#24: Quotes of the month!!

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

Marcus Aurelius

“Character.

Intelligence.

Strength. Style.

That makes beauty.”

Diane Von Frustenberg

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.”

“If hate is poison then love’s the cure.”

The Script

“To a great mind, nothing is little.”

Sherlock Holmes

“When you embrace all your flaws, then will your beauty be seen by everyone!”

YSK

2016: Albums of the Year: Part 4!!

This year was a great year for music, here's the last set of albums. Incase you missed 1, 2 & 3. Enjoy xx

J Cole - 4 Your Eyez Only

Like every Jermaine album I was excited for this as it was sorta unexpected and the documentary 'Eyez' made it even more anticipated. This album to me is a story of his friend's life but also relates to his own life. I feel like the album tells a story in someone else's perspective rather than Cole's (well some of the album). The project talks a lot about death, fatherhood, marriage, crime and more. The album mentions a bit about his mental state where he wanted to give up on life (on 2014 FHD he mentioned how he was unhappy), him falling in love, the death of his friend, a real life story of a SWAT team showing up at a house where the album was partly recorded named Sheltuh on 'Neighbours', him 'Foldin Clothes' for his wife and then to 'She's mine pt 2' where he talks about his daughter and showcases his joy and love. The last song is seemed a letter for his daughter apologising in advance  if the fame got him and he lost his life and also to his friend's daughter to remember her dad as he is no more. As always the production, lyricism and delivery is on point though I did hope for at least one feature. Cole lived on to share his friend's story and despite it not being a typical Cole album it still passes as a confirmed classic!

Post Malone - Stoney

Someone once told me to listen to 'White Iverson' and from then on I became a fan of Post and wanted an album. To be very honest, his mixtape August 26th was below expectations but I did like 'Money Made Me Do It' ft 2chainz, this made me not really excited for the album. After the first listen I was impressed with the vibe and production the album exhibited. My favourite track is'Congratulations' ft Quavo (ps I think Quavo does a great job on features). Overall the album has that party/trap vibe with pretty great catchy hooks. 

Shawn Mendes - Illuminate

Whether he is needing 'Stitches' or making'No Promises', Shawn has proven that he can sing his heart out and will probably give you his heart while he's at it 😊. Illuminate is an amazing album with stories about love, heartbreak and life after heartbreak. For someone like me who can't really relate the beats and lyricism are soothing and make me imagine a world whenever perfection is a reality. 'Mercy' & 'Treat Me Better' are my most played.  If you are going through it, listen! Shawn might create a soothing illusion of a perfect love story for you!

Kid Cudi - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'

Kid Cudi aka The Chosen is one of the best creative minds in music we will probably ever get to hear. That being said, he hasn't made an album I have vibed with since Man on the moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. Indicud was just an ok album and Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven sounds like a futuristic album, so I will let you know if it has grown on me in a few years lol! Although, this project is like 40% humming (he's low-key a professional), it might just be his best album in 6years. With Cudi albums I never look out for lyrics rather I  get excited to hear the production which of course I wasn't disappointed. 'Rose Golden' ft Willow Smith, 'Baptized in Fire' ft Travis Scott, 'Does it' and 'By Design' ft Andre 3000 are my favourite tracks. Cudi tells his story; The Story of The Chosen and frankly if you are like me you will get lost in the creativeness and discover your own meaning to the project!

Little Simz - Stillness in Wonderland

I found out about Simbi on Kehlani's song Table, to be honest I haven't paid attention to any British female rappers so I thought 'let's see what she's all about'. This project tells a good story about music and her life with good lyricism and production. 'Doorways + Trust Issues', 'Shotgun' ft Syd and 'Picture Perfect' are my favourite tracks. With Simbi I took a journey through wonderland and out repeatedly and I enjoyed it every minute of it.

John Legend - Darkness and Light

From the album title I wanted to listen to it to hear the stories. To be honest, I have never really paid attention to John's music, maybe a few songs hear and there because the man can sing (probably top 5 R&B men).  The project has amazing songwriting and production, it starts off with a humble like gospel song 'I Know Better', goes on to a song for his daughter Luna and a love song about a hopeless world (who else can do that?). 'Penthouse' ft Chance the Rapper &'Darkness and Light' ft Brittany Howard are my favourite tracks. This project covers topics like his life, the world we live in today and struggles of being black. John has proven that if you have a voice you can use it to discuss as much issues and whether talking about darkness or light you can still make amazing songs that can showcase your talent and evolution (this isn't a typical John Legend album). As for me I will be looking forward to more of John's work.

Let's see what 2017 has to offer!

What albums have you been listening to?

Have a great New Year!

photos via iTunes!

2016: Albums of the Year: Part 3!!

