The one, the only Kid Sister is back, dropping the video for her latest single “Big N’ Bad” at the end of last week, and we are soooo crushing on this colorful, big n’ bad summertime video! Shot by famed director Rik Cordero of Three/21 Media, the video features the Chicago based feMC roaming the streets of her city in a short pink romper, a long black jumpsuit, and some A-Morir. Plus, she throws in a rhyme about “bubble butts”. Um, did somebody say PERFECTION?!
Check out a behind-the-scenes video from the Chi-town shoot, also shot by Three/21 Media. And don’t forget to watch the Big N’ Bad video in its full glory!
♥♥ Far Out! Flying Lotus‘ new video for the single, “MmmHmm ft. Thundercat” takes us on a cosmic, out of this world journey! The video was directed by the production team Special Problems and is a mixture of animated and live action worlds. This is the first single from Flying Lotus’ Cosmogramma album, which is in stores now!
Nicki Minaj
♥♥ If you’re eagerly anticipating the debut album from Young Money’s first lady Nicki Minaj, you’re going to have to wait just a little bit longer. Nicki recently announced via twitter that her debut album won’t be dropping until November. Just last month, many hip-hop heads (including myself) were a little amazed that despite NOT even having album, Nicki was able to be both nominated and win the 2010 BET Award for “Best Female Rapper.” Go Figure! Nicki’s LP will feature the uptempo track “Massive Attack” as well as the No. 1 Billboard hit, “Your Love.” According to super producer Swizz Beatz, Nicki is an amazing songwriter, so this should be interesting. I honestly don’t know what to expect from Miss Minaj’s debut album. However, I do know that I shouldn’t be expecting a Lil’ Kim collabo!
Zo!
♥♥ I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had Zo! & Tigallo’s (aka Phonte of Little Brother) Love The 80’s album in constant rotation every since it dropped in 2008! This album was my introduction to Foreign Exchange family member, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer Zo!. Well this time, Zo! is stepping out on his own with his album SunStorm, dropping on July 27th. “This Could Be The Night” is the first single from that album and features Eric Roberson, Darien Brockington and Rapper Big Pooh. Check out video!
Kid Sister x Paul Wall
♥♥ Windy City BOSS Kid Sister shows off her rhyming skills and rightfully holds her own in the Paul Wall track “Im’ma Get It” featuring his fellow Texan Bun B. Paul Wall’s (The People’s Champ) new album Heart of a Champion just recently dropped and is long overdue! Listen to “Im’ma Get It” over at Rap-Up.com. Warning: Kid Sis is killing it on this one!
Oceana
♥♥ Blending Soul-pop, Funk, R&B, and Reggae together is what singer Oceana does best! The throwback vibe of her feel-good single “La La” is purely contagious, catchy, and stylish! Her debut album Love Supply is out now!
Sky Ferreira
♥♥ Singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira is only 17 years old, but her resume’ is pretty impressive! She has been featured in dozens of magazines and has collaborated with The Virgins, The Shoes, The Bloody Beetroots, Steve Aoki, and Aeroplane. Her UK single “One” is creating a lot of buzz and will be featured on her upcoming debut album on Capitol/EMI. She’s listed the late Michael Jackson being the most inspiring person she’s ever met and she’s definitely one artist to watch out for!
Beck
♥♥ This week’s throwback video is for all you 90’s grunge, Generation X slackers! Beck’s “Loser” was the first single from his second studio album Mellow Gold. When it debuted back in 1994, the catchy tune became a hit and peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This song is classic and defining to a generation that grew up on plaid shirts, Doc Martens, and Nirvana! Check it out!
New Music From FreshNerd, The Go Getters, Mick Boogie & DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Janelle Monae!
♥♥ How cool is the artwork for 100 Akres Productions Present: The Cyndi Lauper Beat Tape? For the first installment of 100 Akres’ beat tape series, FreshNerd went back to Cyndi’s She’s So Unusual LP and chopped, twisted, sped up, and sped down pieces of each song; reconstructing his interpretation of the album in beat tape format. This is a must have for Cyndi Lauper fans!
