If you’re my friend on Twitter, you see me doing these random Kimbra outburst out of nowhere, where I am essentially showcasing my love for the New Zealand songbird and yes, all of these feelings are sincere.   After SXSW, I have become completely obsessed with her, call it love, infatuation, or obsessive fandom I don’t really care but, she’s amazing.

Initially, when I read that Kimbra was releasing her US version of her debut album Vows, I was confused because after seeing her rock at SXSW, I took to ITunes and downloaded what was Vows– however, that’s not the correct and official debut.  The difference with this reincarnation of Vows is new songs, and sadly some of my favorites missing– “Call Me,” and “Wandering Limbs.”  The new project, includes some pretty great tracks though like the funky “Come Into My Head,” the almost hip-hop driven “Possy,” and the real soulful, “Something in The Way You Are.”

She’s amazing, and make sure to purchase the album next week via ITunes, and click hereto listen to the NPR stream.  Since I mentioned my two favorite Kimbra songs, I will include them in the post as well, not to mention her debut single, “Settle Down.”  I will be putting up a full in-depth review of the project following the release of the album.

Pre-order Kimbra Vows here.

Note: Edited after the post, this is a deluxe version that’s why some of the songs from the original are added as a bonus track.

Again for late post.  While I was at SXSW, I had the opportunity to meet this cool cat, and watch him perform.  Die-Rek is from Toronto Canada and currently has three projects under his belt: Die-VersCity The Mixtape, The Die-Version Project, Beat Die-A-Logue, and what I am guessing his forthcoming EP Butta Breath, which will be dropping later this month.

The track, “Get Up,” is more than just a great song, it also has a message for both the realist and the dreamer.  The song works as an anthem that ignites defiance of the status quo, a rise about monotony and push to simply arrest ones purpose and live it.  The track features JUSACHYL and ChrisJay.

Also make sure to go back and download Die-Rek’s previous works here. 

As a music listener/writer and blogger, I guess I have a pretty big opinion about music these days.  When you write about music or have to review projects like I do for SoulCulture, The Examineror Okayplayer, realistically, I am listening to lyrics and delivery.  What I have noticed is that through the saturation of artists these days rapping about the same concepts– money, cars, clothes, “the struggle,” and etc, I have fallen a little more towards production and instrumental projects which is why I am a huge Oddisee, Tokimonsta and Flying Lotus fan.

With that being said, a few months ago (I am a slipper/bad blogger/bad human these days) I got introduced to Michigan based producer NAMELESS and his project BE[ats]ORIGINAL Vol. 3, which is basically an eclectic instrumental project mixing together hip-hop, electro, and soul.  The project despite being instrumental has a few features from fellow Michiganers JYoung The General, Nametag, Clear Soul Forces, Quelle Chris and Illingsworth.  The project also features some cool samples like J*DaVeY’s “Rain Check,” and one that is on the top of my tongue that I can’t figure out what song it is (when I figure it out, I will revisit this post) in the form of “Wa-Wa-Waaah.”

This project is definitely a great listen, very diverse and the splashes of features on the project really, really work well within the project.  Make sure to download the project ASAP for $5 via BandCamp here.

So, I realize that I am pretty nerdy, however, I love myself.  All my friends know that I am an avid book reader so they always come to me and ask my opinion on books.  Instead of writing them individually to everyone, I just thought why not write a huge list of everything on my list.  Some of these books I have read, and others are just on my list to read this year.  The list are a list of books I want to read and some of them I have already.

If you want to see the list that I did last year of my favorite books I read during the year, you can check those here.  Yes, this is a little extra, and someone told me this means my book look exceeds 4,000 dollars (not true) and others tell me my book list is why I am single (this is true) but whatever.

Also, since this list is so huge, I thought why not make a printable PDF version for everyone just in case you want to put this in your planner and take it on the go or what not.  Lastly, I am starting a book club so if you’d like to be in that, you can email me at bella@rawemag.org.  The way that I am setting up the book club also means you do not have to live in The Bay Area, so yes, if you live in Nebraska or somewhere crazy far like South Africa (don’t know why that was my destination of choice) you too can be in the club.

Currently: I am reading Manning Marable’s The Reinvention of Malcolm X, such a great read thus far.  I’m one of those people who reads leisure books like I am in school still so you can only imagine the number of highlights I have in the book.

