Tags
b scott, big daddy kane, blair underwood, felicia pride, hip hop exhibit at national portrait gallery, ice t, in treatment, ll cool j, love b scott, the message
by vivrant thang on my favorite things
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I just simply remember my favorite things
and then I don’t feel so bad.
Although I’m far from sad on this last day of a week-long vacation before I start my new job tomorrow (‘scuse me while I drop down and get my eagle on), I thought I would share some of the things that have been making me smile these days.
I was ridiculously late to this party, but I’m glad I’ve arrived.
From the first time I watched one of B. Scott’s wildly popular YouTube videos, I was hooked. When I’m having a bad day or any kind of dark thoughts, I watch B. Scott, laugh like a damn fool, and feel so much better.
There’s just something about B. Scott. Could be his beauty…inside and out. Maybe it’s his dance moves. Or perhaps it’s that infectious laugh. Whatever it may be, I’ve loving it.
If you’re not yet a love muffin, seriously, you need to get into it.
Every time I try to get away from HBO, they pull me back in!
My plan was to quit them for a while after the last episode of The Wire until Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Love, or Tell Me You Love Me returned. However, this new half-hour series has me hooked!
It’s about a psychotherapist and his weekly sessions with four very complicated patients. These sessions and his own problems drive him to therapy himself with his old mentor, with whom he also shares an interesting history.
Blair Underwood stars on this show as one of the patients. He’s good.
I watched the first episode when it aired and then life got in the way and I missed the rest. I spent almost a whole day of my vacation catching up. I couldn’t turn away. Could be because it gives me insight into what my own therapist may be thinking while listening to me babble.
More on that later.
Recognize: Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture
I checked out this exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery on Valentine’s Day. Since I love art and black and white photography, especially by Black artists, this was a must-do on a day that was all about me.
Aside: I would love for Mr. Vivrant Thang and I to be serious art collectors and have a small gallery in our home.
But I digress.
It’s an exhibit that showcases portraits of the 2005 Hip Hop Honors nominees as well as black and white photographs of various artists such as Jean Grae, Mos Def, Chuck D, Pharcyde, and a stunningly artistic picture of Erykah Badu.
I snuck a few illegal pictures in (flash off) of the portraits. Better ones on the website.
Excellent prelude to the National Museum of American History’s “”Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, the Rhymes, the Life.” Now this will be an event that folks should come from far and wide for.
With this exhibit, I was especially intrigued by the mixed media installation piece, which is a response to Nikki Giovanni’s poem, “It’s Not a Just Situation: Though We Just Can’t Keep Crying About It.” It was an intricate work that lent itself to lots of interpreration and discussion. I personally spent about fifteen minutes standing there trying to take it all in.
A great companion book for this exhibit, particularly with the inclusion of the portrait of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is Felicia Pride’s new book, The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip Hop’s Greatest Songs. Want to remember why you first fell in love with hip-hop, cop it!
Check out Felicia’s recent article in The Baltimore Sun about why this book is so relevant.
SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE 
i love b scott! I’m definitely a love muffin!!
*waving* Heyyyyyy Love Muffin!
Yep, sounds like a great read. I am blogging from the phone so I will have to wait until later til really sit down and check you out.
That book sounds like a must-read just by the cover.
lol @ you snapping pictures
@ Don- Wouldn’t steer you wrong. Check it out.
And yea, your girl is a lil ghettofabulous.
Vivrant, I also think you are pretty fabo, unique, and well-rounded.
I must have overloooked Nikki Giovanni when I intially read this post. That woman is serious in thought. Everytime I hear her name I think about a poem she wrote after Tupac Shakur died. I was mesmerized by her words. She spoke like someone who was way too young to have felt Shakur. Then I realized her boy not only symbolized Tupac, but every young black male that dies due to senseless murder. Anyways that is when I started checking her out. She’s nice.
What turned you off about the last ep of The Wire? lol.
There are so many books that I have to check out, but I have to first get through with my manuscript. I wrote it down in a my documents log with the names of others. Article, interesting. New job tomorrow, taht can only mean you are dead asleep as I type this.
Careful, Don. My head is gonna get swole up like Gina’s.
If you haven’t, check out that poem in its entirety under the link. I think you will really appreciate it. Nikki is definitely a poet I appreciate in part because of her love and understanding of hip-hop. Too many poets and writers of her caliber are dismissive of it. She embraced it…and the TRUE artists.
You’re not getting me shot! I watch a week ahead on Demand. You’ll see.
I admire that you’re hard at work on your memoirs. I can tell it will be QUITE a read. We won’t talk about my book backlog. Over 50.
Yup, I gotta be good…for a while!
@ vivrant: You know you are smart & attractive. lol. Stop being so modest.
I will be back tonite and check out the Nikki G entire poem.
Thanks for the kind words.
Be good for awhile, huh?
Oooh, Big Daddy Kane! I love Kehinde Wiley‘s portraits. His interpretations of these hip hop icons and just normal ’round the way brothers is amazing. It’s be nice if he hooked the sistas up one time…
Yeah, I was extra late on the b. scott videos as well. Now I’m hooked. Double Kisses! LOL
And I’ve been meaning to get into that In Treatment show, looks interesting. But damn, I’m already watching too many dang shows. My DVR can’t take much more. Oh wait, I think the episodes are also On Demand. Darn that HBO!
@ Ill Mami – Thank you for stopping by lady! Yes, I have to admit that was one of my faves. You bring up a good point, ladies first! Who would you want to see? MCLyte, Queen Latifah, S&P….????
@ B _ Hey Lovemuffin! I need to get over to your spot to see what you’re up to. I’m SO behind.
That show will take you through some thangs. I know what you mean. My DVR is also screaming for mercy. It never falls below 60%.
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