There were too many albums this year so I decided to make 4 posts rather than 3, even with that I had to reduce the list greatly! If you missed 1 & 2 catch up :D! Enjoy xx

Travis Scott - Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight (BITTSM)

At first when Days before Rodeo came out I thought I couldn't listen to Travis. Over time I gave songs like 'Skyfall', 'Drugs you should try' and 'Quintana' ft TI a chance and to my surprised I was absorbed by the creativity of a 'trap' mixtape. For me Rodeowas quite disappointing but Birds happens to be one of my favourite albums this year. Lyrically it is just alright but you don't expect much lyricism from Travis but the production on the other hand is amazing. If I were a dj all the songs from birds will be on high rotation because it is that good. 'Way back' ft Kid Cudi, 'Lose' and 'Goosebumps' ft Kendrick Lamar are probably my most played. Can't wait to hear what he does as a producer on Cruel Winter, I'm glad I let the persistent friends convince me to give Travis Scott a chance‼️ 

Frank Ocean - Blonde

One of the best albums of the year in my opinion. As someone who always found his other works quite depressing but this was different. At first listen I gave it a 7/10, after more listens I felt it was a 9.9/10 as it is such a brilliant piece of art. From the nostalgic feeling he expresses in 'Pink+White', to the cocky, adventurous soul in 'Nights' and the soothing vibes the entire album gives. I was engrossed and couldn't help but replay it over and over again. Frank is certainly one of the best & creative musical minds I'll ever be privileged to listen and hopefully someday meet‼️(ft Shettima)

Ari Lennox - PHO

Ari has one of the best vocals today and this EP showcases that. She gives that pure R&B and soul  and also modern vibes which makes you want to listen to the EP on repeat! On 'Yuengling' and 'Backseat' ft Cozz she exhibits an Erykah Badu feel on jazzy beats while as 'Cold Outside' and 'Backwood' have that trap soul vibe. This EP is covered with Ari's sultry voice on amazing production. 'Night Drive' might be my most played but each song tells its own story! It is a project for every soul lover and one of my favourites this year!

Isaiah Rashad - A Sun's Tirade

I had no idea who Zay (Isaiah) was and how good he was till a friend put me on his song'Nelly', this was around the time  Cilvia Demo which I appreciated so that made me more excited for new music. This album which is amazing orchestrated is sadly really underrated and I feel not enough paid attention to it. But if you listened to it, you'd understand why I think it is amazing!

Zay has always been the least rated and least hyped member of TDE and when you listen you will wonder why that is. '4r Da Squaw'is one of the best tracks on there and that possibly because it has one of the  best life lessons to it, he talks about the relevance of money to him and it makes you think whether money is going to somehow buy happiness for you once you acquire it or will you be rich and unhappy? The visual showcases people and their net worth but the ones with the least seem to be happier! Zay overall delivered great lyricism and great stories from his battles with alcohol to the life of fatherhood he was plunged into early in his life. Whether you have personal issues or you are just a hip hop lover or you just want some feel good music, this album is for you! (ft Shettima)

Solange - A Seat At The Table

This album is probably my personal favourite of 2016 lol I know I say that a lot but everyone needs to listen and bask in such greatness and talent. Solange stands out to be an amazing artist with impeccable fashion sense and she exhibits both in lyrics and visuals. This album talks about the struggles of being a black person whether is being killed, discriminated and even struggles of black people in history. She narrates these situations in such a way that you can't help but vibe, and the interludes also tell their own stories. I could go into how every song makes me feel but that will make this post too long as I'm not sure I can summarise the moods lol. 'Rise', 'Cranes In the Sky' &'Don't touch my hair' are my favourite tracks! The piano keys, jazz feel and stories of pain, pride, sorrow and more makes the album a confirmed classic in my books. Solange has always been an artist who has stayed true to her roots and to be very honest that one of the many reason I adore her. For the love of great creativity and real music I recommend this classic work of art to everyone!!

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank you for your service

If you love real hip hop then you need to know a few tribe songs! Though it is their first album in 18years, it still had lyricism as expected. The project discusses the issues happening today like tolerance, discrimination and of course America's 2016 Election. Tribe kept to their amazing delivery on a bohemian funk vibe which has inspired rappers like Andre 3k. 'Melatonin', 'Kids' and 'Ego' are my most played tracks. The album may have missed a little more of Phife (Rest In Peace) but overall the production, features and lyricism are great and you can't help but vibe to it.

Alicia Keys - Here

Alicia has almost always made an album about her life stories and every time it gets better.  This project talks about her 'Blended Family', beauty standards on 'Girl Can't Be Herself' and many other issues. 'Holy War' which might be my favourite, is a plea for tolerance and equality which is one of the biggest issues in our world today. Like always the vocals were perfection and so was the production. Despite the fact that she has made anthems in her career like 'Fallin' and made us fall in love with New York on'Empire State of Mind', this work of art felt like  it had a deeper heartfelt  songwriting just to create anthems and a classic!

