Wednesday

Demigodz - "Demigodz Is Back" - {Video}

The Demigodz (Apathy, Celph Titled, Ryu of Styles Of Beyond, Esoteric, Motive, Blacastan) will release there first official full-length LP, KILLMatic, and it will feature appearances from RA The Rugged Man, Termanology, Panchi (of NYG'z), Planetary (of Outerspace), Scoop Deville & Eternia with production from DJ Premier, Marco Polo, The Snowgoons, Apathy, Teddy Roxpin, Chumzilla, Skammadix & Will C.



When the Demigodz Is Back track was initially released, there was a “fan-made” video created for it that was in circulation—which was not the official video but this one is.  Thank the "Lawd" Real HipHop came swinging at the top of 2013, they called out a few points in this track I definitely agree with.  But don't believe me checkout the Tracklist and the video below.  WARNING....This is for real UnsungHipHop fans any one else will simply be offended.



Tracklist

1.) “Intro” (Giants On The Earth) (produced by Apathy)

2.) “Demigodz Is Back” f/Apathy, Ryu & Celph Titled (produced by Apathy)

3.) “Dumb High” f/ Apathy, Motive, Esoteric, Celph Titled & Open Mic (produced by Apathy)

4.) “Never Take Me Out” f/ Apathy, Celph Titled & Termanology (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

5.) “Just Can't Quit” f/ Apathy, Celph Titled, Motive, Blacastan, Ryu & Scoop Deville (produced by Apathy)

6.) “Worst Nightmare” f/ Apathy, Ryu, Blacastan, Esoteric, Motive & Celph Titled (produced by DJ Premier) ***cuts by DJ Premier

7.) “Can't Fool Me” f/ Apathy, Blacastan, Esoteric, Motive, Celph Titled & Eternia  (produced by Apathy)

8.) “DGZ x NYGz” f/ Apathy, Blacastan, Celph Titled & Panchi of NYG’z (produced by Chumzilla) *** additional vocals by DJ Premier

9.) “Dead In The Middle” f/ Ryu, Celph Titled & Apathy (produced by Apathy)

10.) “The Gospel According To...” f/ Celph Titled, Esoteric, Motive, Blacastan & Planetary of Outerspace (produced by Skammadix)

11.) “Raiders Cap” f/ Apathy, Ryu, Motive & Celph Titled (produced by Apathy)

12.) “The Fallen Angels” f/ Apathy, Motive & Celph Titled (produced by Apathy) ***cuts by Chumzilla

13.) “The Summer Of Sam” f/ Apathy, Blacastan, Esoteric, Motive, Ryu & Celph Titled (produced by The Snowgoons)

14.) “Tomax & Xamot” f/ Apathy & Esoteric (produced by Will C.) ***cuts by Chumzilla

15.) “Captain Caveman” f/ Apathy, Celph Titled & RA The Rugged Man (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

16.) “Audi 5000” f/ Apathy, Celph Titled, Motive, Ryu, Esoteric & Blacastan (produced by Marco Polo) ***cuts by Chumzilla








Tuesday

Lupe Fiasco Sits Down With Peter Bailey On NBC Nitecap


 Lupe Fiasco sits down with renowned author and journalist Peter Bailey to discuss the business of hip hop for NBC Nitecap, and to talk about how its gradual commercialization has affected its ability to provide social commentary.
In the first clip, the politically-aware Chicago rapper begins by making a defense for “ignorant” hip hop, arguing that it would be hypocritical to judge his peers for wanting more dollars, considering the fact that they haven’t grown up around money. He says that he too enjoyed the sudden leap from poverty to riches, but reveals that his admiration for spiritualists like Gandhi and Civil Rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X led him to question what success really was.
He ends the first half of the interview by discussing the power of cursing, and how clean records sometimes represent a compromise rather than true art.



In part two, Lupe gets deeper into some of the aforementioned issues. He asks rappers to take a step back from their music and think about why they’re making it. Are they trying to make art or just catering to commercial needs? He, aligns himself with the art rather than the commodity, admitting that if he’d never got into rap he’d “probably be in the theater, probably making nothing, just being a stage hand…”
Lupe goes on to talk about Miami artists like Trick Daddy, whose autobiography Bailey helped craft, and Rick Ross, critiquing some of the get-rich-fast messages which particular rappers put out there. “You have to realise that there’s a relationship between what you say and what happens in the streets,” he comments.
In what turns out to be the most meaningful part of the interview he asks young black men to think about what they actually want-  You wanna live sixty years in prison, because you was rich for a summer, because you had a Maserati for a summer?
 

