Breast Cancer Awareness

Not only is pale pink nail polish chic and classic; it’s also a perfect way to get involved in the movement to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.

Essie Raise Awareness retails for $8.00 and a portion of a the proceeds go to Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

For more info goto http://www.essie.com/?cm_mmc=LabeliumSearch-_-Google-_-Essie+Brand-_-essie&gclid=CLfJyJ2596sCFQ0CQAodWj4PKg

Eric Roberson is a Grammy nominated songwriter, and the undisputed prime minister of independent soul. Eric has been more than just a king of Independent Soul He has been an Ambassador, Leader, and Mentor. Eric is constantly paving the way on how to be successful in the independent soul music industry. For fifteen years Eric has consistently produced outstanding soul music. Eric Roberson (ERRO) was recently in the Twin Cities, and after his amazing performance in front of a sold out crowd at The Dakota Jazz Club in Downtown Minneapolis, I had a chance to sit down and get to know him a little better.

4SEEN GG- Thank you for taking a moment to sit down and chat with 4Seen Magazine.  Let’s get right into it. What’s a day in the life of Eric Roberson like?

ER- Depends on which day, on a day like this traveling, stage, good energy, good people you know doing what I can to make sure those that come out to see the show walk away pleased. But if I’m not on the road you know I’m at home changing diapers playing with my little man catching up with family. But we’re just getting started on the tour so were about to head to Europe next week so more shows and traveling for the next 3 months.

4SEEN GG- Are you completely Independent as an Artist?

ER- We just signed a distribution deal with a company called eOne but we’re still independent.  We have our own label and they handle our distribution. Eric says “ its’ sort of like an al a cart deal whatever we need they can step in and help us keep our machine moving forward”. But at the end of my day I’m my own boss,  (I) make my own decisions and get to make the music that I want to make. We’re 8 albums in now so it doesn’t make much sense to try and change up to much right now.  It’s all about organized growth taking what we have and making it bigger, and at the same time we’re in a position to help other independent acts grow as well. I don’t want to just be a successful artist I want to own a successful label at the end of the day.

4SEEN GG- What would you say has been the key to your success so far as an artist?

ER- Winning each fan over one at a time,  making sure we sign CD’s after each show, making sure everybody that wants a picture gets one, and let them(the fans) know that you really appreciate them by challenging them to really maintain a relationship with you. All the while knowing that next time they attend your show they will bring a friend and introduce them to your music and it just continues to build and build everywhere you go. We started in D.C with a few fans at our show now we can go back and fill a venue with 800 to 1,000 people.

4SEEN GG- How does it feel to do what you love every day for a living?

ER- IT’S A BLESSING the fact that I can raise my family,  take care of my son and travel the world. Actually this is the first time I’ve traveled without him since he was born.  He’s been to London, LA twice, Atlanta etc. with me you know so and he just turned 1yr old.  The fact that I get to share what I do for a living with my family is blessing.  Can’t really ask for too much else.

4SEEN GG- When it comes to creating music what is that process like for you?

ER- I approach it from a fans perspective.  I really just try to fulfill myself as a fan with the music I create. I know my music isn’t going to win everybody over.   I don’t like everything so I don’t expect everyone to like my music. But I should be the example of what you do like music wise.   It’s out there so just look for it; it may not be on the radio or on TV.  Don’t just sit back and expect dope music to always find you, there is so much dope music out there.   I just encourage you to dig a little and find new talent that satisfies your music craving.

4SEEN GG- Who are you a Fan of?

ER- The list is crazy! Just recently this brother named Thunder Cat from a L.A a bass player I know didn’t even know he sang just put an album out and it’s amazing.   A girl group called Kings; met them at a Mexican restaurant. When I met them they had just put there album out and 2 or 3 weeks later Prince called them and now there opening up for him on tour. Phonte, Foreign Exchange, Slick Rick, Stevie Wonder, Tribe called Quest, RadioHead  I can go on and on!

To learn more about Eric Roberson and his new Album Mr. Nice Guy visit him at http://www.ericrobersonmusic.com/

Are you Falling for this seasons fashions? Autumn is a crucial period for building your wardrobe and evolving your unique style. Here’s what’s trending this season:

70’s fashion remains high on the list of carry-over trends. E.g.; Flares/ Wide legs

Edgy look. E.g.; Motorcycle Jacket, Distressed/Boyfriend Jean

A simple clean pair of flare or wide leg pants; a relaxed blouse and structured hand bag, with or without a block colored felt hat will give you an effortless chic look. You can add more to the look but it’s really not needed.

In case you’re on the fence about boxing up all your whites because its “after Labor Day”… there is no need to. However, making white look classic chic and elegantly feminine is not easy.

Here are some ways to merge whites with your Fall wardrobe:

Add a bold color from Autumn’s palette as an accent; whether it is shoes, a narrow belt, jewelry or a purse.

Add a chunky knit or wool sweater to a pair of your favorite white jeans, with a brown boot for simplicity at it’s best.