Download PDF here 

1.      Wax Poetics Anthologies
2.      1Q84
3.      The Business of Hip-hop
4.      Coffee with Buddha – Joan Duncan
5.      Is Marriage for White People- Ralph Banks
6.      How Georgia became o’keefe
7.      Graffiti L.A
8.      Rubbish – Jake Chessium
9.      Rules of Civility – Amor Towles
10.     Next to Love – Ellen Feldman
11.     Miss Timmin’s School for Girls
12.     In The Sea, There are Croccidles
13.     The Oriental Wife- Evelyn Toynton
14.     The Lantern – Deborah Lawarenson
15.     Turn of Mind – Alice Laplante
16.     Room – Emma Donghue
17.     The Seat of The Soul – Gary Zukav
18.     I’d Know You Anywhere – Laura Lippman
19.     The Submissions – Amy Waldman
20.     Start from Happy – Patricia Marx
21.     Easily Amused – Karen McQuestion
22.     It’s Bigger Than Hip-hop – MK Asante Jr.
23.     Zeitun
24.     Shanki Girls
25.     Dreams of Girls
26.     Hiding in Hip-Hop Torrance Dean
27.     Hip-hop Matter – Craig Watkins
28.     The Perfect Gentleman: A Muslim Boy Meets The West
29.     Post Blackness – Toure
30.     Losing My Cool – Thomas Chatterton Williams
31.     A Room of Ones Own
32.     Playdate Thelma Adams
33.     The Vagina Monologues
34.     Big Girl Small – Rachel Dee Wooksin
35.     Thoughts without Cigarettes
36.     Cannon- Bhiku Bodhi
37.     The Art of Dreaming – Carlos Casteneda
38.     A Taste of Power Elaine Brown
39.     The Girl with Three Legs
40.     Blues Legacy & Black Feminism
41.     Black Genius – Spike Lee
42.     Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to The Black Mecca of Black America
43.     The Politics of Black Liberation
44.     Nigger- Dick Gregory
45.     Purple Cow – Seth Godin
46.     Celestine Prophecy
47.     Open City
48.     Think & Grow Rich – Napeolean Hill
49.     Don’t Bring Home A White Boy
50.     How To Be Black
51.     Cinderella Ate My Daughter
52.     Day of Honey
53.     A Visit From The Goon Squad
54.     Someday This Will Be Funny
55.     Big Machine – Victor Lavelle
56.     Untold Story – Monica Ali
57.     Ready Player One- Ernest Cline
58.     House of Holes- Nicholson Baker
59.     Manning Marable Biography
60.     Blues People
61.     Miles Davis Biography
62.     Clawing At The Limits of Cool
63.     Charles Mingus Autobiography
64.     All About The Dress- Vicky Tiel
65.     A Taste of Salt
66.     Steve Jobs Autobiography
67.     The Teaching of Don Juan
68.     The Secret Life of Bees
69.     The Joy of Living
70.     The Quran
71.     Room Full of Mirrors : The Biography of Jimi Hendrix
72.     Brothers (& Me) A Memoir of Loving & Giving
73.     The Psychology of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
74.     Watergate
75.     Lit by Mary
76.     Miles Davis – The Definite Biography by Ian Carr
77.     The Active Side of Infinity
78.     Women, Culture & Politics
79.     How To Change The World: Social Entrepreneurs & The Power of New Ideas
80.     Me Talk Pretty One Day
81.     The Councils of Dad
82.     The Blue Sweater- Jacqueline Novogratz
83.     What Matters – David Elliot
84.     Black Noise – Tricia Rose
85.     Mind to Mind
86.     Manchild of The Promise Land
87.     The Finding of Third Eye
88.     The Year of Gadfly – Jennifer Miller
89.     Is Everyone Hanging Out Without me?
90.     The Letter all your Friends Have Written You

So good.

These songs were premiered on Okayplayer (check my reviews there) last week, and let me just say it again, these are so good.  These two tracks show an impressive marriage between Full Crate and Jesse Boykins III in the form of “Her Throne,” and “See What Me.”

These two tracks are beautiful, and you definitely need to buy the two tracks via Itunes here.  I’m guessing, but don’t quote me, that if enough sales go on with these tracks that eventually, they will do a full project together?

Download via Itunes here.

If you don’t know, Scarlett Johansson is one of my girl crushes.  I only have a few girl crushes actually, her, Gwen Stefani, Sanaa Lathan, and I think that’s it.