♥♥ Once upon a time, there was small a rap group from Chicago that consisted of the one and only Kanye West, GLC, Timmy G, and Arrowstar. This group was called the Go Getters. The Go Getters recorded a handful of songs, did some promo shoots and made radio appearances, but an official album was never released…until now! The good people over at Fake Shore Drive released a pre G.O.O.D. compilation project entitled World Record Holders, which features 13 rare and never heard before cuts of the Go Getters. This one is definitely a gem!
♥♥ I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but summer is here and will be gone before you know it. However, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, Mick Boogie, and the good people at Undrcrwn along with Motivation Boutique have provided the perfect and most solid summer soundtrack to date with Summertime: The Mixtape. This multi-genre mix features 49 songs that cover any and everything “summer” related and will be sure to enhance (what’s left of) this fine summer season!
Members-only sales sites are the new black. From Gilt to Rue La La, there are new sales sites popping up everyday. The newest kid on the block is PLNDR, an exclusive, members-only online boutique that hosts limited time sales of streetwear.
M.I.S.S. has teamed up with PLNDR, to give you the scoop on all things good about the ladies’ brands that are sold on the site. First up, is none other than M.I.S.S. favorite, HELLZ! Lanie, the designer, let us know some of her favorite things and we selected some of our favorite HELLZ pieces that are on sale and matched them up with some favorite picks from Karmaloop. HELLZ is on sale now on PLNDR for the next few days.
I may be a bit late on this video, but now that I’ve found it, I’m smitten. Plus, the message is timeless, so late or not, it’s relevant.
The video I’m smitten with features a young girl, around age 4, pumping up in front of her bathroom mirror. And when I say pumping up, I mean spouting out what she likes about her life, air punching, and doing a little dance. Not only is it incredibly cute, it’s awesome to see such a young child articulating what she loves and is grateful for. Or perhaps, it’s children of this age who see the greatness all around them without having to try.
When I first saw this video, amid laughter I thought, “I should do this every day.” Really. It takes less than a minute, is fun, and is a way to keep things positive. I’ve talked about grati-texting to put a grateful spin on my days, but this takes it a step further: being active, looking yourself in the eye, and saying aloud a list of things you like. Not to kill the point of how great and effective I find it to take inventory of what we have in life, but if you notice, this little girl says things from “I like my Mom” to “I like my haircuts.” There’s no better or worse. There’s no more or less. There is just liking things, love, and a lot of pure energy.
I also love that in watching this girl, I laugh, not at her, but because of happiness. I don’t know if anyone really would hate on this girl, but if we saw an adult doing the same thing, we just may think he’s a little crazy or she’s socially awkward. However, with a child, we can appreciate the raw positivity. So why not see that in ourselves? Why not let our inner children out and let them express how stoked they are on life? As kids we played with doll houses and mini cars, now we’ve made and earned our own. We may have dreamed of living in the city or having the relationships we find ourselves with now. And even if our paths have changed or we’re in progress toward achieving childhood goals, we can still like our haircuts or sisters or pajamas or anything.
And no matter what, it’s always excellent to be our own support, and remind ourselves we can do anything.
“I can do anything good. . . yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. . . I can do anything good. Better than anyone, better than anyone. . . “
This weekend is all about the barbeques, stoops, beers, and friends. Depending on where you live, your stoop may be your backyard or a park or a beach. Here in Brooklyn, we have our stoops to settle into for the season. Once you have your BBQ itinerary sorted out, the next decision is what you will bring as your offering. Many of us have our cookout favs that we make every year (my sister has been making artichoke dip since middle school) and I’m not saying this bad–I’m saying, let’s try something different! Change is good! Here are a few tips that will always yield a smile-worthy bite. People will look for you to tell you how amazing your pasta salad is/was, if there’s any left…
1) Pasta: Al dente! Not mushy! Use ANY kind you want. I mean, don’t go crazy with lasagne, that’ just not applicable. I love penne & orzo. Israeli cous cous is great, too. I would stay away from long noodles like spaghetti or linguine because the less surface area, the less the flavors will soak in. With the long pasta, your yummy fixin’s tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl and with tons of people diving in, these pastas are hard to manipulate. With the smaller pastas, a big spoon can scoop up the perfect amount to put on their paper plates. Try using rice or soba noodles too for an asian flare. I often whip up a sesame garlic vinaigrette to make an insta-asian pasta salad. Filled pastas are always a crowd favorite. I made the salad pictured above last week– Tortellini, Cucumber, Piquillo Pepper, Fresh Corn, Chopped Parsley, & Chive Vinaigrette. What!