Corduroy blazers are a complimentary essential piece with any white attire.

White blazers are fab with a skirt or trouser pant for an upscale event.

Personal style is all about personal choices and what makes you look and feel your best.

~ It’s not what you wear- its how you wear it. Author Unknown

M.E. Martin #274

police keep us safe

like jails champion freedom.

they host death only.

In the wake of the tornado that hit the Northside of Minneapolis, May, 22nd 2011 at least 200 hundred people were reported staying at the Armory in Northeast Minneapolis due to their uninhabitable homes.  10,000 community members are still without electricity which is down from the peak of 22,000 Sunday, one man lost his life, 29 for now are reported injured.

My focus in this article though is the response to this devastation from the police department, especially with regard to the 9pm curfew that was put into place last night and will apparently remain until it is “deemed safe”.   Generated with the stated purpose combating looting and to keep community members safe there is another narrative that looms in the city and will not be told by “official” media outlets.  We’ve heard from Mayor Rybak today that the rumors of looting were “largely unfounded” but that for the next “couple days” the curfew will remain in order to keep people safe.

FROM WHO?

St. Louis Park was hit by this tornado as well and yet they remain in the all clear as far as any curfew is concerned.  The distinction between how communities are treated is based on RACE & CLASS lines.

As I walked through the Northside today volunteering the police were setting up the barricades for an exclusion zone.  I was assigned the role of making sure community members were not walking beyond the barricade.  This is when I struck conversation with a African-American gentlemen who retold the account of how last night a police car drove by to look into alleged looting.  In their rush they hit an African-American young man who apparently flew on top of the hood of the police vehicle before he hit the concrete and then continued to drive away.

When more police were walking through the community with tear gas and assault rifles telling community members that they were to go into their homes or go to jail, the man with whom I was speaking said that he addressed the police about the young man hit by the squad car.  Their response was to say that he was apparently fine seeing as how he could walk.

Furthermore his daughter went on to address how officer M.E. Martin #274 spoke to her when he saw her out past curfew.  When he asked what she was doing outside she replied that she was checking to see if folks were ok to which she reports the officer replied that, “she should go home and kill herself” and that “you people are so fucking stupid”.

These are not atypical acts by the police, especially those who police the Northside.  What careless, spineless rationale dictates and informs one officer to hit a young man then drive off and another to tell a young woman who has survived this disaster and wants to see what she might do to help that she should “go home and kill herself”?  While I put a specific name and badge number to this story officer M.E. Martin #274 could be replaced with many a name and many a badge number.  Need we drum up the statistics of profiling, the disproportionate number of African-Americans in prison, the time after time a Black or Brown community member is harassed, abused, or killed by the police and nothing is done?

There is far too much evidence in the collective profile of the history of Black and Brown people in this nation to inform us of the reality that the police are not there TO SERVE AND PROTECT anything but the PERSON AND PROPERTY OF THE WEALTHY.  And yet these same officers are those who Ellison in his report on the news today would tell us are the, “real heroes” who “run in when everyone else runs out”.

Sorry Congressman not buying it.

These are the stories that get lost in the debris of the vortex.  The absence of them continues to endorse the assumption that there could not possibly be indigenous systems of accountability that keep people far safer.  Certainly there will be those who question the legitimacy of my report as they blindly follow the reports of those who circulate unfounded rumors of looting.

For those I could care less, my concern is that in communities of color, in poor communities generally we need to begin informed organizing in order to address the egregious behavior of the State Gun who treat our streets like the untamed Wild West.  This racial imagination of the dangerous untamed other needs not only be held accountable for the crimes it breeds but eliminated along with the systems/organizations that it constructs.

We must move forward with purposeful energy and informed organizing knowing in the spirit of the South African slogan that, “Nothing about us, without us, is for us”. Until we begin such informed organizing we will continue to, in the illustration of the late teacher Malcolm X, run from the mouth of the wolf only to enter the mouth of the fox.  We must and we will.  All power to the people.

haiCOUP for the Northside in lieu of the tornado trailing the economic and educational destructive vortex:

our spirits cannot

be uprooted by the fury

of the tornado.

Reality T.V.

Reality T.V.  We live in the midst of the most vicious unwinding comedy; all actors on the stage of all theater.  What we behold we become as the mind soon craves a steady diet of lunacy on screen.

One order of bin laden’s dead body coming right up, with a side of “Islam tomorrow” as stated by the graffiti write up in Maine.  These in the echo of royal wedding bells seducing masses to wed the hell they’d lead us to.

The first Black President bombs Africa, for Libya is to many peoples surprise, in Africa.  This while Donald Trump questions the legitimacy of his Ivy League Education and American birth.  But Hova’s got a bestselling memoir out as he buys out the Bronx for a better stadium.

Reality T.V.  No strikes at Georgia “Correctional Facilities” will be aired for fear that when we look at the other side of the cell bars we might understand the prison to be everywhere.

Are You Fashion Hungry?

The Beautiful People are coming!