Monday

Skrillex & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley - “Make It Bun Dem” - {Video}


  After hearing the track a few months ago, I knew the video for this collaborative effort from Skrillex and Damian Marley was going to be epic, but nothing could prepare me for this.
For the official music video for “Make It Bun Dem”, the subwoofer destroying bass monster of a track from the Los Angeles born EDM producer and DJ featuring the youngest son of Bob Marley, director Tony T. Datis not only delivers a solid socio-political short film highlighting the current effects of the U.S economic depression, he also manages to conjure up rain storms and native American animal spirits.
Epic viewing.
 

Sunday

Ten Exercises For Women By Buffie The Body - {Video}

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(4UMF)Top Ten Exercises For Women By Buffie The Body:
In 2012, Buffie “The Body” Carruth became a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through The National Academy of Sports Medicine. Through her online videos, Buffie demonstrates how to effectively use equipment, exercise properly, and influences healthy food regiments. Buffie want’s to help women embrace their curves while resisting unhealthy eating habits and exercise techniques that do no work for curvy body shapes. Unfortunately, our society has placed a new norm to be “skinny” on today’s women who are fully figured in order to be accepted. However, Buffie wants women to know they can be fit-curvy and still maintain a healthy lifestyle!
Also Buffie The Body’s Workout video Coming Soon…
Buffie “The Body” (Bodynomics.com) Top 10 Exercises for Women:

 
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1. Monster Walk: (hip muscles)
MONST ER WA L K WITH RESISTIVE BAND: Place resistive band around ankles. Assume a 45
degree squat position throughout exercise. Do not allow back to round or shoulders to fall in front of the
knees. Keep toes pointed straight ahead and strive to take steps reaching side to side with the mid foot.
Do not bounce. Do not drag the trailing foot as you work to control the resistance of the band.

2. Side Hip Abduction:  (hip muscles )
Side Hip Abduction Targeting Butt/Hips:
Step 1
Starting Position: Lie on your side on a mat/floor with your legs lengthened straight away from your body. Stack your feet in neutral position. Your lower arm can be bent and placed under your head for support. Your upper arm rests upon your upper hip. Your hips and shoulders should be stacked up and aligned vertically to the floor. Your head should be aligned with your spine. Engage your abdominal muscles to support your spine.
Step 2
Upward Phase: Exhale. Gently raise the upper leg off the lower leg. Keep the knee straight and the foot in a neutral position. Do not allow the hips to roll forward or back. Both knees should be “looking” straight ahead. Continue raising the leg until the hips begin to tilt, the waist collapses into the floor or until your feel tension develop in your low back or oblique muscles.
Step 3
Downward Phase: Gently inhale and return the leg to your starting position in a slow, controlled manner. After completing your set, roll over and repeat with the opposite leg.
A common mistake is raising the leg too high in this exercise. Given the design of the hip joint, the thigh can only abduct (move out sideways) to 45 degrees. Any movement beyond that position involves movement of the entire hip and no longer targets the muscles intended for this exercise.



3. Sumo Walk:  (hip muscles)
Sumo Walk Attacking The Entire Knee And Up:
Step 1 Place feet wider than hip distance apart.
Step 2 Bending at the knee, lower your rump down and back as if trying to sit in a chair just out of reach.
Step 3 Hold positions when you reach 90 degrees at the knee
Step 4 Place hands on thighs (ala a sumo wrestler)
Step 5 Lift your right foot, maintaining the squat (stay down, don’t stand and straighten your legs), and walk a “large” step forward. Repeat on left side.
Step 6 Walk forward for 6 steps (3 on each side), then go in reverse for 6. Do this 2 times to equal one set. Do 3 sets minimum.
4. Step-Ups: (butt & thigh)
Step-Ups:
The bench needs to be at least 15″ off floor. My bench was 17″ off floor. Make the leg on the bench WORK! Transfer all weight to that leg. Other leg should be inactive as much as possible. Abs pulled in will help stabilize the movement. Do 12 reps, 3 sets on each leg. You can also use dumbbells in this exercise.