2.) Vinaigrette/Dressing: If you have been following Skimkim Yummies, you have already mastered this! Check it. If not, you should! We are all familiar with the mayo-laden, overly sweet, too oniony crap that sits at most any BBQ. This is not what I’m ’splainin’ to you. Just whip up any kind of vinaigrette and stick to the same flavor profile. If you are in a hurry, I won’t tell if you buy a quality dressing from the store. Just do yourself a favor and make it a good one. Sometimes, you want a creamy version, just keep in mind, it may be sitting outside for awhile and dairy doesn’t hold well in heat and open air.
3.) Veggies: Go crazy. Go fresh. Go heavy. DO NOT USE CANNED VEGETABLES. I will kill you. Spring is a virtual smorgasbord of new seasonal goodies. Radish, beets, asparagus, garlic (& scapes! see video below), ramps, fiddleheads…yeah. Crazy! If you go for all-around veggies, cucumbers, bell peppers, grape tomatoes (cut whole tomatoes make for a messy salad, avoid them), and corn are great. Olives are fruit and add depth and flavor. Capers are the pickled bud of a flower and also complement a salad. Go easy on these brined or pickled elements as they are really salty.
4.) Protein:Whether you go with meat or not, you have many options here. Grilled chicken or steak amp this up proper but this can get expensive. I often throw in beans or nuts. Chick peas, black beans, walnuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), flax seed…the list goes on. These serve as a valuable source of protein but also add texture. Sometimes, I add crumbly cheese, like feta or roquefort, but again, the dairy in the heat thing, may not be a good idea. Try it when you’re having a dinner party inside, though. Avoid soy. I hate to say this, but soy is not good for you. I know, I know. I just flipped some of y’all’s worlds upside down. And please, stay away from the fake meats. That shit is unnatural.
5.) Herbs: Fresh herbs are everywhere in the spring. Parsley, basil, thyme, marjoram, chives, scallions, sage, rosemary. I bought a crapload of potted herbs last month and they are going strong on my stoop. Lemon verbena, oregano, orange mint. Just buy a bag of quality potting soil and repot when you get home. You’ll have a summer full of exciting new flavors–grown by you. I wouldn’t recommend using dry herbs for pasta salads, they lack color and true flavor.
6.) S&P: After you’ve mixed all your fixin’s up, make sure to taste and season. I use crushed red pepper like it’s going out of style, too. It adds a little bit of pep, both in color and spice.
In writing this post, I have officially geeked out. I mean, spring is such a fruitful season, I just went crazy finding resources for you to check out. And like a kid in a candy store, I get so excited by new arrivals at the green markets. Just last week I had lovage on a menu for a cocktail party I did. Here are a few links that are useful for the coming season:
In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m taking a look at my long time muse, my Mom. My Mom is by no means a typical lady or mother, but is definitely an inspiration and example of strength and beauty.
When I was growing up, I spent more time being embarrassed of my Mom and disagreeing with her than appreciating her. I was embarrassed by her accent on certain words, not understanding American conventions and systems, and her need to make a point when I would rather walk away. She was strict and a force to be reckoned with, making my sister and I hold squat positions as punishment instead of grounding us. As a teenager I was a particular handful running away, talking back, and choosing to not live with her for a year. We weren’t exactly close nor did we see eye-to-eye.
