international hip hop - using words for weapons

From the streets of New York in the late 70s to present day, Hip Hop has become a vehicle for spreading political & social message; it's influence has spread across the world. From Cuba to the Middle East to Africa, lyricists are using their words as weapons to spread the social/political messages they're fighting for in a way hip hop can only do - raw, unapologetic & blasted with mind numbing talent. Whether or not the political messages are up my alley, I can only show love for this form of art & expression that holds so much emotion & power...

South America: Estilo Hip Hop - Sacrifices from 3 Hip Hop Trailblazers

Slingshot HipHop - Sundance accredited documentary preaching peace in the Middle East & gender equality

Africa - the assassination of Guinea Bissau's presidential canditate, Baciro Dabo spurred the release of this mixed tape to empower citizens to react to his as well as other recent political assassinations.

links:

more history on the roots of hip hop - click here

estilo hip hop site - click here

slingshot hiphop site - click here

more info on GB Big Up mix tape - click here

always,

nic.

few thoughts on wonderland & fashion...

I hopped on the band wagon & checked out Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (AW). While it got mixed reviews, i can't hate on a film that embraces imagination so vividly...& costume designer Colleen Atwood kicked ass by portraying AW's message through fashion...

I was already concocting up a pair of fingerless gloves for spring, so loved seeing them repped in the film

dope armband

Toss up for my fave dress, but this red's on top of list

Sidenote (or pic, in this case): a ridiculous amount of fashion marketing piranhas (makeup lines included) have taken the looks of AW & turned it into mass marketing hysteria. So a note of caution - imitation is not always best...

always,

nic.

tunde olaniran x vividbraille website debut

Music artist Tunde Olaniran celebrated a website launch (http:/www.tundeolaniran.com) & video debut of his upcoming single "Cobra" Flint style this past weekend. Few pics from the launch party below, along with the Cobra video. Take a sec to check out tunde's site to grab dates for upcoming events, pics & blog. Tunde x Vividbraille dope collab on the site = kickass images & layout!

Tunde Olaniran's official website

Tunde Olaniran - Cobra on Vimeo

Short Film series of note

I have to give hellz-bellz.com the credit for this discovery. I found these short films to be sexy, funny and inspiring. I hope you enjoy as much as I did! See also lastnighparty.com

brock.

EP05 from Bronques on Vimeo.

EP04 from Bronques on Vimeo.

EP03 from Bronques on Vimeo.

EP02 from Bronques on Vimeo.

EP01 from Bronques on Vimeo.

love - it ain't just for valentine's day

thoughts on film La Vie En Rose: biography of Édith Piaf

Soundtrack of my childhood: my mom singing "La Vie En Rose" - a song made popular by Édith Piaf (a French cultural and fashion icon, & highly recognized singer). As childhood memories often do, that song fell victim to the passing of time - until I ran across a film entitled La Vie En Rose a few weeks ago. Subtitles or not, it was time I gave the lady behind that song a shot. Some two hours later I was left feeling inspired, inferior, motivated & in awe all at once; a conversation towards the end of the film still resonated in my ears:

Interviewer: If you were to give advice to a woman, what would it be?

Édith: Love

Interviewer: To a young girl?

Édith: Love

Interviewer: To a child?

Édith: Love

Édith Piaf was plagued with continuous struggles (click here for further info) but instead of embracing the victimization status one would readily grant her, she fought for better. While talent is lost in the best of us, Édith made sure never to get lost. Her compass? Simply - love.

Love wasn't a concept celebrated on a circled day in Édith's calendar; it was a natural constant. La Vie En Rose's understated but poignant theme was how love - love beyond word & definition itself; love encompassing all realms of life - gave Édith a reason to live, a reason to succeed & a reason achieve her dreams: a true love story. In contrast to her unapologetically brash & rebellious personality was her ability to love life unconditionally; the people closest & most influential to her growth as a woman (positive or negative), the true love she found in a man, the love of her music, & the love of life around her. This love she allowed for herself to feel afforded her strength in a life seemingly destined for poverty.

Édith Piaf is now an inspiration of my own & in true full circle, may not have been discovered if not for the love she passed on to my mother of music. Maybe it was never an aspiration of Édith's to be inspiration for others, but what an amazing presence of a life in the ability to touch generations past your own. Her life was vulgar & naive, run of the mill & traumatic...but it was made extraordinary because of her love of love.

This was an amazing movie - subtitles & all. Check it out if you enjoy biographical films that focus on the realities of life & success.

listen to La Vie En Rose in english

listen to La Vie En Rose in french

always,

-nic.

A friend of mine tweeted about the Typophile Film Festival and had no idea what it was all about. Apparently, the Typophile Film Fest 5 is a one hour selection of typographic films hailing from all over the world including Argentina, The Netherlands, Russia and the United States. The films vary in subject matter and style; creating a dynamic presentation of motion design, typographic animation, short stories, documentaries and interviews.

Huh... Cool.