5. Quadruped Hip Extensions:
Quadruped Hip Extensions:
Keep back straight. Controlled movements. Squeeze glutes as you extend hip backwards. Draw abs in. Do 12 reps, 3 sets on each leg.
6. Front Lunges:  (butt & thigh)
Front Lunges:
Keep body upright. Keep knee behind toe. Don’t lean forward when you lower yourself. Do 12 lunges, 3 sets on each leg. You can also use dumbbells in this exercise.
7. Four-Way Hip Extensions:  (butt & thigh)
Four-Way Hip Extensions:
I put one end of this tube into the doorway then I closed and locked the door so the band wouldn’t pop out. I was using a blue band (approx. 10 lb weight resistance). Each tube color has a different weight resistance. The weight resistance and colors varies by company. Do 12 reps, 3 sets on each leg.
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8. Knee–Ups: (abs)
Knee-ups:
Another ab exercise that can help add definition to your stomach muscles. This exercise is relatively easy and less intense than other workouts when no resistance is added. Because this exercise is less intense, it makes a great ab workout for those with less developed stomach muscles or a beginning to intermediate weight lifter.
9. Lateral Raises: (shoulders)
Lateral Raises:
Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs with elbows slightly bent. Bend over slightly with hips and knees bent slightly.Raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height. Maintain elbows’ height above or equal to wrists. Lower and repeat.
10.Windmill: (abs)
Windmill: (abs)
Step 1 Stand comfortably with your feet shoulder-width apart. Pull your shoulders back, keep your chin up and pull in your hips. Hold a weight in your right hand so that the weight rests against the back of your wrist and upper forearm.
Step 2 Extend your right arm above your head, keeping your elbow straight in a locked position. Push your right hip out slightly. Turn your left foot out 45 degrees and slightly bend your left knee. Keep your left arm straight down at your side.
Step 3 Look up at the weight (or at your hand, if you’re not using weights) throughout the exercise. Bend at the hips, reaching your left foot down to the floor and bending your left knee. Keep your right arm extended above your head and your back straight.
Step 4 Move as far down toward the floor as you can reach. Your flexibility will improve as you practice the exercise. Once you’ve gone as far as you can, reverse the movement and return to standing. Squeeze your gluteal muscles on the way up for maximum impact. Repeat on both arms. With regular exercise, you will notice increased strength and flexibility in your midsection and your arms, stomachs and gluteal muscles will assume more tone.
This are Buffie “The Body” (Bodynomics.com) Top 10 Exercises for Women

 

 Courtesy Of 4UMF

Saturday

Von Pea (Of Tanya Morgan) –" Things Have Changed" - {Audio}

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 Von Pea solo joint off his EP with producer Aeon, entitled Duly Noted. What’s up with that Tanya Morgan Album You Get What You Paid For? If your don't know who they are its because your not a fan of "Real" HipHop.  That's right I said it...or maybe you watch too much BET..ok there its all out.  They have been doing there thing since 2003 they release that timeless material, whereas no matter what year this is REal HipHop.

Friday

Karriem Riggins - "Summer Madness" - {Video}


  Karriem Riggins visuals to one of the standout tracks from his latest album “Alone Togetherreleased on Stones Throw Records. Karriem producer/musician, has produced albums for artist such as Common, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli and J Dilla just to name a few.  When he's not in the studio he performs with the Diana Krall Quartet as a percussionist and he's a Emcee.  This dude is definitely on his grind getting it done.  Checkout his latest piece of work below and let us know what you think.
 

Thursday

Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson - Nasty (Feat.Planet Asia) - {Audio}


 Apollo Brown chops a fiery gospel organ into an incendiary track that pulses with life. Guilty wastes no time turning into a microphone bully, showing just why he considers himself as nasty as black licorice. Cocky, brazen and above all ill, Apollo and Guilty are deadly enough as a duo but on this track they enlist their Left Coast brethren, Planet Asia, for a few bars of that west side grime. Fresno’s finest catches Guilty’s lob and slam-dunks his verse.
Now that Dice Game has rolled out it’s looking like snake eyes for the lames and a cool seven for our Motor City champs.






Get The New Album!
Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson "Dice Game"
iTunes   CD   Vinyl

Wednesday

J Rocc Presents: The Madlib Remixes - (1997-2007) - {Audio}

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J.Rocc put this one together, collecting ten years of Madlib’s remixes. Many of these were released by the artists on singles, others were made for Madlib’s own use and are still unreleased. This was originally released as Stones Throw Podcast #21.  This is for those real old school HipHop Heads.  Just push play and sit back and enjoy this masterpiece


Tuesday

Joel Culpepper - “Passenger” - {Video}


Taken from his Skydive EP, “Passenger” up with South London soul singer Joel Culpepper on an emotive journey through love and life’s ups and downs with narrative visuals to his impassioned story over a sensual, contemporary bass-thumping bed of sound.
“What I hope stands out is that the audience know I mean it,” Culpepper says of his musical sincerity. “I believe in what I am singing about and love what I’m doing and am enjoying myself. Hopefully people can enjoy it with me. It is my reality show.”
If Joel Culpepper‘s a new name to you, I’d also advise you to dig back through our introduction and his earlier projects The Adventures of Pensmith and Joel Culpepper Meets J. Dilla, but there’s clear, audible growth in his material, with “Passenger” signalling a polished turn in direction on his journey. Watch the official video, directed by Abi Moore, below and stay tuned for more. Skydive is out now.