But even in the harder years of our relationship, I was lucky to have my Mom. She took care of my sister, me, and the household so we could do every extracurricular activity you could think of without worrying how we would get there. When I decided I wanted to take dance classes at age six, she signed me up on the spot. She took us to the library as much as we wanted and gave us Spanish lessons in the backyard. She helped my Brownie troop even when she was judged by the other moms for doing things her own (unconventional) way and not being familiar with traditions. She made dance recital costumes and cheerleading outfits that always had her own flair (and sometimes made me cringe), but the bottom line was she would stay up all hours of the night to create anything we needed. She dealt with the catty attitudes of other parents and my lip as I just wanted to fit in. If anyone said anything mean about me, my Mom was the first and fiercest to defend me. She told me who to stay away from, even when I didn’t want to listen, and no matter what, rejoiced in everything I did and accomplished.
When I moved away to college, I saw my Mom in a different light. Space and other circumstances allowed me to look back and see the things I hadn’t really acknowledged about her. My Mom was an independent woman with her own goals and ideas for herself. She bravely came to the United States and left her entire family in the Philippines after she was married. She chose to stay home with my sister and I growing up for our own good and didn’t make us partake in certain traditions of hers so we could assimilate. She took care of two children alone when my Dad was stationed away from home. She made personal sacrifices she never pointed out to me until I thought to ask why she made certain choices. She went through a hard divorce and broke down, but she did the best she could and got back up. She taught me very clearly what unconditional love is. She faces family drama for the sake of my sister and I. And through my recent hard times, my Mom took on my burden, checked in on me, but let me have space to work through it, though not alone. She told me she may not always know what to say or what to do, but she would always listen and always be there for me, no matter when.
My Mom always has a point of view, marches to the beat of her own drum, and is hard not to notice. She grills people she first meets, not to be mean, but it’s just her nature to make people (waiters especially) blush bright red. When you’re not being grilled, you’re probably laughing in her presence. Her outfits are always thought out and often altered to make them a bit more special. At 5′2″ and slim, she has style and a figure girls my age envy. Men hit on her daily and she tries to set them up with one of her daughters. She laughs as she tries to learn how the kids dance these days and teaches ballroom dance lessons at the age of 57. She is grateful every day and reminds be to be happy that I’m “alive and kicking.” She shows me what it is to know who you are and not be ashamed of it.
As I grow and mature, I am happy when I find things about myself that I get from my mother. It may be in my fashion style or the way I fiercely love my friends and family, but whenever I’m compared to my mother, I consider it a compliment. She’s a wonderful mother to me, and an amazing lady overall.
It’s ya girl, Kid Sis, giving us one more reason to love her. The girl who put getting your nails did on the map teamed up with her buddy Kerin Rose, who has a great voice by the way, to Extreme’s classic 90’s power ballad, “More Than Words” for Billboard.com’s Mashup Mondays. In an age where auto-tune is king, its mind blowing to see an artist who can kick it acapella and still kill a song. Besides showcasing her sick vocal skills and professing her love of power ballads and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, Kid Sister shows us that at the end of the day she’s just a girl who belts out songs in the back of a taxi, just like us.
Sam Mason cooks it up this season with Rufus Wainwright, Theophilus London, and
Sad fact about me that I’m choosing to share with you for some reason. I plan my weekly Tivo tapings around first priority viewing, or shows that involve food. Restaurant shows, chef challenge shows, Top Chef and Ace of Cakes galore, my TiVo is a literal smorgasbord of all things edible.
Top of the tasty tier of TV viewing is a show so brilliant I can only describe it as mouth-watering– IFC’s Dinner With the Band. Pairing up-and-coming indie bands of all genres with hipster-hot chef Sam Mason, the show features live performances and real time cooking, complete with drink recipes based around everyone’s favorite brew, Blue Moon. Last season, Mr. Mason hosted the likes of Kid Sister and Yacht in his kitchen. The second season kicks off TONIGHT, with guest Rufus Wainwright. Expect appearances in later episodes from Theophilus London, Andrew W.K., and Light Speed Champion.