Bruno Mars - 24K Magic

From his first work Doo-Woops & Hooligans, Bruno has found a way to win our hearts. A definition of a pop star he is as he can sing, dance, love you 'Just the way you are' and even catch a 'Grenade' for you 😆. Over time he has made many hits whether his or featured like Travis McCoy's'Billionaire' & one of my favourites 'Uptown Funk'. In my opinion whether you dance on not Bruno has put you in a better mood with his art. Like fashion trends from the past that make a comeback, music with 80's vibe seem to be greatly enjoyed by everyone including millennials and Bruno executes it perfectly on this project. The songs range from 80's dance to Pop with songs like '24K Magic' and 'Versace on the floor'. Thanks to Bruno, if you are having a bad day or you just feel like listening to a happy fun album, this is the album for you! (ft Bobby)

Belly - Inzombia

Belly has been one of those artists that has stayed consistent on his projects. I became a fan after hearing 'Might not' ft The Weeknd. Another Day In Paradise is probably one of my most appreciated albums this year and Inzombia falls in the Top 10 mixtapes. Belly is one of the most lyrical rappers of recent times but people don't usually notice that from the kind of music he makes. Inzombiais one of those projects that you can sit back and just vibe to and go on a ride of emotions on repeat, it constitutes of many stand out tracks like 'Consuela' with his narcos themed rhymes and great guest verses from Young Thug and Zack though Thugga went off topic lol. It goes from thought provoking songs like 'Die Alone' to heartbreak songs like 'The Day I Met You' giving everyone a song to enjoy for a particular mood. 'Actin Different' and 'Outkast' ft Ty Dolla $ign are my most played as they low-key put me in a happy motivational mood. Belly is definitely one to look out for and I see him getting his due credit very soon. (ft Shettima)

What albums have you been listening to?

Happy Holidays‼

photos via iTunes!

#23: Quotes of the month!!

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

“People that believe in you and your dreams are amazing and meant to be constants. Once they don’t, you might need to cut them off!”

YSK

“I’m only in competition with my last level.”

Erykah Badu

“Another person’s beauty isn’t the absence of you own.”

“Conquer the demons in you before letting the demons of others conquer you.”

RM Drake

“You are a work of art. Not everyone will understand you, but the ones who do will never forget you.”

#22: Quotes of the month!!

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” 

MLK

“It takes time to accept it when you lose someone, when you finally do you have to find the best way for you to deal with it; as time doesn’t heal you after acceptance!”

YSK

“Your age doesn’t define your maturity, your grades don’t define your intellect and rumours don’t define who you are.”

“We are all worms. But I believe that I am glow-worm.”

Winston Churchill

“Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you made. If you want a different result, make a different choice.”

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

Dr. Angela Davis 

#21: Quotes of the month!!

“A smile can brighten up a day, joy can brighten up a life so be as happy as you can be!”

YSK

“A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”

The Script

“All great things are precede by chaos”

Deepak Chopra

“Life is about using the whole box of crayons.”

RuPaul

“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

Annette Funicello

“For you to become the best of you, you need to accept you for who you are and only change the changeable!”

YSK

30 things that make me happy..

I was bored so I decided to write this and my boredom disappeared lol. Try it maybe it will work!

Food

Music

Perfumes

Fashion

Technology (yes I'm a geek lol)

Sleep

Hoodies

Shoes (especially sneakers)

Writing

Art

Oceans. Seas

Nature

Autumn. Winter

Sweaters

Being alone

Travelling 

Achievements 

Seeing others happy

TV Shows

Photography

Tea

Shopping

YouTube 

Water 

Health. Fitness 

Social media (sometimes)

Soccer. Basketball 

Learning 

Trying new things

Books 

Remember to always do whatever makes you happy!

What makes you happy?

Self Love!!

What is self-love?

I believe self-love is completely accepting who you are irrespective of your flaws and your imperfections. Not to venture too deeply and come across as narcissistic, but self-love is the most deserving of all loves. For some, loving who they are is difficult especially with cyber bullies and societal stereotypes but I feel like it's important to ignore all that and accept who you are. After all, your happiness is most important!

I learnt self-love at a young age and on this post I'm going to try to share with you a few of the ways which helped me.

#20: Quotes of the month!!

“If you’re bored with life,

 if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things - you don’t have enough goals.”

Lou Holtz

“If we’re not paying attention to our thoughts, 

feeling and emotions, 

we may never discover the things that are important to us.”

Humble The Poet

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do”

Eleanor Roosevelt 

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.”

Barack Obama

“Once a person is determined to help themselves, there is nothing that can stop them.”

Nelson Mandela

“Don’t let your life be filled with ‘what ifs?’. 

