It’s been 11 years since the ruff ryding, self proclaimed pit bull in a skirt has released a studio album. The last time time we really saw her make...
I remember being about 7 years old and seeing these 2 guys on TV rapping with a crazy energy and an image that seemed similar to Kid N Play, but somehow...
It’s funny how we learn the best life lessons through some of our greatest hurts. Recently I’ve been experiencing some severe back pain (largely due to injuring myself playing drums in the marching band in high school). I used to think people who complained about back pain were being over-dramatic…until it happened to me. Long story short, I’ve been going to a chiropractor off on for about a year. My back never bothered me that much until the last 3 years or so. So far, the best remedy for my pain and healing has been getting a decompression. It hurts a little bit, but feels cool at the same time. You lay face down on the table and get strapped into all of these pads that wrap around your midsection and lower back. The pads are attached to cables that are hooked to a machine that pulls and stretches your back. The machine pulls your lower back towards your feet. Little did I know how this simple machine would tie in to everyday life.
Just like that decompression machine, we have to find a way to plug into something that unwinds us. Life can wind you up so tightly that it begins to manifest itself in your body, your appearance and even your attitude. Maybe it’s a stressful job that keeps you on edge. Maybe it’s harboring built up resentment towards someone who doesn’t even know you’re mad at them. Or maybe it’s pulling away from a person who’s really not in your corner. The thing about decompression (or pulling back), is the more you try to hold on, the greater your chance is for pain . The scary part is often times we don’t realize the effect that stress, anger, volatile relationships, and hot tempers have on us….until it’s far too late.
Sometimes you just have to pull back from obligations, people and more importantly, even yourself. Why do I mention pulling yourself back? It’s simple. No one will ever be more critical of you than yourself. But we often are selective in how we place that criticism. The average person can become their own worst critic when it comes to their physical appearance and over commitment levels. But how many of us are able to be self-reflective enough to pull back in an unhealthy relationship? Or maybe pulling back from addictions that ruin our lives? We want to throw pity parties and invite everyone over to tell them how we’ve been mistreated. But, in reality, we’ve done ourselves wrong by carrying pain that was never meant for us to bear. The more you allow situations and people to wind you up, the more uptight you become, the more pain you experience and the cycle goes on and on.
So what do you need to pull back from? I know for me, I’m working on pulling back from my stubbornness. Although it has kept me out of danger in some instances, it has also hindered me. Take my back for instance. If I had done a little “pull back therapy” and gotten my ailments checked out by a doctor in high school, I may be in a better place now with my back issues. I have many things I’m working on, as I’m sure we all do. Let’s all commit to a little pull back therapy today. It’s the best form of preventative care there is.
I love cologne. A couple of my favorites are Burberry London and Gucci Guilty. To me, you can almost never have too many different kinds. To me, it’s an enhancer to your outward appearance. Almost like the feeling of a fresh hair cut (or shave for me, lol) and a new hair style for ladies. With that being said, I also love perfume. Think about the last time you met someone who looked good and then think about how they smelled. Chances are, their scent either brought them up or down a notch or two on the looks rating, lol.
Meet Judith Prays. She’s a 25-year-old web developer who became fed up with failed attempts at online dating. She decided to create pheromone parties after she ended up in a 2 year relationship with someone who didn’t initially match up against her dating check list. Apparently his smell is what stuck with her the most. Thus the idea of pheromone parties. What exactly is this? Judith started her first pheromone party in New York with about 40 guests who were all told to freeze a T-shirt they’ve slept in for 3 days. The bags containing the shirts are then marked blue for men and pink for women, along with tagged numbers. Half a dozen of the “couples” hit it off and actually made lasting relationships. Right now the pheromone parties are only in New York and Los Angeles, but there is talk of Atlanta and San Diego getting in on the smelly love fest as well.
Ok….yeah this sounds like a very funny idea and something cool to go to and get a good laugh. But for real dating? WTH?! Who does this? I guess Judith does and she seems to be successful with it. But this concept just raises so many eyebrows with me. First of all, what happens if you pick someone based on their scent and they’re not attractive? Or what if they are attractive but you see someone else’s shirt that you didn’t sniff but can’t keep your eyes off of? Do you give your date their shirt back and say, “No thanks, I’ll choose her (or him) instead?” LOL. And then there’s the obvious elephant in the room. What happens if your shirt gets sniffed 10 times and nobody picks you? Talk about a self-esteem let down, lol. Some of the party goers stated that they have smelled marijuana on some of the people’s shirts. WTH?! Really??? Who’s going to smell a shirt laced with marijuana and say, “Oh yeah that’s it! I gotta have em….that smell drives me wild!” Any takers? Didn’t think so.
I think at best this is a great ice breaker to maybe get conversation started. But as far as long-lasting relationships from your sniff mate that you pick….eh, I don’t see it happening. So what do you think about it? Could you ever go to a party like this? If you did, would you really go to pick up a date or just for a good laugh and conversation?
You’ve heard her on Kanye West’s early hit song, “All Falls Down”. R. Kelly produced her first single, “I’m Your Woman”. She’s one of the best voices in R & B…so why is she so underrated? Wonder who I’m talking about? Syleena Johnson and she hails all the way from the windy city of Chicago. Ever since “I’m Your Woman” was released, I immediately sat up and took notice to the sultry, sexy voice coming through the speakers. Then there was “Guess What”, a catchy mid-tempo song about lack of commitment in a relationship. And of course, there’s her 3rd CD…Chapter 3:The Flesh. This one is my favorite and I still listen to it to this day. But Syleena Johnson is much more than the girl associated with R Kelly or the woman who sings the hook on “All Falls Down”. She’s worked with such heavy hitters as Twista, Anthony Hamilton, Busta Rhymes, and Fabolous to name a few. But don’t doubt her….she can definitely hold her own as she proves on her latest CD, Chapter V: Underrated.
When I first heard the single, “Go Head”, featuring rapper Na’Tee, from Chapter V: Underrated, I really didn’t know what to expect from the entire CD. This reggae tinged song is uptempo with somewhat busy production, but in a good way. Although the song was good, it didn’t sound like the typical Syleena Johnson. Little did I know, this CD would prove that Syleena Johnson is anything but typical. She opens the CD with the title track, which features Chicago native AK of Do or Die. She comes in bold and with confidence…perhaps more so than many of the tracks she’s ever done. But what else should we expect from a singer who’s been in the business for over 15 years? Syleena Johnson continues the upbeat, cocky vibe on the next two tracks “A Boss” and “Fade Away”. I must say with all of the male bashing songs out there, it’s refreshing to see that she only wants “an equal” and not a “buy me this, buy me that” man on “A Boss”.
Things begin to slow down a bit as she joins singer Tweet on “Angry Girl”. The message here is good (encouraging women to not be bitter), but there’s nothing spectacular here. I was a bit surprised, considering I’m a fan of Tweet as well. However, “Like Thorns” is one of the standouts on the CD. This cleverly written track (You used to be like roses/Now you’re just like thorns) speaks of being fed up with an overly insecure lover. This song should be a single in my opinion. She gets a little suggestive towards the end of the CD with “Bad Person” and “The Champ”. “Bad Person” speaks about being the aggressor when it comes to matters of the bedroom and “The Champ” boasts of her TKO-esque…ahem…special skills.
All in all, if you’re looking for a great R & B CD, check out Chapter V: Underrated. It definitely does not disappoint and makes you wonder why she is even labeled as underrated.
Have you ever heard her music? If so, what are your favorite songs that she sings? Or who is one of your favorite “underrated” artists?