Is there a recipe for the drab night life in Minneapolis? With the weather against us more than half the year, it becomes difficult to deliver quality events year round. Mountains of snow on each corner, deciding to carry your coat or not, and the endless driving in circles to find parking or better yet valet to prevent the hike from the car to the club in the cold if in fact you decided to leave your coat in the car!!!! Who wants to deal with all of that?

Like clock work as soon as the weather breaks, events are piled on top of each other; giving the now overwhelmed partygoer so much to choose from that we seem a bit unappreciative. Perhaps if quality events are offered in installments this could possibly tide us over. Well don’t you worry…THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE are coming!

Chris Lee’s Cocktails & Dreams brings good people and nostalgic tunes into swanky locations. If you’re looking for a party that presents you the opportunity to mingle, network, drink and dance, then Cocktails & Dreams is where it’s at. Chris’ bold personality and love for like minded people prompted him to out right call the beautiful people to the front and center of the party scene. Some may find this a little off putting or discriminatory but that would mean they do not consider themselves beautiful!  We’re talking beautiful in the sense that you have a confidence and swag that just can’t be broken, it energizes you to be in a room with people who feel and look as good as you do.  Now that’s Rock Star power!

Cocktails & Dreams is offered in series’ called Volumes; this April 2nd at Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Minneapolis we will have the opportunity of experiencing yet another great party, Vol.6.  Mr. Lee also requires that only a mature crowd attend Cocktail & Dreams; uniquely giving his event a rating system…Rated M-25 which translates to Mature  adults that are  at least 25 years old. This is a wonderful way to ensure that the crowd is ready for a good drama free time. So how do you know if a Cocktails & Dreams Party is right for you? Take the following quiz…

Is Cocktails & Dreams the party for me???

1. I’m sick of the same old crowd and venues                                        y or n

2. I love taking pictures                                                                           y or n

3. I enjoy SOS Band but I also like a Rick Ross                                     y or n

4. I’m sick of being the most fly at events I attend                                  y or n

5. I want to party in a place I’ve never been                                           y or n

Okay face it you answered yes to more than 3 questions so we’ll see you and your crew on April 2nd!  If you’re beautiful and you know it, come out and clap your hands to the sounds of DJ’s Dan Speak and Dell Dilla at Cocktails & Dreams Vol.6.  Don’t forget to tell Mr. Lee thank you for the summons of Minneapolis BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.

A. Priceless

Prom 2011

As of spring 2011 there will be a rush in the boutiques, bridal, dress and department stores all over. The start of prom season is one of the most anticipated experiences for a high school student. Rather the decision is a spontaneous one or a well thought out plan; there is one the for sure that everyone agrees on, the look is the most important part of prom preparation.

Through and through no matter what the changes in the style or trends are for prom, a young girl always wants to be her best on prom day. Most girls are the ones in control of the look of themselves and their dates. Knowing this brings us to what’s important; the look. 2011 is the year that your parent’s prom is modernized. The dramatic and eye catching look has always been the trend for any prom.

This year a revolution of styles will occur, white is going to be the new black. A girl in the right cut dress from short and funky white to long sleek or long dramatic; white is the color that will signify a young woman’s appearance. When we look at colors, there are dresses that can keep you in the spotlight or mute you in the crowd.

This year a lot of earth tone shades are the most popular. Avoid colors that will not be appealing for you, these can cause you to second guess your entire look. Colors are going to absolutely give you that pop you need. Rather the color is on you or your date; adding something as simple as an accent can give your look the picture perfect coating to make every moment everlasting.

Prints are one of those looks that have to be carefully considered. Last year it was all about the animal print. If you are going for the exotic look do not make the mistake of venturing to the animal kingdom designs. This year the big prints are all about the floral design. Go all out and accessorize your dress with a flower or have them splashed onto your grown for a burst of unique style.

The short dress is stylish and youthful for the trendy girl in all of us. This year steer away from the shape fitted cocktail dress. Look for the short and simple dress that is fit and flare, asymmetrical, or haltered they are the must haves for short and flirty style dresses.

To most individuals attending prom their date is just another accessory. Yes, your date is something that is optional. No matter if you decided that they are a must have or have not, their appearance can make or break your prom moment. Do not be afraid to step outside of the box when searching for your companion’s prom attire.

Your date needs to look as good as you, never taking from your shine but making their own and adding to yours. Go for the classic tux, or change it up with a simple bow tie. The best looks have been those that not too many people would think of, like a linen suit or the dark nary color instead or basic black. Coordinating to the T can be a big mistake, make sure the both of you can compliment one another.

Lastly, and most importantly cover the basics. Lashes-check, make-up done right-check, little secrets (spanks, pastries, tape, etc…)-check. Not to mention an emergency kit including: needle and thread, breath mints, lip gloss, or whatever you may need to keep hidden away in your bag. Keep it on hand in case of any change of plans, venues or crisis.

-       I don’t do fashion, I am fashion…Coco Chanel

LaKeisha Jones