Take as many risks as you can and remember no matter what happens life goes on!”

YSK

#19: Quotes of the month!!

“Weird is the side effect of awesome.”

“What matters is to be,not to have.”

Diana Von Frustenberg

“Fashion is the amor to survive the reality of everyday life.”

Bill Cunningham

“Everyone sucks before they get kinda good at something”

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”

Kurt Cobain

“Impossible isn’t real. It is just an illusion that could lead to self doubt!”

YSK

2016: Albums of the Year: Part 2!!

Here's the second set of albums I have been enjoying in no particular ranking order. Xx

ASAP Ferg - Always Strive and Prosper

After 'Shabba Ranks' I wrote off Ferg so I never listened to his first album, Trap Lord. 'Let it Bang' ft Schoolboy Q was the first song I heard and I actually became excited for the album and honestly I wasn't disappointed. Album has amazing features, track list and stories about his life, not just as ASAP Ferg but also as Darold. And lots of wise words from the Hood Pope aka the Trap Lord..

Ron Gilmore - The Maturation of Little Ron

I was quite excited for this album as I wanted to hear not only the production but what the known Dreamville producer had to offer lyrically and to be honest I was impressed! He barely had any verses himself but had writing credits and features. 'The World' ft Emoni and 'Cash Rules' ft Cody Macc are my favourites!

Jon Bellion - The Human Condition

I found out who Jon was when I kept seeing tweets about this project, so I listened to a few songs onYouTube and I was obsessed🙈. From the first track the album is completely relatable, on first listen I gave it an 8 out of 10 and of course I had it on repeat. The album has great lyrics, great instrumentals & an awesome mix of genres and melodies. 'Woke the fuck Up' and'Fashion' are my favourite tracks. For most people it might be one of those albums that will grow on them but it was love at first listen for me. Can't wait for more music from him.

Beyoncé - Lemonade

As someone who is not a Beyhive member, this is the best Beyoncé album ever. The shocking honesty is what I love about it the most and it explains 'the elevator incident' with Solange. It talks about Jay's infidelity, feminism and some more life stories (well you can call them that). To be honest when 'Formation' came out I didn't like it one bit but many listens later it has grown on me. On the low, the pro-feminism songs are quite motivational or maybe it's just me. '6inch' ft The Weeknd is my favourite song!! My questions for this album are: 'Is this just an album for those who experience/experienced infidelity in a relationship? '& 'Did Jay really cheat on her or is this just a story to make more money from?'

Skepta - Konnichiwa

Probably his best work ever, it fits in the grime category but not fully grime (atleast that's how it sounds to me). It talks about his life, mandem ish and society issues, with blatant lyrics that people can understand it (that's one of the things I love about Skepta); also one of the most lyrical albums out so far. He has features from a lot of the grime artist like his brother JME, Wiley and more and also Pharrell on 'Numbers', 'Shutdown' is probably my most played track! I think this project opens the door not only for Skepta worldwide but for grime as a genre too. If you aren't a Skepta fan or on the bandwagon, hop one soonest!!

Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book

Probably my favourite project out right now! My friend put me on Chance years ago, after the first song I was hooked. I was quite excited for this and I knew I wouldn't be disappointed, I'm rarely wrong. No matter how my mood is, whenever I play this album I instantly get happier because of how good it is. It's has a mixture of gospel and hiphop vibe with features from the likes of Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Tpain, Lil Wayne and more. I can't pick a favourite track but I think my most played are 'All We Got' ft Kanye and Chicago Children's choir, 'All Night' ft Knox Fortune, 'Same Drugs', 'Juke Jam' ft Justin Bieber and Towkio and'Blessings Reprise'. It can be compared to many iconic projects released in music history though it defies hip hop norms. Also this project is free and deserves a Grammy!

Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman 

Ever since 'Bang Bang' I have been waiting to see her go 'bad girl' and it took forever but it was worth the wait. Vocally Ariana has one of the greatest voices out there, her control and delivery is absolute perfection; so as expected vocals were on fleek lol. The project has a lot of flirty, love and 'growing up' songs, I guess trying to show a matured adult side of her which she does pretty well (no she's not just the ponytail, former Nickelodeon actress & innocent looking lady. Lool).'Everyday' ft Future which surprisingly doesn't sound trap gladly is one of my favourites and along with 'Side to Side' ft Nicki Minaj!

What albums have you been listening to?

Photos via google

#18: Quotes of the month!!

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

Mohammed Ali

“Anything That costs you your peace is too expensive.”

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.”

Mohammed Ali

“Love Yourself so much that when someone treats you wrong, you recognise it.”

“Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.”

Mohammed Ali

“Life without ups and downs, pain, joy and sorrow is incomplete— If you live a life that way then trust me you are still yet to live!”

YSK

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
Mohammed Ali