A few years ago, Scarlett Johansson hooked up with Pete Yorn and created a really cool project, Breakup.  Here I discovered her nice little voice that only matches her pretty little face.

tahaha. that sounded a little… uh, anyway.  With that being said, now, Ms. Johannson hooks up with 3D of Masive Attack and creates a cover of George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” for the upcoming Everardo Valerio Gout film, “Days of Grace.”  I dig this.

Source: PB

Hey… I’m so amped for this show.  Ever since discovering Jimetta Rose and Breezy Lovejoy, a while back,  I’ve been dying to see them live… definitely getting my chance!

Shafiq Husayn grew up in Oakland, South Central Los Angeles, Texas and the South Bronx where he experienced Hip Hop in it’s infancy, joined Zulu Nation and ran with pioneers Afrika Bambatta and Afrika Islam. Alongside being a founding member of the groundbreaking group SA RA Creative Partners, he has contributed production to the likes of Ice-T’. Erykah Badu, John Legend, Common, Herbie Hancock, Bilal, Robert Glasper, Jill Scott, Andre 3000, Bently Fonzworth, Jurassic 5, Duran Duran, King Tee, Lord Finesse, Talib Kweli, Pharoah Monche and many others.

In 2007 Shafiq released his critically acclaimed debut album “Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka”, fleshing out existing beats and creating new music. ‘Ka’ refers to the spirit in the Kemetic language. Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka represents Shafiq in a state of mental and spiritual freedom that is in turn reflected in the music. Shafiq Husayn has always maintained innovation and growth as his purpose and focus. From producing with Ice-T to penning songs for Erykah Badu to innovating as part of Sa-Ra and now creating his own music, Shafiq Husayn strives to convey who he is through his music.
Billboard Magizine wrote: “As one‐third of the progressive hip‐hop outfit Sa‐Ra and a collaborator on Erykah Badu’salbum “New Amerykah: Part One,” Husayn has long cultivated an ear for the bold and experimental. On his last release, “Shafiq En’A‐Free‐Ka,” he continued the sonic innovation,culling from influences as diverse as Afrobeatand drum’n'bass and bearing traces of Timbaland (the reggae‐tinged track “Nirvana”)and Andre 3000 (the psycadelic “Major Heavy”). “

As BBC put it about Shafiq’s sound, “..proves that drawing upon funk’ n’ soul’ n’ jazz’s rich history can inspire some of thewildest and most wonderful future‐music.”

“Shafiq En A Free Ka voted by AllMusic.com
as one of the top albums for 2009.”

Shafiq is set for a late 2012 summer release of the highly anticipated album titled “LooP”, which features an array of artist & musicians with the likes of Dove Society, his new musical collective that features Jimetta Rose, J Mitchell Melodious Fly, Breezy Lovejoy. Also appearances from The Robert Glasper Experiment, Erykah Badu, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, Om’Mas Keith, Chris Dave, N’Dambe, Bilal, Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Fatima BS, Coultrain, Nia Andrews, Erik Rico, Kween, I Ced, Nola Darling, Savannah Aset Al-Baqir El, MPRV.

Purchase tickets here. 

Ever since I discovered Miles Bonny awhile back and his project Lumberjack Soul, I’ve been a Miles fan to say the least.  The soulful raspiness in Miles’ voice and the way he incorporates the trumpet within his music, I think is real dope–not to mention, his music is just dope.

With that being said, when I heard Miles was releasing a new project with producer B.Lewisand heard the first leak from the project, “Together Forever,” and “Bottom to Top,” I was really excited.  Finally, well last week, the duo released their collaborative Egg Black EP, with collaboration from NYC based Prism Media collective in association with NYC based music/ lifestyle magazine The Couch Sessions and LA based apparel brand Orisue.

The EP is fully loaded with hard-hitting slaps, heavy bass thumps, melodic rhythms, and deep soul-filled vocals, one listen through Egg Black is enough to know you’ve got something special. Miles Bonny’s sultry deep intonation through B.Lewis’ breakdown-filled electro-soul beats is a combination that will surely define the soundscape of the future.  Miles’ midwest lumberjack soul seductively amalgamates B.Lewis’ eclectic Cali-blip-and-synth influenced production, conjuring genuine emotion which we, as music lovers, can effortlessly relate to our individual life experiences, hardships, and successes.

Download the EP here.