Monday

R-Mean -"Lost Angels"(Ft. The Game & Marka) - {Video}


 Armenia is a small country of fewer than four million people sitting in the south caucus region of Asia and landlocked between Turkey, Azerbadjian, Georgia, and Iran. You should know this because Los Angeles is in fact home to one of the largest Armenian immigrant enclaves in the world. Celebrities Serj Tankian and Kim Kardashian (who both grew up in Los Angeles) have each made a powerful impact on their respective fields of alternative music and reality television, introducing disparate and unique takes on Armenian identity into American pop culture. And now, with lyrical prowess and melodious flow, Los Angeles-born, overtly-Armenian rapper R-Mean is bringing word of his mountainous ancestral republic to one of our biggest cultural expressions of all : hip-hop.

In early 2013, R-Mean is dropped his most ambitious project to date, 7 Deadly Sins, on Pentagon Records; and the explosive first single "Lost Angels" features non-other than multi-platinum artist The Game. A sleek, raw black and white video helps take us inside R-Mean's version of Los Angeles, from Downtown to Little Armenia and back.  I was born and raised on the east coast and sometimes I can be east coast rapper bias.  But these new east coast Emcees like R-mean has surely caught my attention.  I've always been a fan of Game and he really is making his mark with so many different features.  Check out the video below.


Sunday

Juliyaa - "Stars and Dragons" - {Audio}


 Looking to put themselves forward as one to watch in the year 2013, emerging soulful R&B songstress Juliyaa releases her debut EP Stars and Dragons. The north London singer of Ghanaian and Welsh descent caught the radar of many in 2012 with numerous soulful acoustic performances across the country and a cheerful, feel good single release entitled “Smile.”
Stars and Dragons contains the same sweet vocals of Juliyaa, matched with an array of exceptional bluesy, jazz and uptempo productions on hand throughout the six track project. Her voice, style and grace reminds me of Sade with a twist of Rihanna. Let us know what you think we placed a free for download, get familiar with the short and engaging sounds of this singer-songwriter below.

Saturday

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) Freestyles Over Chief Keef's "I Don't Like"


 Yasiin Bey aka the artist formerly known as Mos Def follows in the footsteps of his G.O.O.D Music associates and drops a few verses on Chief Keef‘s “I Don’t Like” instrumental.
In an aggressive (and almost unrecognisable at times) tone, the revered rapper, actor and activist delivers a freestyle over the Young Chop produced street anthem as part of his Top 40 Underdog Series (I didn’t think was still continuing as the last installment was way back in May). Give it a listen below and let us know what you think in the comments.


Thursday

Tyler James - “Worry About You”(Ft.Kano) - {Audio}


 Canning Town, East London born singer-songwriter Tyler James who jumped into the public spotlight after his participation on the BBC aired singing competition The Voice brings us the latest single from his sophomore Island records LP release A Place I Go.
For the single version of “Worry About You”, Tyler joins forces with a fellow East Londoner Kano who delivers a couple of verses on the track that addresses the Love and emotions that prevail despite the struggles in a relationship. The track was premiered on BBC Radio 1 and you can listen to a radio rip below.
The UK has really come a long way in HipHop & R&B genre, if you ask me they have yet to be too corrupted by the major corporations.  Just think about it we would have more artist and less karaoke singers in the industry. This song is pretty fly go listen for yourself.

Wednesday

Promise - "Somebody Else" (Feat. Slakah) - Official Video

Toronto born emcee Promise releases a new video for his track "Somebody Else" off his latest album Awakening.  Produced by LordQuest, the track features the soulful vocals of Slakah on the hook and addresses ironic pressures of life that make us want to be somebody else in order to be accepted as our self. Director Andre Rehal creates a visually appealing storyline.



@iPromiseMusic | @BeatChild | @DuckDowMusic

Tuesday

Prose N Percussion: Angel Haze On Soul Culture TV


 *Drum Roll* Happy Monday peoples, SoulCulture TV is back with the first in the new season of our Prose N Percussion sessions.
Joining forces with the EXTREMELY talented drummer extraordinaire Pauli The PSM (Gorillaz Sound System, Kindness and more), the concept is simple fresh verses and a dope drum beat = Prose N Percussion. Simples!
After our Top Boy special edition last year (Watch it here) featuring the cast of the gritty Channel 4 urban drama series Top Boy (Ashley Walters aka Asher D, Kane Robinson aka Kano and Scorcher alongside Sway), we kick off the new season with the incredible Angel Haze.
Joining us at the Red Bull Studios in London last month, the Michigan hailing lyricist who recently released her latest mixtape Classick and has been tipped by almost everybody as one to watch for (and rightfully so) drops some fresh bars to kick off the proceedings, before breaking down her relationship with the beat and her lyrics. Watch it below…
 

