perfect seat and you can store small blankets, hair products or even clothes in them!

Tossing it to number 4: Collapsible Clothes Hamper

     No college student wants to be doing laundry every single week of the semester. A Hamper, or two, to keep dirty clothes in is a must-have!

Hanging it up at number 3: Hangers

   If you’re not the type of person who uses hangers at home, you like to toss clothes anywhere, well be prepared to make this change for college! Space is key. At home, you have all the space in the world but in college you need to be reasonable!

Gettin’ Comfy with number 2: Long Twin Bedding and Pillows

   A nice, comfy, cute bed set is extremely important for reasons that are self-explanatory. Please don’t leave the house on move in day without a bed set; that would be pretty embarrassing!

Striking the Keyboard on number 1: Laptop

   The quickest, most efficient way to getting your work done whenever you need it, wherever you are! Laptops are completely practical, and can be found at great prices.

   So seniors, let this list prepare you! Start college off right and be ready for anything!

The Weeknd: Music Revolutionary

...For Journalism

Abel Tesfaye, better known as "The Weeknd".

   In an industry filled with meaningless music from artist that choose not put their hearts into their songs, The Weeknd has showed himself to be truly different. Abel Tesfaye, better known as “The Weeknd”, is an indie Rhythm and blues artist who many are calling the “Michael Jackson of our time”. The Weeknd has been flying under the radar for about 2 years; but lately people have been buzzing about him due to his performances at one of the most anticipated music festivals, Coachella, April 15^th and April 22^nd, 2012.

    Over the past two years, the music industry has been booming with new talent left and right. It seems as though artists are being pulled from every which direction possible. Many of them prove their ability, but unfortunately, many more do not.

  The Weeknd, born February 16^th, is 22 years old and hails from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (the same region that brought us Mr. Justin Bieber). This man has plenty of vocal talents ranging from singing to rapping and bass to falsetto, occasionally all in one song! His music is quite different from the average R&B singer; it’s more hardcore, so to say. The intros and outros that The Weeknd incorporates in his songs display his passion and dedication to music. They capture you with a smooth soft sound and then after about 20 seconds in, they give you the full effect, adding the 808s and hi hats.

   Unlike many other new artists who make music just to please, The Weeknd puts his heart and soul into his art and it shows. Without a doubt, his talent is incomparable to any other singer of this generation. His cover of “Dirty Diana” by the late, great, King of Pop Michael Jackson, got people buzzing. Some say that he sang the song better than the King himself, and deemed him the “Michael Jackson of the New Generation”! In just a short period of time, The Weeknd rose to fame. He has received recognition from other artists such as Drake, another Canadian, who can pretty much be responsible for Mr. Tesfaye’s road to fame.

Listen to the Trilogy on http://the-weeknd-xo.com/ with Lyrics                    

    On March 21^st, 2011 The Weeknd released House of Balloons, the first EP in a series of three. By June of 2011, House of Balloons, was nominated for the Canadian Polaris Music Prize which is a big deal for an underground artist. Eventually, though, he los to Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs. The next EP Thursday, was released on August 18^th, 2011 and there is story told about that “Thursday” throughout every track. The anticipated, third and final EP Echoes of Silence, was released on December 21, 2011. This final EP featured the much talked about cover, “Dirty Diana”.

   The Weeknd’s label, XO, is highly associated with Drake and his OVO movement. Over the summer and throughout the winter the two collaborated on 3 songs from Drake’s album Take Care. Quickly, people began recognizing The Weeknd for his unique voice and he became extremely popular over the course of 1 year! If looking to get into The Weeknd, I suggest listening to House of Balloons before the other EP’s. His music is quite different but once you fall in love with one song, your ear will quickly approve of the rest!

Sunny, Sunny, Coachella, California. I wish I was somewhat of a Gonzo Journalist, when writing about such things as Coachella, Fashion Week, Fashion’s Night Out, South by Southwest , Lollapalooza and every other huge music, film and fashion event, but unfortunately I experience all of this from my laptop and television (For now!).

But the wow factor and experience is no less. Last night, I was watching Coachella (along with the rest of my fashion and music-forward friends) on you tube. The entire evening was amazing and I really loved it. I made a promise that I have to be there next year!. Anyways, enough about me. Onto my two favorite parts of the night

Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd

Undoubtedly, The Weeknd (The XO of OVOXO) is one of the most played artists on my iPod; So I was extremely excited to see him perform for Coachella. Something about his soulful R&B voice telling stories in a dark, twisted and introverted way has me intrigued. This would be one of my first (and I’m sure the first of many others) time seeing him perform in front of a large crowd…and seeing it live (although I was physically 3,000 miles away). Amazing. He started off with his song “High For This” from his debut mixtape House of Balloons . With acoustic guitar starting alone in the first verse,  then coming in a full band as the chorus starts , Abel tells a story of him and a girl getting high together during an affair.. He continuously reassures her “You wanna be high for this” in his swooning voice. The next song is “D.D” , his cover of “Dirty Diana”, by the incomparable Michael Jackson. And it then effortlessly blends into his song “The Birds” in which he tells the girl “Don’t make me make you fall in love with a n***a like me. Nobody needs to fall in love, I swear I’m just a bird”. It shows an insight on Abel’s outlook on love and how he feels as though he doesn’t really deserve it. He then proceeds to go to “Rolling Stone” which talks about being loved and begging for love. He then goes onto “Crew Love” which is a song with both him and Drizzy Drake did together. This song talks about being at the top of their game and the girls who love them..  The set then transfers into “What You Need” in which Abel is telling a girl “He’s what you want.. I’m what you need.” .  He then sings “The Zone” , and switches back into “What You Need” . His next song is “The Party & The After Party” in which he talks about this girl he meets at a party and the events that take place. The next song that the Weeknd performs happens to be one of my favorites, “The Knowing” . In this song he talks about cheating on his cheating girlfriend and how their relationship becomes strained due to their adultery. The song is so sinister and twisted and shows heartbreak and revenge. The Weeknd then performs “Outside” from his Echoes of Silence mixtape, in which he tells his girlfriend that he will prove to her that he is far from her ex. After this song, The Weeknd goes into another huge favorite of mine being “The Morning” from his House of Balloons mixtape. This song speaks about a girl who believes in “all that money and money is the motive.” , and who lives her lifestyle purely for the fame and money although the lifestyle isn’t the best. This seems to be a common theme throughout a lot of Drake and The Weeknd’s music. Although the life isn’t the greatest, He continues to encourage the girl to live the life stating “girl put in work…girl girl put in work”.  The Weeknd ends his nearly an hour set with “House of Balloons/ Glass Table Girls”. This song is another great and another favorite of mine. It speaks of the culture of getting high off glass tables. The content may be controversial but it’s hard not to get intrigued by the beats and slick words from the Weeknd.

As a whole, I think that his entire set was amazing, and it was perfect for his American debut. I see a lot of great things in Abel’s future music-wise, even if he’s a private artist. We have too many gimmicks in the music industry now, let’s get back to the music.

Get out the Weeknd’s set here: http://www.complex.com/music/2012/04/watch-the-weeknds-full-coachella-performance

History Repeats Itself with The "New Generation"

   If you range anywhere between the ages of 16 and 22, then without a doubt you recognize these young faces in the pictures above! I mean, these pictures just make me (at 18 years old) feel all fuzzy inside and smile from ear to ear just reminiscing about their impact on my childhood! You have to admit that almost every little girl was a "FanGirl" during the prime times of B2k, LIL Bow wow (emphasis on the LIL), Justin Timberlake, Destiny's Child and even Chris Brown (when he was just a sweet innocent 16 year old).

   It takes you back to the days where every magazine your parents bought you had to have this most prized possession and if it didn't have this, you tossed it out: the pull out poster! Yup, hidden underneath your bed, placed in a box in the back of your closet and occasionally just laying in the trash are posters of your favorite artists! With lip stains from imaginary kisses and hearts etched around their faces, posters are prized possessions from everyone's childhood and just looking at them makes you sigh with a smile. At 9 to 10 years old, no one could tell me that I was not going to marry Lil Fizz or Omarion from B2K (who were both about 16 or 17 years old at the time). I just knew that one day, they would hold me in their arms or feature me in their video...which, giving me the biggest reality check, didn't happen of course! But in 2005 at age 11 I was ready for love and the man who stole the key to my heart was 16 year old Chris Brown! Lord knows that during every single 90 minute REM cycle of sleep, Chris Brown was the star of my dreams. I bought every CD, every magazine that had his face; I owned everything Chris Brown related and was not ashamed! It truly brings back memories of a childhood worth reliving thanks to the artists who made me blush, smile and sing aloud!

   Luckily this new generation of Children and Adolescents, have the same opportunity to fall in love with artists who almost MIRROR their predecessors!!

I Present to you GENERATION 2K12:

   Show a 9-15 year old girl any of these pictures and they are bound to screech! From top to bottom we have Mindless Behavior, if they aren't the mirrored image of B2K then I don't know who is, the OMG Girlz, Diggy Simmons, Justin Bieber and Jacob Latimore. Young, fresh, and ready to take over the world, these fresh faces of music are what I consider the New Generation! They've built up huge fan bases most likely surpassing the amount our beloved artists thanks to the new era of technology; Facebook and Twitter. With thousands and thousands of followers (Justin Bieber has the 2nd most followers on Twitter: 20+ million, following Lady Gaga with 24 million, and is the exception in this list) these lovely children have the support of loyal "stans" across the world! They have been embraced and loved by young ones all over, and have taken over the covers of teen magazines that B2K, Chris Brown and more used to dominate.

   These young ones have rejuvenated the new generation and are all the rave. Every group member and solo artists featured above has been making their mark on the music and entertainment world! They have stepped into the huge shoes of successful teen artists of the past and they are definitely proving their worth! So lucky for them, the younger generation has artists they can grow and fall in love with. And I most definitely approve, speaking as a dedicated Diggy Simmons fan myself, of the career paths that all of these artists are taking! Their drive got them noticed, just like artists in the past, and it will surely lead them to success.

-India