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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Reppin'






"Reppin" aka representing is a way some of us who are far away from our birth countries try to stay close or convince ourselves that we are staying close. I wear my traditional Nigerian outfit and say to myself, "Yup, I'm reppin Nigeria." That's not the only way I rep Nigeria. In fact, I think when I succeed in eating my roommate's pounded yam and ogbono soup that is too peppery for words and I don't cry, then I can confidently, "yes, I'm reppin my country." I like when people abroad proudly have something on them that makes you know where they come from but you know the people I admire the most are those that embrace other countries and learn about them. I have a friend who says "Chineke" a lot and he's not even Nigerian. I say ciao but I'm not Spanish, okay I say it a lot because it's faster and more cuter than good bye. I look around me and see people mixing fashion, food, languages, and gestures and it makes me smile. One of the best things I noticed was  when I watched a popular American TV show and the star of the show was speaking pidgin English (aka broken English) and I fell off my sit in excitement! So people, in what ways are you reppin?


(ukoemem - Author; Ola Y - Editor)


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Bad Girl Riri








I want to like her all round, so badly, but I can't. I sing her music and then when I get to the point of immersing myself in it, I get this bitter taste from her latest deed. Why do some artists think that having squeaky clean images diminishes their work? Oh wait, because bad image equals publicity. I feel so bad for these people because I know that somehow they may not be the kind of people that we think they are. I remember the first time I heard Rihanna's music. It was the club special. Her voice was unique and her beats were off the hook. Then her songs became hit after hit. I couldn't get some out of my head. Then the photos on her album covers became unnecessarily raunchy and the lyrics? Yikes! Did she really have to go that route? I wondered how I was supposed to go into a store and get one of those without feeling self conscious? Yes, maybe being sweet doesn't get much publicity but I would think your music could speak for itself especially if it's good. Any artist could find something unique to themselves that would make them stand out. You do not have to become the music industry's "bad egg." Unfortunately, that's how I see Rihanna these days; making waves with her personal life, which she's not trying to conceal or protect. If this is the way she's going to stay on top of the charts, well, good luck to her. I guess I can do with downloading some of her music and listening it with earphones.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

I'm Ready For You

aldoshoes.com
aldoshoes.com
aldoshoes.com
Does this happen to anyone else? The weather playing who is much smarter, me or you? I choose to wear all black and the sun comes out in full force like it swears to change the color of my outfit by the end of the day. I choose to wear sandals and it rains all day. I choose to wear white and the first place I sit on stains my outfit. I choose to wear a short dress and the wind decides it wants to give everyone the best view they've ever seen. Then I get paranoid after these occurrences and carry a massive handbag. My guy friends wonder why I have to carry this huge luggage I call a hand-bag! Well, in it is a change of shoes and clothes just in case the weather wants to play a smart one on me. Who’s smarter now huh? I guess my shoulders still suffer but I can’t stand the unpredictability of New England weather. However, what I can’t stand the most is being stranded. This whole rant has to do with entering one of my favorite stores and seeing bag packs for grown ups that were so  cool that I almost cried (which doesn't happen at all). Hauling heavy hand bags that kill one of my shoulders is getting to me and I have dreamed of a bag pack that looks reasonable and doesn't make me look like a school girl. I saw them, in different colors and styles and I started praying for good fortunes to the manufacturers, wherever they are.  

(ukoemem - Author; Ola Y - Editor)

Monday, July 1, 2013

I Don't Get It But It's Okay


usmagazine.com



In college I walked past a guy wearing headphones with music so loud that I wondered how his ear drums were doing. I heard a rap with a voice that I immediately disliked. I thought to myself that the ear phones had to have been the cause, maybe if I heard the real voice of the artist, it wouldn't be annoying at all. I was so wrong. I had stopped by a friend's room and guess what, that voice hit me like a tidal wave on my stomach. I've never heard something so nauseating. "What is that song and who the heck is that?" I almost screamed. I'm not much into rap but I can bear the big names when they do cool music and Eminem is my favorite, don't ask me why. Anyway, I thought I had escaped that rapper for life until I traveled home and in the midst of my cool family, I hear them raving about this rapper. I looked her up and immediately knew why. I still don't think it's her music. It had to do with her looks, I'm sure. Boys and their ever-swaying ideas of what is cool and uncool. I just didn't understand why rapping about things that were unrelated but only rhymed could be interesting to anybody. Then the voice and accent change too, I guess I didn't and still don't get it. The boys seemed like they did and up until till this moment when she shows anywhere you hear something like, "Yeah look at that "ass-et," it's Nicki my main gurl." Umm okay then. I'm yet to understand her appeal but I guess that's not going to happen since I'm not a boy.









(ukoemem - Author; Ola Y - Editor)

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