Sunday

Kelow - "TurboSteeze" (Feat. MXXM) - {Audio}

kelow turbo steeze artwork
Kelow released her forth EP "Stixxx-n-Stonez", Baby Dinosaurs & Co. which made huge waves in the Underground HipHop scene.  Kelow since then released her latest leak "TurboSteeze" featuring BDCO President/Producer/Designer/Photographer MXXM. The title, inspired by Kelow's Instagram page, was released via Live Mixtapes. Check it out below:

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©2012 Baby Dinosaurs & Co. | Southern Maryland  |  UnsungHipHop.ComIT

Saturday

Mach-Hommy - "Uppity Nigger" - {AUDIO}

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  'Uppity Nigger' is the name and its the 4th release in a series of 10 free downloadable EPs which will culminate in the release of a 30-track hardcopy, rightfully dubbed Supertape' in June 2013.  He will be giving it out for free, to the audience at live shows, something he calls "fam appreciation".  Mach-Hommy is from Newark, NJ with roots in the tiny district of Croix-des-Missiones, Haiti. This month's installment features production from 1 replacement killer: KozaK94 from Paris with 'Fish In A Barrel' and 'Newark'. There is also a refashioning of Logic's "Young Sinatra III" instrumental. As you will begin to notice with time, most of Mach-Hommy's collaborations are international with of course the exception of a few better-known "borrows" as he calls them. He gets it done in a way only a Unsung Haitian Folk Guitarist can...uncanny and surefooted. He has a old soul and it bleeds through the speakers and his lyrics. He's been dropping these tracks since September 2012 and if you haven't heard any of them yet your are really in for a treatGo check out the track below and you will see what I mean.

 

Friday

Tracee Ellis Ross Talks About Her Natural Hair Journey

 CurlyNikki.com talks to Tracee Ellis Ross about her journey.

Many of you may be just too darn excited to read the intro - and that's fine skip on down to the good stuff! Cause lemme tell you child, when I found out I was gonna be interviewing my (imaginary in my mind) best curlfriend I was more excited than Lil' Wayne at a skinny jeans and skateboards convention! I'm talking Sophia Grace at a Nicki Minaj concert kind of excited! I'm telling y'all, today -Tracee, tomorrow, Michelle? *dives behind rose garden bushes*
On her hair as a child…
My hair has always been a huge part of me. I swear you can chronicle the evolution of my spirit and my embracing and celebrating all of who I am through my hair journey.  
In all honestly, I’ve completely resorted back to all of my childhood hairstyles! The way I wear my hair at home, the way I braid my hair, and the way I comb out my natural curls to get that huge wind swept, salt water look… it’s all very reminiscent of my childhood photos and the history of my mother’s hairstyles. 
that's a young Tracee on the left!

