new tings: janelle monae + jidenna 'yoga'

janelle monae is not here to fit into anybody's boxes. love this. 'yoga' feat. jidenna.

new tings: janelle monae + jidenna 'yoga'

'gucci time' ~ john forté

in which john forté drops.the.mic.

'gucci time' ~ john forté

soul food: the electric lady video

because sometimes lapsed bloggers get truly inspired and just have to post. this song is everything, first of all. and i love the fresh video. with all the awesome electric ladies all up and through.

*sigh*
i love her, so.

soul food: the electric lady video

grace personified: lupita nyong'o's oscar speech

a beautiful and gracious reminder that 'no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid.' this woman is grace personified. i am overjoyed for her. so well deserved.

grace personified: lupita nyong'o's oscar speech

soul food: kwabs' 'last stand'

this voice, y'all. this voice!

from his beautiful EP, wrong or right, this is kwabs' last stand.

soul food: kwabs' 'last stand'

soul food: yasiin gaye 'inner city travellin' man (soul mates remix)

file under: things you didn't know you were waiting for until they happened.

yasiin gaye = marvin gaye x yasiin bey = pure magic. 

via okayplayer

soul food: yasiin gaye 'inner city travellin' man (soul mates remix)

soul food: willow & jaden smith's '5'

this is unexpected and rather delightful. and i'm digging it.
'5' by willow and jaden smith. produced by Ta-Ku.



via okayplayer.

soul food: willow & jaden smith's '5'

don't call it a comeback...

ms. hill. ex-factor. live.
perfection.

don't call it a comeback...

soul food: marian mereba

i've just come across ethiopian-american songwriter/producer/vocalist marian mereba's 'room for living' remixes EP via okayafrica, and i am digging it. love her voice. 

listen to the remixes above, and check out the original EP here.

soul food: marian mereba

marching to the beat of your own drum

this child is everything i want to be.

marching to the beat of your own drum

soul food: shad's 'flying colours'

no words to describe this dopeness, y'all. i don't know how shad keeps getting better with each album, but he truly does. this is all kinds of magic. and the collaborations are really smart, too. this is a perfect combination of brilliant storytelling and masterful technique.

it is thoughtful, intelligent, sharp, introspective, and it makes you think. it makes you stop everything to listen. and it consistently knocks you over with just how bloody good it is. it has also rendered me unable to review it properly because i keep jumping out of my seat yelling 'whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!! whaaaat!?' and startling everyone around me. i shall therefore leave that to the professionals and go back to my vigorous head-nodding.

soul food: shad's 'flying colours'