I have not always been natural. I had a relaxer in my hair during my teen years…well it was more of a texturizer than a relaxer.  But I started as a natural girl. I used to go to Joseph’s every Saturday to get a roller set, a wet set.  I’d sit under the dryer for an hour while I waited for ‘lil Joe-Joe to do my blow-out. He was like, ‘THE guy’, so everybody waited for hours and hours to see him and that was the majority of your Saturday.
So I did that for many years and if I couldn’t go for my hair appointment, my mom would blow my hair out or put the hot comb on the stove, which was a part of her childhood.  My hair never required a ton of heat and my texture was actually really consistent but the pivotal point came when I moved to Europe to go to school.  Enter the Relaxer.
The teenage years…
I remember calling my mom from there and saying ‘Mom, I know that hair, in it’s essence is already dead, but my hair is dead in a way that I don’t know how to explain.’  I was all the way in Europe and I was in school and it was just me doing my hair.  I would kind of blow out the front of my hair, my sort of ‘quote, unquote’ bangs and kind of poof them forward with a headband and take the rest of my hair and put it in a little bun really low down at my neck.  And so I had this poof in the front and whatever in the back and whenever I’d come home from Switzerland I’d get my hair relaxed.  So when I left Switzerland and started going to school in the States, which was 10th grade, the evolution of my Natural Hair began.
So I didn’t cut my hair off, I basically grew my relaxer out and then the journey began.  It was sort of like this crazy experimental process of trying a million different products and actually, I’m still the kind of girl that will try any and everything!  The hard part was when I started working, I mean modeling was one thing, but then when I started acting…that’s when it got difficult. 
... the beginning of Tracee's natural hair exploration!
The ‘Girlfriend’ years…
For the first three seasons of Girlfriends, if I had an early call-time, I would wake up 3 hours before so my hair could dry naturally.  Three hours before!  I didn’t use any form of heat on my hair at the time… no blowdryer, no diffuser, I wouldn’t let anybody do anything to it. I had finally gotten my hair back to its virgin condition… my huge natural curls were back and I wasn’t letting any heat or chemicals near my head!  So yes, there would be these conversations with the assistant directors where I’d plead for a 9 am call time, but if I got a 6am call time - and I’m not joking - there were times when I’d wake up at 3 am.  And it’s not like you can wake up, wash your hair and go back to sleep. 
Then something else occurred, an exploration of sorts.  Around year three, Tracee’s hair became Joan’s hair… it was interchangeable. So when I was off camera, when we weren’t shooting, I started to get bored with my look. The things that were so me, weren’t anymore- - the ‘Tracee bun’, my natural hair, became the ‘Joan bun’ and Joan’s natural hair. I was like, okay, I need something different, I need to be able to break away and turn back into Tracee when the season finishes.
So, I went to get my hair blown out and the person that usually did my hair wasn’t in town and the woman that she referred me to used a stove and an iron… it was still a flat iron, but it was too much heat for my hair and although I spent the entire summer with gorgeous, shiny, blunt, crazy great hair, three months later, my hair would not curl. So I ruined my curl pattern and I freaked out! But that created a whole new exploration.   
There was a man by the name of Scott Williams that came in to work on the set of Girlfriends, I think it was Season 4.  After that season, I took great pictures of the straight hair that will never happen again (because the curls would never come back), and we started to discover the Chi curling iron, not the Chi-3 but the Chi. I don't think they make it anymore, they keep trying to reconfigure it and it’s not the same, but it’s okay because I’ve discovered other things now. But anyway, the Chi iron saved my life! It was ceramic and it would get hot enough that it would leave me with straight, silky hair, but it wasn’t so hot that it would change my curl pattern.  So we nursed my hair back to health using a silicone-y something on my hair and the Chi and that’s when I discovered all these other hairstyles that I could achieve. And we found that balance between my natural hair volume and more ‘movie stary’ looks- that’s what we used to call it when I started naming all of the hairstyles! 

  
On her hair today…
It took about a year to nurse my hair back to health and now, I can do both. I can do my completely natural wash and go, not manipulated at all and I have all the straighter variations that I can achieve with irons.  I can do a regular round brush blow-out, where I have great volume and ease of movement.  It’s silky and straight but not…you know…Naomi Campbell straight.  I can also do my ‘manipulated natural’ now that I’ve learned to diffuse my hair in a way that works, especially if I have to wake up for an early call.  And let me tell you Nikki, I’m not going to give you all my secrets…I’m saving those for my website and my book! [laughs]
On her routine…
I am constantly discovering new products. As a naturally curly girl, you know that our hair, our cuticle gets used to products rather quickly… some more quickly than others and the truth is that when I find a really good one, I save it for the days when I know I’m shooting or on camera, so that I’m somewhat guaranteed a good hair day.    
I will also tell you that depending upon which state that I’m in, different products work better because of the water quality.  So products that work in New York don’t work so great in Los Angeles.  And the water in Atlanta is insane!  When I was working there, my hair was like, what the heck is this Atlanta water? My hair was totally confused, I think it was the water quality combined with the humidity.  I had to get from my apartment to the stage quickly, and then not go back outside… it was this whole thing.  Anyways...
The truth is that my natural hair out in full Tracee form, because of how much I work and am on camera, I rarely do for my personal life. My personal life is usually a bun, braids, or a blowout because it lasts for more days. I wash my hair with shampoo only once a week, but I will often wet my hair more times than that. If I’m getting a blowout, I always get a fresh wash.  I prefer hair that is not coated and weighed down, I get better curls the less product I have in my hair and I get a better blow out the less product I have in my hair.  I wash my hair with the shampoo once a week and then while in the shower, with enormous amounts of conditioner, I separate my hair into six sections and the rest of the hair that I’m not working on, I clip out of the way with a large clip. I then use the Denman D4 rubber brush… love this brush, I have for years, it is the best curl making brush that exists. After I do two sections, I add a little more conditioner to it in order to create curls, and then when my entire head is done, I add a little bit more water and little bit more conditioner and then I turn my head over and I scrunch to create more curl definition and then I turn my hair back over and rinse with low water pressure so as not to break up the curls that are on the top of my head that have just found each other.  Finally, I turn the water to complete cold, no hot water. In the winter it sounds like this (hugh hugh hugh!…panting noises, sounds of icy pain) in my shower and then in the summer it sounds like this (ahhhhhh! Cool relief!)  But it is complete cold, not like cool…its actually cold.  It’s like the cold water rinse you get when you go to the spa.
Yes it’s painful, but here’s the thing that changed my relationship to the pain. That cold water rinse, it’s actually really good for cellulite! [laughter].  Have you ever been to the Korean spas and seen the open fist pounding they do?  Well, I will sometimes do that in the shower, under the cold water, across my rear and my legs.  
I go hard in the paint for this hair and this body!
So the other thing is that while in the shower, I apply my products to soaking wet hair. Right now I’m loving Optimum Salon Haircare 6-in-1 Miracle OilI use it a couple of different ways. Unlike most oils, the consistency is more like water…it doesn’t come out slowly when you pour it out of the bottle, so I have actually transferred the oil to my own bottle and I have a couple of different ways that I apply it to my hair. If I’m traveling and it’s just in the bottle that it comes in, I try to put it in my hands in little bits and I kind of do sections and then I take my hair and I squish my hair with all the water in so that it gets evenly distributed throughout my hair. But the other thing that is really helpful is that I put it in a little diffuser, like a pump bottle, and it’s actually thin enough in it’s consistency that it comes out like that and it also gets evenly distributed through my hair. In the summer that’s all I need to achieve a beautiful wash and go.


Then, if I’m putting it in a bun, I’ll use the Optimum Salon Haircare Miracle Oil Hair Moisturizer which makes my hair shiny but doesn’t weigh it down.  It’s really rare to find an oil that doesn’t leave your hair greasy…but still leaves it shiny.  It’s also rare to find an oil that doesn’t weigh you hair down, but kind of smoothes the cuticle. There are some oils that either weigh your hair down completely or make your hair look really greasy or worse, you will actually feel it on your skin. This oil penetrates my hair when it’s wet and by the time it dries, the curls have had time to find each other and they kind of coagulate and the product has completely sunken in! I’ve also been known to use this oil around my cuticles and after mixing in some essential oils, apply it to my wet skin to give it that glow.
On tips for women who want to go natural…
With me, anything that I’ve done that I’ve found to be worth it in life, has taken a little time.  It’s taken time to discover it for myself, time to actually be in a relationship with myself in the process of whatever that thing is and its been no different with my hair. It’s been a journey and it will be a journey for you and what works for me will not necessarily work for you, but it might just give you ideas. 
I have three girlfriends with hair very similar to mine and some things work for me but not for them, it is what it is…the process. The suggestions that I’ve given might not be specifically what works for them, but it helps them discover something else that will work for them. My suggestion to anybody that wants to wear their hair similar to me… go toward the internal version of it, instead of the external.  So the thing about my hair is that it is really authentic to me, the way I wear it for certain days and events is really what feels right to me, and my suggestion and encouragement to everyone is to do what feels right to them.  For example, if you are going to a class reunion or your prom, it’s probably not the day to try a new product or a new hairstyle.  If prom is two months away, start experimenting on Sundays or a day that you know you’re going to be at home.  These are the days that you try a new product or a new way of combing your hair out.  Then try it a couple of times, because the thing that I’ve discovered with curls is that they take a minute to find each other. If for example you’re growing out your relaxer or your perm, it takes a minute and if you don’t have the courage or desire or the willingness- because it’s not just about courage, sometimes you can’t, you know some people can’t just chop their hair off- then give it some time! Find a great way to braid your hair.  I’m the one who knows how to braid my hair, I mean know one else knows how to braid my hair. 
It’s not always good in Tracee land.  I’ve had some really bad moments, I was going to a dinner party for a friend’s birthday, and I don’t know what it was, but like my back section looked really good, but the top became this weird puff of horridness and I figured out this way to kind of twist the front of my hair and create a poof. It looked good with the naked eye in the mirror. I caught a glimpse of a photograph however and I was like what the heck was I doing?! And thank God I wasn’t on a red carpet. So you kind of have to experiment and don’t be afraid to take a photograph… I always say this about clothing too. Looking in the mirror, you see your feelings and if you feel good in something it will most likely look good to you, but just because it feels good doesn’t necessarily mean it looks good, especially if you’re going to be on a red carpet. If you look at a photograph of yourself you have a little bit more objectivity.  I used to do it with Polaroid’s, but now I do it with my camera phone and I’ll put the phone on a little kick stand.  When I look crazy I say, ‘I’m glad you enjoyed your little moment putting that on or did your hair like that, but you will not be able to leave the house in that manner’. [Laughter]
On randomness…
I’m excited about my new website! It should be up and running soon! I love your site Nikki, I actually check it quite often, so much that it seems as if we’ve already met. I’m happy we were finally able to connect!


CN Says:
Best damn interview I've ever had in my life.
Stay tuned for a major announcement. Like, MAJOR. 
Oh, and check out Optimum Salon Haircare's Facebook Page
and follow Tracee on Twitter!

Courtesy Of CurlyNikki

PRO ERA - "PEEP The aPROcaplypse" - {Audio}

Pro Era Peep the aprocalypse

 New York collective PRO ERA, comprised of Get Familiar alum Joey Bada$$, alongside Capital STEEZ, CJ FLY, Kirk Knight, Chuck Strangers, Nyck Caution, Dessy Hinds, Dirty Sanchez, Ala Sole, Dyemond Lewis and Rokamouth, off the PEEP The aPROcaplypse.
The 17 track effort featuring production from the likes of Statik Selektah, Lee Bannon, Bruce Leekix, Brendun Deshay, Einb Special, The Entire Producers, Hans Solo & Jonas Cook, and Thelonious Martin can be streamed and download for free below.

Tracklist: PRO ERA – ‘PEEP The aPROcaplypse’ [Mixtape]

1. Like Water – Capital STEEZ, Joey Bada$$, CJ Fly (produced by Statik Selektah)
2. Run or Fly – Joey Bada$$, Dirty Sanchez, CJ Fly, Capital STEEZ (produced by Lee Bannon)
3. Wrecord Out – Nyck Caution, Joey Bada$$, CJ Fly (produced by Chuck Strangers)
4. F A Rap Critic – Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, Joey Bada$$ (produced by Statik Selektah)
5. The Renaissance – Ala Sole, Joey Bada$$ (produced by Einb Special)
6. Florists – Kirk Knight (produced by Kirk knight)
7. Interlude 47 – Capital STEEZ, Joey Bada$$, CJ Fly, Desst Hinds (produced by Stakik Selektah)
8. Ressurection of Real – Ala Sole, Nyck Caution (produced by Einb Special)
9. Vinyls – Dessy Hinds, Nyck Caution (produced by The Entire Producers)
10. School High – Joey Bada$$, Dyemond Lewis, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution (produced by Brendun Deshay)
11. Overseas – Joey Bada$$, CJ Fly (produced by Hans Solo & Jonas Cook)
12. Natural – Dessy Hinds, Nyck Caution (produced by Marvel)
13. K.I.N.G.S. – Joey Bada$$, Capital STEEZ (produced by Thelonious Martin)
14. Start to Finish -Joey Bada$$, Rokamouth (produced by Chuck Strangers)
15. Last Cypher – CJ Fly, Dyemond Lewis, Ala Sole, Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight, Rokamouth, Joey Bada$$, Capitsal STEEZ (produced by Brendun Deshay)

Bonus:
16. Bun N Cheese – Kirk Knight, Capital STEEZ, Ala Sole, CJ Fly (produced by Bruce Leekix)
17. Lawns – Super Helpful, Joey Bada$$ (produced by Lee Bannon)


Thursday

Action Bronson & Alchemist - "Rare Chandeliers" (Bonus Tracks) - {Audio}

http://outdaboxmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ActionBronsonTheAlchemistRareChandeliersMixtapeart1.jpg

 To add insult to injury to those fake Emcees, Action Bronson and Alchemist’s are dropping more jewels from the “Rare Chandeliers” project. These bonus tracks you can download for free I have one below you can download the full project here. You can give this way as Christmas gift to all your friends and family there is nothing like having "Real" HipHop as gift under the tree.(Corny..I know)  Checkout the track below:

Wednesday

Talib Kweli - "Outstanding" (Ft. Ryan Leslie) -{ Video}

 Talib Kweli single off his album “Prisoner Of Conscious” which was released February of 2013 never did get its proper respect. As a whole we tend to support the garbage on tge main stream circuut. Check out the visuals for Outstanding feat. Ryan Leslie with Boi 1nda on the beat and tell me why real talent hardly ever get credit for anything.  Talib is a perfect example of how you can be a successful Underground Emcee and stay original. (Emceein' 101)

Tuesday

ILL-Legitimate: THE ALBUM - {Audio}


These  Band of Brothers is full of dope Musicians and dope Lyricists. ILL-Legitimate's goal is beyond self-mastery HipHop they also practice the mastery of martial arts and it's elements. This ten man crew might have some similarities to the mighty Wu Tang Clan but they have their own unique sound and style.  I've listened to this Cd twice already its pretty dope and you can bump it in the Whip as well.  The crew consist of Anonymouz, A.O.K. (Assault of Knowledge), Azrael, Copasetic, DJ Booz,
DJ Kilocee, Nicky Scarfo, P-Butta, Risskant De Woordvoerder
and Sythe.

All ten solo artists have combined to bring you a special listening experience.